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Catch ‘Roman Holiday’ for free at the depot

September 11, 2010

NEW — 2 p.m. Sept. 11, 2010

The popular film series at the Issaquah Train Depot returns Saturday night.

Films @ the Train Depot! — sponsored by the city Arts Commission and the King County cultural agency, 4Culture — plans a free screening of “Roman Holiday” at 7 p.m. at the historic depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N.

“Roman Holiday” features Audrey Hepburn as a princess in Rome and Gregory Peck as a tabloid journalist.

Since the program launched last October, Films @ the Train Depot! has featured series of train-themed films, films set in Washington and noir classics.

Written by Staff · Filed Under A & E, A & E Features, Local News | Leave a Comment 

Community performances of Shakespeare return

July 20, 2010

The cast of Seattle Shakespeare Company's ‘Othello’ performs during the summer's first ‘Shakespeare on the Green’ presentation in Issaquah. By Amy Dukes

The famous Shakespeare play “Much Ado About Nothing” won’t put a dent in pocketbooks July 29, when Issaquah’s Arts Commission and 4Culture will co-sponsor the play for the final show of this year’s “Shakespeare on the Green.”

This year is the second annual Shakespeare on the Green event according to Amy Dukes, arts coordinator for the Arts Commission. Issaquah hosted the event several years ago before Wooden O and Seattle Shakespeare merged; the program restarted last year.

The Arts Commission supports the event because it provides, “free high quality performing arts to the community in a relaxed accessible environment,” Dukes said. Read more

Written by Elizabeth DeVos · Filed Under A & E, A & E Features | Leave a Comment 

Catch free film noir at the depot

June 8, 2010

The film noir series at the Issaquah Depot concludes June 12.

“Murder My Sweet” plays at 7 p.m. The film captures the style and wit of the novel “Farewell, My Lovely” by Raymond Chandler. Catch the free film at the historic train depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N.

The city Arts Commission and 4Culture — King County’s cultural services agency — will screen the flick as part of the Films @ the Train Depot! program.

Films @ the Train Depot! launched last October with a lineup comprised of films set in the Evergreen State. The winter series included train-centric movies. The film noir series started in April.

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New, relocated businesses boost Issaquah economy

May 4, 2010

The local economy has improved since last year, but increased retail offerings and high-profile construction projects could help the city rebound in the months ahead.

Economic Development Manager Dan Trimble said the city had progressed beyond the economic doldrums of last year. Joe’s — the longtime sporting goods retailer — closed as the city grappled with dual real estate and building construction slowdowns brought on by the recession.

“In 2010, we started to see the economic recovery start to take hold,” Trimble told City Council members April 27. “We’ve had some new retail moving in, both big and small. Construction activity has been returning.”

Swedish Medical Center started construction on a campus in the Issaquah Highlands late last year, and Best Buy and Sports Authority will open Issaquah stores in the months ahead. Sports Authority will occupy the old Joe’s space, and Best Buy will fill vacant space in the bustling East Lake Center shopping complex anchored by Fred Meyer and The Home Depot.

Sports Authority should generate $85,000 to $100,000 annually in sales tax revenue for the city; Best Buy should pull in $100,000 to $200,000, city Finance Director Jim Blake said in a May 1 conference call with council members.

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Written by Warren Kagarise · Filed Under Local News | 1 Comment 

Bogey, Bacall star in free film noir series

April 6, 2010

A free film series relaunches at the Issaquah Train Depot soon.

The series returns April 10. A double feature — the 2006 documentary “Film Noir, Bringing Darkness into Light” and “Double Indemnity” — leads the “Film Noir: Good Guys, Bad Girls” series. “Double Indemnity” stars Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in a definitive film noir from 1944.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall team in the 1948 classic “Key Largo” — the selection for May 8. “Murder My Sweet” concludes the spring series June 12. The film captures the style and wit of the novel “Farewell, My Lovely,” by Raymond Chandler.

The films start at 7 p.m. at the historic Issaquah Train Depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N.

The city Arts Commission and 4Culture — King County’s cultural services agency — will screen the flicks as part of the Films @ the Train Depot! program.

Films @ the Train Depot! launched in October with a lineup of films set in the Evergreen State. The winter series included train-centric movies.

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Free films return to depot museum next month

December 29, 2009

By Chantelle Lusebrink
and Warren Kagarise
Issaquah Press reporters
All aboard! Another free film series begins Jan. 9 at the Issaquah Train Depot.
The city Arts Commission and 4Culture — King County’s cultural services agency — will screen a series of train-themed flicks during the Films @ the Train Depot! program.
“It’s meant to be a fun, free program for community members who are looking for something different to do downtown,” Arts Commission spokeswoman Amy Dukes wrote in an e-mail. “We also hope people will enjoy other downtown amenities when they come to see a film,” like dining out, getting drinks or shopping.
Organizers also want to help participants connect with the community.
“In this day, where you can download any movie you want, or rent any movie from the Internet, like from Netflix, what we’re losing is viewing them with our community, our neighbors and our friends,” 4Culture Executive Director Jim Kelly said. “I think that it is an important part of community building.”
The free films will be shown at 7 p.m. the second Saturday of the month at the historic depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N. The lineup is built around the theme Great Train Movies.
Films @ the Train Depot! launches Jan. 9 with “Twentieth Century,” a 1934 film about a successful Broadway director who tries to win back a star for a new show.
The series continues Feb. 13 with “Murder on the Orient Express,” the 1974 big-screen adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie mystery. The last train-centric film will be March 13. Organizers will show “The Lady Vanishes,” a 1938 Alfred Hitchcock thriller about a woman who disappears on a train.
When possible, pre- or post-film discussions and supplemental film information will be added to the event, Dukes said.
Kelly described the depot film program as the first of its kind.
“It looks like this is the first time they’ve done this program, to our knowledge, and we haven’t seen others like it,” he said.
Films @ the Train Depot! launched in October with a lineup built around the theme Made in Washington. Audiences turned out for “The Egg and I,” a 1947 comedy about a society girl whose new husband convinces her to move to the country and start a chicken farm; “Singles,” a 1992 film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe about singles life in early ‘90s Seattle; and “Smoke Signals,” a tale of two young American Indian men on a life journey. The series concluded Dec. 12.
The film project combines an appreciation of the town’s rich transportation and railroad history with film appreciation, Kelly said. To link the two by showing train-oriented films in a “wonderfully restored” depot is a great idea, he said.
The idea for the films came about as Arts Commission members identified gaps in arts programming in the city. Film was one of them, Dukes said.
“We support a good amount of visual arts, music and theater programs,” she said. “Having a diversity of arts programs helps reach a wider community audience. And, film is a fairly approachable art form.”
The program costs about $200 per film, because the city has to pay for the large audience rental rights to show each film. But the Issaquah Historical Museums donated the space for free.
Money for the program comes from annual 4Culture support for the Arts Commission.
Kelly said he did not know how much the agency had given to the city for 2009-10 programming. In 2008, 4Culture steered $7,200 to the Arts Commission to host the Concerts on the Green series, the Chalk Art Festival, ArtWalk and Music on the Street.
“Hopefully, audiences will enjoy seeing something in a group and enjoy something intrinsic to the city’s history,” Kelly said. “I think this could be a really fun annual event for Issaquah.”
Although the film series ends in March, Dukes said arts commissioners would like to continue the program with other film themes if people are interested.

All aboard! Another free film series begins Jan. 9 at the Issaquah Train Depot. Read more

Written by Staff · Filed Under A & E, A & E Features | 1 Comment 

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