Poetry Open Mic

Vashon poets will gather for an open mic at Vashon Heritage Museum at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at Vashon Heritage Museum, the new site for the monthly, First Thursday open mic event. Sign up to read at 5:45 p.m. that afternoon.

Celebrate Rebekah Kuzma’s life

On what would have been her 52nd birthday, islanders will gather to celebrate the life of Rebekah Kuzma, who died on Oct. 16. The celebration, including song, dance and poetry, will take place from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at Vashon Center for the Arts.

Kuzma, beloved on Vashon for her performances of Celtic, rock, folk, blues and sacred songs, was the co-founder of Saint Ophelia, an island alternative rock and folk band. Members of that band and Kuzma’s many other musical collaborators will perform at the Dec. 1 event.

Islanders are invited to come as they are, or better yet, dress to the nines to honor Rebekah’s love for fashion — perhaps incorporating owls or Yoda, two of her favorite creatures, into their ensembles.

Donations in memory of Kuzma to the Women in Balance Institute are welcomed, at womeninbalance.org/about-wib. To support the Kuzma family, donate at tinyurl.com/KuzmaFamily.

The Nutcracker

Vashon Center for Dance will present Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” — a cherished holiday ballet for the entire island, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 5 and 6; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8.

The ballet’s Saturday matinee is billed as “sensory-friendly,” with accommodations that will make it especially enjoyable for seniors, little ones and others with sensory needs. Get tickets to all shows and find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Aliens V. Cowboys

Advanced students of UMO School will present “Aliens V. Cowboys,” a thrilling showcase devised by the performance team themselves in consultation with the school’s instructors and coaches.

Shows take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Open Space for Arts & Community. Performers will include Raena Joyce; El Otto; Gwendolyn Barwick; Amelie Wiegner; Ava Ameling; Fen Eivy; Lena Baldwin-Snell, and Stevie Freitag.

This year’s show plays with the themes of Romeo and Juliet in the air and on the ground. Fights ensue, line dances take over, and love conquers all. Get tickets and find out more at openspacevashon.com.