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Streaming in Seattle: Drag star Cherdonna, a time machine noir, and War at Hugo House

caption: Cherdonna
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Cherdonna
Courtesy of Cherdonna.com

As we do most Fridays, we've reached out for recommendations from someone who tracks the arts and culture scene in Seattle. Today, KUOW's Kim Malcolm is joined by Brangien Davis, Crosscut’s Arts & Culture Editor.

First up, a pandemic-inspired, locally made film "The Doll Pit"

It's by performance artist Jody Kuehner. Her character Cherdonna Shinatra, much beloved by Seattleites, is an outlandish drag character with gigantic hair and glittering eyelashes. She’s a little too awkward to pull everything off that she wants to.

Jody was alone in her apartment during the lockdown, but with this character in her mind and in her space. This film is a visual interpretation of what it's like to live with this persona, this very larger-than-life persona, in your head, and in your house.

The Doll Pit streams through June 13 via Washington Ensemble Theatre.


Next, a locally made TV series, "The Uncertain Detective"

This show is written and directed by longtime Seattle filmmaker Gregg Lachow. He stars alongside his wife Megan Murphy, a longtime dancer and performer in Seattle. They play a married couple living with their son, who is supposedly taking a gap year.

It's a story within a story. We get both the real-life family, and we see them making this noir detective show, which features great Seattle actors. There’s also a time machine.

The Uncertain Detective streams on YouTube through June, with new episodes released every Monday.


And last, something for us book types, a Hugo House literary series

For this series, Hugo House selects a theme in advance and invites different writers to create something brand new. This time the theme is War. The writers include Tommy Orange, author of There There; Kristen Millares Young, whose book Subduction came out during the pandemic; and poet Khadijah Queen, author of I’m So Fine: A List of Famous Men & What I Had On

Musician Amanda Winterhalter will perform peaceful tunes. Her latest album release is What’s This Death

Tonight's edition streams from Hugo House at 6 pm

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.

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