Happy Birthday, Open Circle

A fringe theater celebrates its 100th production with D.O.B. Plus: Chamber Dance Co., Seattle Chamber Music Society.

A A A Comments Wednesday, Feb 1 2006

Ellienne McKay

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D.O.B. (Date of Birth)

I was unsure about devoting a Friday night to witnessing the agony of a birth, but this nonfiction effort by John Kauffman proved not only painless to watch, but delightfully funny and heartfelt. D.O.B., set primarily in the hospital room of Kauffman's sister Gina, invites the audience into an intensely personal situation. Its script is derived verbatim from family tape recordings: some made on the day Kauffman himself was born, but most captured as Gina, decades later, endures the ups and downs of birthing her first child (even during the actual labor itself). Consequently, the witty banter has a ring of truth made possible only by the interaction of close family and friends. Just as the Seahawks have their "12th man," the audience becomes a critical element of "Team Gina," learning about her hopes, fears, and of course, her vagina. Open Circle's intimate space is ideally suited to this inventive endeavor. Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Ave. N., 206-382-4250, www.octheater.com. $12. 2-for-1 Thurs.; pay-what-you-will Sun. 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 4 p.m. Sun. Feb. 19. Ends Sat. Feb. 25. MARISA MCQUILKEN

Chamber Dance Company

An evening with CDC is like a lesson in the Biblical book of "begats," tracing the genealogy of American dance. In this program, the exoticism of Ted Shawn's Mevlevi Derivish is followed by Doris Humphrey's more austere version of passion, Two Ecstatic Themes, and then by Humphrey colleague Charles Weidman's Braham's Waltzes, a tribute to her work. Add their student José Limón's lush There is a Time, and it's an extended family tree in one program. Meany Theater, UW campus, 206-543-4880, depts.washington.edu/uwdance/cdc.html. $12-$16. 7:30 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 2-Sat. Feb. 4, 2 p.m. Sun. Feb. 5. SANDRA KURTZ

Seattle Chamber Music Society

SCMS director Toby Saks has always had an eye/ear for interesting musicians on the way up, giving them an opportunity for intimate music-making away from the fast-track concerto circuit (this week, Sibelius in South Bend; next week, Mendelssohn in Madison. . .) This Winter Festival, in fact, from the looks of it, includes almost no players over 30 (or else they just take reeeeally good photos). Orion Weiss and Adam Neiman will share a two-piano concert Saturday (Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, Shostakovich); see below for other program details. Benaroya Recital Hall, Third Avenue and Union Street, 206-283-8808, www.seattlechambermusic.org. $16-$38. Wed. Feb. 1-Sun. Feb. 5. GAVIN BORCHERT