By Janette Turner

There is nothing more fantastic – meaning part of a “fantasy” – than a high school theater production. Seeing smooth-faced males portray middle-aged men next to slim-hipped girls faking rheumatism is a triumph of imagination over reality. If you’re ready to see something fantastic, check out two high school shows this weekend, along with more from our arts and entertainment scene.

Ends Friday: Meadowdale Players’ 10 Minute Play Competition

Over two nights, the Meadowdale Players performed 10 mini-plays in a competition to select the best. Those top plays will be performed on Friday, 7 p.m., in the Meadowdale Black Box Theatre. Details can be found on the Facebook page.

Friday – Sunday: Phoenix Theatre’s “Wild Dust”

Phoenix Theatre’s “Wild Dust” ends Sunday, so giddy up to see the society ladies herded into a town brothel in this comedy. For ticket availability, see the website.

Friday – Sunday: Edmonds-Woodway’s “Shooting Match”

“The Whole Darn Shooting Match,” stars Edmonds-Woodway High School students, through Sunday at EWHS Theater. The farce, set in the advertizing world, plays at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday.  More information on the EWHS website.

Friday – Sunday: Driftwood Players’ “Earnest”

Considered the wittiest play in the English language, Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” is performed by the Driftwood Players at Wade James Theatre. Ticket information can be found on the Driftwood website.

Saturday: Edmonds CC hosts ‘High Speed Improv’

Featuring local high school players, Unexpected Productions brings improv comedy to EdCC Black Box Theatre on Saturday, 8:05 p.m. Tickets can be found here.

Saturday-Sunday: King’s Players Theater presents “Annie”

Leapin’lizards! “Annie: The Musical,” plays at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center this weekend and next. The production is by Edmonds-based King’s Players Theater, starring Darian Conn, a sixth grader at Maplewood K-8, as everyone’s favorite orphan. Ticket information can be found on the King’s Players Theater website.

Other arts and entertainment

Saturday: Revelations Yogurt hosts author Kizzie Jones

Author Kizzie Jones will read from her book, “How Dachshunds Came to Be: A Tall Tale About a Short Long Dog,” on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at Revelations Yogurt. Jones would like people to know that “all are welcome.”

Saturday: Artist Judith Larsen’s show opens in Seattle

We honor the men and women who serve in the armed forces, but there are casualties beyond the front lines, including journalists killed while covering wars. Artist Judith Larsen decided to pay tribute by painting portraits of fallen journalists for a show opening Saturday, with a reception from 5-7 p.m., at Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. Music at the reception will feature Larsen’s son, who happens to be an Edmonds resident and was lead guitarist for Tom Waits on his most recent world tour. Larsen provided this update on her work:

My Edmonds News: How did you come up with the idea to commemorate female journalists killed covering wars?

J.L.: As a world news “junkie”, and former news radio and TV reporter, who currently works part-time as a radio reporter, I have become increasingly alarmed at the number of journalists killed while covering wars, governmental corruption and drug wars. This is largely a new phenomenon. Meanwhile as a consumer of broadcast news, I have been becoming more and more dissatisfied with the deterioration of too many news programs into entertainment, opinions over facts and the increasing elimination of investigative reporters. The idea of producing a painting series to honor slain journalists (the real heroes of our profession) occurred to me after the shooting of the Russian newspaper editor Anna Politkovskaya.

My Edmonds News: Who is featured in this series?

J.L.: The upcoming show at Fountainhead Gallery will feature CNN reporter Marie Colvin, recently killed in Syria; CNN’s Margaret Moth, who was shot while covering the Bosnian war but years later died from complications from that attack; Ann Politkovskaya, Russian editor (born in the U.S.A.), “Ziba” Zahra Kazemi, the Canadian-Iranian photo journalist who was tortured to death in Iran while protecting the identity of student protestors; and Dickey Chappelle, the famous UPI and National Geographic photographer, killed in Vietnam and the first female journalist killed while covering a war. These are just a few of the heroines featured in this series.

My Edmonds News: Please tell us about your career.

J.L.: Heck, I am still trying to figure out what to be when I grow up. I have lived in Edmonds off and on for many years and raised my family here; and my husband, John Segelbaum, is an Edmonds attorney.  For the past 15 years or more I have focused primarily on my family and on my career as a reporter and various other communications jobs. This upcoming exhibition represents a serious return to my art career. Although I have exhibited at various galleries and festivals over the past few years, and also worked for the past ten years for a Seattle architect as a designer and marketing director. In the past I have had shows at Seattle Pioneer Square galleries and at the Seattle Art Museum Gallery. But I want to emphasize that this series to honor these journalists who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we so often take for granted, is to me a mission much more important than the exhibition history of my art. I appreciate the opportunity that Fountainhead Gallery is providing to help me honor these heroines and giants of our industry!

Monday: EPIC welcomes author Mindy Hardwick

Author Mindy Hardwick talks about writing for teens on Monday at 11 a.m. in the Edmonds Library as part of EPIC Group Writers. Hardwick’s books include “Stained Glass Summer,” an Epic (electronic publishing industry coalition) award finalist, and she facilitates a poetry and YA literature workshop at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. More information on the Monday event and EPIC’s 10 a.m. writing group can be found on the EPIC site.

Monday: EdCC Black Box Theatre

Edmonds Community College Band takes the stage on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Details on the college website.

Wednesday: Edmonds Museum hosts photographer Paul Bannick

How do you photograph owls in flight and win awards for your work? Photographer Paul Bannick will answer your questions at a talk on Wednesday, 7 p.m., at the Edmonds Historical Museum. The ongoing exhibit, which runs through April 14, features images and sounds of owls and woodpeckers. For more information, see the museum’s website.

Wednesday: EdCC Black Box Theatre

Enjoy the Edmonds CC Student Recital on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at the Block Box Theatre. Details on the college website.

Ongoing displays

Edmonds Library: Artist Robert Dionne

Robert Dionne provided this statement about his art on display in the entrance of the Edmonds Library: “I was a very hyper kid, so my insightful mother gave me a pencil, tracing paper and the daily. I was two-years-old at the time and I’ve been doing art in different mediums ever since. I can only hope that this display inspires others to find a passion and live it!”

Hanson Scott Gallery: Artist Mona Fairbanks

Hanson Scott Gallery owner Lynn Scott is an Edmonds resident and always encourages our local talent. Scott’s current show features new works by Mona Fairbanks, who provided this artist statement:

“The current show at the Hanson Scott Gallery in Seattle running for February and March features Barbra DePiro, a fabulous installation artist. Since we both use recycled materials and are interested in environmental themes I was asked to create a few pieces to show also. The above are six out of the nine I just recently made. Six are constructed panels with various mahogany scraps form boats my Dad built back in the 1960’s, plexiglass, bits of ephemera, paper, and acrylic. The other three are constructed boxes with metal shapes wrapped and attached this nails. When viewing my art people should first be drawn by the image designs then intrigued by the relationship of the subject to them and the wider community. ‘What is it? Why is it the chosen subject? Do I care about the issues or am I drawn to the visual only. Will this piece of work stay with me when I leave this place and change my views or actions?’ I want people to not only enjoy my art, but also make them think about our incredible Puget Sound in a new way.”  More information on the show can be found on the gallery website.

EWHS: Essentially Ellington kudos

Remember the fantasy world of high schoolers? Well, here’s a group of EWHS students who transcended dreams to be selected as finalists in the Essentially Ellington contest.  If you click here, you can see the moment they learn of their win. Congratulations, EWHS jazz musicians!