John Britton

To live like a legend... sometimes you have to fight like a bitch. The country is at war, and the Senate cannot keep the peace within its own walls--- let alone on the battlefield. Enter Coriolanus: the country's most famous badass warrior. She returns home to face the greatest battle yet: to win the love of the people & run for office--- or face the dangerous consequences of defying society's expectations. CORIOLANUS, the rarely produced play by William Shakespeare about politics, power, and pride, is packed with daring physical combat and deliciously vicious language.

You may remember, Dear Readers, my lack of affinity for performance art. I usually just find it confusing and lacking much meaning, which ultimately makes me feel like I'm just not smart enough to get what they're trying to convey. So with that in mind you'll understand how well crafted Nike Imoru's "Ode" currently playing at West of Lenin must be as I not only got what she was trying to convey but was riveted.

Dance, music, and story telling combine in Seattle's newest piece of dance-theatre, Ode, a life story of sorts recounted through art from acclaimed local actress Nike Imoru.

Everyone loves a good story. In Nike Imoru's Ode, she spotlights an actor's story where past, present, and all-powerful imagination collide in a beautiful stage song. Ode is a dance-theatre fusion of story telling that depicts the journey of a life filled with wit, wonder, faith, and a good dose of ruthless reality. In the depiction of numerous characters - from Mary Poppins to Lady Macbeth and turning zombie to life-saving surgery, Ode shows us how choices, actions, and consequences can inspire us to do extraordinary things in life and in art. With direction and choreography by first-time Seattle director John Britton, and original musical compositions by Ryan Leyva, Ode creates stories upon stories to make you laugh, cry, and ponder life's rich tapestry. 

THESE TREES ARE MADE OF BLOOD, a new play about Argentina's Dirty War, premiered in The Little at Southwark Playhouse in April 2015 to sold out audiences and rave reviews. A limited edition cast recording of the songs from the show was recorded live at Southwark Playhouse on a sunny bank holiday afternoon in April 2015 in between shows and is now available for purchase!