On the arts calendar: Sweat, reSET, and time capsule visions of a future Black archive

Every Friday we bring you recommendations for arts and cultural events around Seattle. Today, KUOW’s Kim Malcolm welcomed back arts journalist Marcie Sillman, co-host of the podcast DoubleXposure.

Sweat by Lynn Nottage at ACT Theatre

This is one of the most gripping plays I have seen in a long time. The Pulitzer Prize committee thought so as well in 2017 when they gave it the top prize. It’s about the human impact of the decline of heavy industry and manufacturing in the United States. It sounds very dry and boring, but essentially, it's a character study. It's set in Redding, Pennsylvania. Lynn Nottage based the play on interviews with people who were affected by factory closures and layoffs there.

reSET at 12th Avenue Arts

This is produced by Washington Ensemble Theatre, but it's not a theatrical production. It’s a collaboration with members of Seattle's contemporary dance community. Dancers will perform on a set for a play in the works called "Tin Cat Shoes."

These are both contemporary dances. They are different in style, and they don't have to address the play at all. We’re going to see a piece by a woman named Jessica Jobaris. The other is a duo, Randy Ford and David Rue, called "Dandy." Randy also performs as Aísha Noir. They're just delightful.

In the Interim: Ritual Ground for a Future Black Archive at Frye Art Museum

This is a joint exhibition by Puget Sound artist Christopher Paul Jordan and an artist from Trinidad and Tobago named Arnaldo James. It closes this weekend. Essentially, they set up a soundproof recording booth. They're asking Black museum-goers to stop in and record predictions and musings on the future.

They’re going to put the recordings on a USB stick and bury it in a time capsule that won’t be opened for 100 years. They're really interested in creating a global vision of folks from the African diaspora.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.