By Erin Hawkins
Olympic Peninsula News Group
SEQUIM — Sequim writers, musicians, actors and performers can showcase their talents once again with a new show in town.
The Community Variety Show, a new monthly program, will debut from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Old Dungeness Schoolhouse, 2781 Towne Road.
The show allows local entertainers the opportunity to perform their work in a similar format as an open mic but with more time to perform and a set program before the show.
Michael Bunnell, local author, entertainer and executive producer of the show, said the program was created in response to what he calls “a truly gratifying outpouring of encouragement” from performers and fans of the open mic program at Olympic Theatre Arts that closed one year ago.
The new show is scheduled for the third Tuesday of every month produced by Skookum Bay Productions and the Joyful Noise Music center. It is open to both professional and nonprofessional performers in the Sequim area.
“We have professional performers who are not only willing but eager to perform for free,” Bunnell said.
The show will feature veteran performers such as Bread &Gravy but also gives less experienced performers an opportunity to show their work.
The program is scheduled for two acts with an intermission in between. Act 1 features 10- to 15-minute performances, and Act 2 features five-minute performances.
Bunnell said he describes the new show as “a good old-fashioned friends-and-neighbors” event.
There is no charge for admission to the show, and neither the performers nor the staff receives payment. Bunnell said the producers are always looking for volunteers to help set up chairs and sound equipment for shows.
For more information or interested performers, contact Skookum Bay Productions at sbayprod@olypen.com.
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Erin Hawkins is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at ehawkins@sequimgazette.com.
