Mike's adventures in art: 'How to Break,' the Henry, 'Nobody Lives Here'

If you're looking for tips on how to experience art in the Seattle area, you're in the right place. In this weekly post, KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis has suggestions for what to do around Seattle over the weekend so you can have your own adventures in arts and culture.

Theater

The world premiere of "How to Break" is showing at the Village Theater in Issaquah. This production blends elements of hip hop, with life in children's hospitals, to present the unique story of two adolescent teens.

Playwright Aaron Jafferis has almost 20 years of experience working as an artist in residence in children's hospitals on the East Coast. He crafted a story that brings two hospitalized teens, one with a new cancer diagnosis, the other with sickle cell anemia, together to experience life, love, loss, and growth within the confinement of their sterilized rooms.

One teen is a pop-locker. One is a break dancer. Together, they connect through being sick, learning to reclaim control of their bodies, and a whirlwind of beat-boxing, folk music, poetry, spoken word, graffiti, and dance.

The story is gripping. And the actors connect with the audience to bring us into this often unnoticed world of terminally ill teens. The pitfall is that the production sits awkwardly between being a musical and a straight play. In the first act, we rarely hear actors actually sing. We hear rapping, and poetry, and excellent beat-boxing from a nurse. But we don't get traditional songs until later in the play.

Even without the singing one would expect from a musical, there is plenty of music in this play. And it's good. The break dancing is a highlight. We could have used a touch more pop-locking, but later in the play, this is prohibited by sickness.

Overall, there are a few things this production will need to work on as the run continues, but this show is definitely worth seeing and there is a great chance the story will bring a tear to your eye.

"How to Break" is showing March 29 to April 30 at Village Theater Issaquah and from May 5 to May 28 at Village Theater Everett

Visual Art

"Taking Care: Collection Support Studio" and "Sarah Cain: Day After Day on this Beautiful Stage," are both showing at the Henry Art Gallery.

"Taking Care" is breathtaking — salon-style art, wall to wall, warehouse feeling, showing over 100 pieces, many of which have not been on display in years. There is no thread connecting the pieces, or reason why particular pieces are placed together. It's a smattering of art that will keep you captivated for longer than you expect. The Henry is in the process of upgrading their storage furniture, cataloguing art, and making sure pieces are in good condition, and instead of doing all this behind closed doors, they decided to put the art on display. It is a sight to behold.

The Sarah Cain exhibit is a must see. She came to the Henry and painted this installation on site. She got a feel for the space, and created a two-story mural, including the floor, that is bright, bold, and beautiful. Intricate patterns flow freely. Even the seating in the space was painted by Cain and puts you right in the art as you enjoy the experience.

"Taking Care: Collection Support Studio" is showing April 1 to Aug. 20 at the Henry Art Gallery.

"Sara Cain: Day After Day on this Beautiful Stage" is showing April 1 to Aug. 27 at the Henry Art Gallery.

"Nobody Lives Here" is showing at the Wing Luke Museum. Artist and historian Tessa Hulls curates this collection of stories, archives, videos, and art that tell the story of the community displaced in the 1960s when the I-5 freeway was built in the CID. For many Seattleites, life before the freeway is hard to imagine. But not only was there a life before I-5, there was a community of people, primarily people of color, who lived in this neighborhood and whose lives were uprooted due to the development. As the CID faces a new development with the upcoming light rail station, this is a great time to explore this history and consider the people who may be displaced in the near future.

"Nobody Lives Here" is showing through March 2024 at the Wing Luke Museum.