Supporting Seattle Arts: On The Boards

On The Boards Merrill Stage Lobby

At Northwest Polite Society, we believe Community = Good Business, and nothing is more integral to this community than art. For our newest blog segment, we will be featuring some of the many local organizations dedicated to keeping the Seattle art community growing.

If you would like to find yourself in the audience of a truly immersive performing arts experience, On the Boards is the place to be. For 40 years, local artists and artists from all over the world have come to this organization to present contemporary dance, theater, and other experimental performance that falls into the category of “uncategorizable.” We met with On the Boards’ Executive Director, Betsey Brock, in the colorful Merrill Stage lobby to talk about art, pushing boundaries, and Seattle’s coolest dinner party.  

“I think that art can be a tool for sparking conversations around civic issues, human services, politics,” says Betsey, talking about the role of performing arts in our community. “The art and artists we present here get really close to those issues and they really aren't afraid to dig deep and challenge people.” 

On the Boards puts a huge emphasis on the community aspect of an audience. “I think experiencing a powerful performance, it changes you. And when you change with a community of people you are closer together,” says Betsey, “and there's a much greater chance that you'll be able to have those hard conversations, those important conversations with each other.” 

There’s even an opportunity to hang out with your fellow audience members at an amazing dinner party before many of the shows. The Studio Supper is a sliding-scale dinner that features some of the best chefs in Seattle. “It creates a situation where people are having an experience together. They are maybe having a conversation about their expectations for the show. People really get to know each other,” Betsey explains, “It's like being at a dinner party with people who have shared interests and an adventurousness that you might not come across if you just walked into the theater and sat down next to them in the chairs.”

As for the actual show that comes after the dinner party, your expectations are likely to be challenged. “One of the things people have said for many years is that an On the Boards show is successful if one third of the audience gives it a standing ovation, a third of the audience is shaking their heads thinking ‘what just happened’ and a third has walked out,” Betsey muses, “There are things that I’ve seen here that I’ve hated and I love how much I’m still thinking about them. And there are things that totally surprise and confound me. I’ve seen a lot of performance here and I’ve been a part of this audience since 1997 and it still surprises and delights me.”

Performance by Seattle-based choreographer Pat Graney

Autumn Knight performs M___ER

Upcoming performances in this subscription season include Water Will (in Melody), a choreographic work from Ligia Lewis, M_ _ _ER, an interdisciplinary work from Autumn Knight, and Susan, a musical from stand-up comedian Ahamefule J. Oluo. 

If you’re feeling like you’ve missed out on the past four decades of On the Boards performances, you’re in luck!  You can actually stream full length films of select performances at ontheboards.tv, which Betsey describes as “a Netflix for contemporary performance.” This streaming platform can be accessed from any device and is part of the curriculum in over 125 colleges and universities nationwide. So really, the impact of On the Boards extends far beyond our Seattle community. We feel pretty lucky that we get to be the ones to call this amazing organization our neighbor. 

Polite Neighbors - Outer Planet Brewing

We love our neighbors! For our newest blog segment, we will be taking a closer look at some of our favorite neighbors by chatting with them about their business.

Our first neighborhood feature is Gabriel Villenave of Outer Planet Brewing, located on 12th Avenue in between Howell and Denny. Outer Planet specializes in small-batch beers that are constantly rotating to keep fresh flavors on tap every day. “We want someone who comes in every two weeks to always have one new beer to try, every time. That’s kind of the guiding principle,” says Gabriel about their brewing philosophy.

Despite the constraints of operating a nano-brewery in a small taproom, Gabriel says he loves the culture of the small-batch brewing. “We can... do more experimental recipes, and try them out. And if it’s not popular, that’s fine because we just have a little bit of it. Bigger breweries can’t do that because if they brew a batch, it’s going to be ten barrels or more, so it’s going to be impossible to sell if the beer doesn’t turn out great”. The only downside to these small batches is not being able to go often enough to try everything!

In addition to the great rotation of beers on tap, patrons choose Outer Planet for the intimate community vibe. “We’re all from the neighborhood. I live a block and a half away and I have for a few years,” muses Gabriel. “Other neighborhoods have different things, but the set of things that we have on [Capitol] Hill is very unique to the Hill, it’s really a specific identity and that’s what I like about it… We’re happy to fit into that.”.

Outer Planet exemplifies many of our dearest values here at Polite Society, from community building and personal relationships, to quality beers about which the neighborhood can be proud. He says Capitol Hill “is great, everything is accessible from here, transportation is great. You can find everything within a half-mile radius that you can possibly want; tons of shops and restaurants and bars, and you can just walk to everything that you want. There’s a cultural thing that’s very unique to Capitol Hill. Especially around 12th avenue; you have 12th Avenue Arts... we even have a partnership with the Washington Ensemble Theatre that’s in residence there.” We love seeing a fellow community member flourishing in the tight-knit community on Capitol Hill. We are lucky to be able to call Outer Planet our neighbors and friends.

.Join us for a pint today and see how they are always aiming for the stars at Outer Planet Brewing! Don’t forget to say hi to Gabriel and the staff and thank them for their hard work and community building. See you at the bar!

P.S. We first started this project for our client The Danforth Apartments. A shortened version of this interview can be found on their socials.