{"id":68141,"date":"2025-12-10T10:37:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/?p=68141"},"modified":"2025-12-10T10:44:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:44:47","slug":"a-rogues-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/a-rogues-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with a Christmas Rogue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Short Stories Live: A Rogue\u2019s Christmas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now in its roguish nineteenth (?) year, A Rogue\u2019s Christmas returns (12\/14 at 2PM) <\/strong>with an afternoon of stories, songs, and irreverent holiday cheer. We checked in with host and curator Jean Sherrard<\/strong> about what keeps people coming back for this beloved Town Hall tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
This year’s cast of A Rogue’s Christmas. Clockwise from top left: The Go Janes, Jean Sherrard, Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and Julie Briskman.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the origin story of A Rogue\u2019s Christmas?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years ago, ACT\u2019s artistic director Kurt Beattie and Town Hall\u2019s legendary executive director Wier Harman asked me to host a holiday edition of Short Stories Live<\/em>. The first year we coyly called it Up the Down Chimney<\/em> \u2014 aiming for a touch of roguish irreverence. By the second year, we\u2019d settled on A Rogue\u2019s Christmas<\/em> and never looked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has the program changed over the years? What\u2019s stayed the same?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ironies of the season continue to offer ample fodder, from the silly to the serious. But one thing has never changed in nearly two decades: we always begin with the audience-assisted song \u201cPathetic Birdies.\u201d You have to be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there one Rogue\u2019s Christmas you remember most fondly?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of years ago, we invited Wier to read an excerpt from David Sedaris\u2019s Me Talk Pretty One Day<\/em>. Just days before his retirement, he absolutely knocked it out of the park. The entire house \u2014 audience, actors, musicians \u2014 was gasping with laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Former Executive Director Wier Harman (left) works the crowd, and the performers onstage, during A Rogue’s Christmas in 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you give us a teaser of what\u2019s in store this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, we try to unearth a bit of pirates\u2019 holiday treasure \u2014 where X marks the spot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s performers include Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and Julie Briskman, with our musical guests, The Go Janes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who should come to the show?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who loves a good story and a good tune. It\u2019s family-friendly, though attention spans are required (say, ages 10 and up).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us for A Rogue\u2019s Christmas on Sunday, December 14 at 2PM! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
GET TICKETS<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Short Stories Live: A Rogue\u2019s Christmas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Now in its roguish nineteenth (?) year, A Rogue\u2019s Christmas returns (12\/14 at 2PM) <\/strong>with an afternoon of stories, songs, and irreverent holiday cheer. We checked in with host and curator Jean Sherrard<\/strong> about what keeps people coming back for this beloved Town Hall tradition.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A
This year’s cast of A Rogue’s Christmas. Clockwise from top left: The Go Janes, Jean Sherrard, Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and Julie Briskman.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the origin story of A Rogue\u2019s Christmas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Years ago, ACT\u2019s artistic director Kurt Beattie and Town Hall\u2019s legendary executive director Wier Harman asked me to host a holiday edition of Short Stories Live<\/em>. The first year we coyly called it Up the Down Chimney<\/em> \u2014 aiming for a touch of roguish irreverence. By the second year, we\u2019d settled on A Rogue\u2019s Christmas<\/em> and never looked back.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How has the program changed over the years? What\u2019s stayed the same?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The ironies of the season continue to offer ample fodder, from the silly to the serious. But one thing has never changed in nearly two decades: we always begin with the audience-assisted song \u201cPathetic Birdies.\u201d You have to be there.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Is there one Rogue\u2019s Christmas you remember most fondly?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A couple of years ago, we invited Wier to read an excerpt from David Sedaris\u2019s Me Talk Pretty One Day<\/em>. Just days before his retirement, he absolutely knocked it out of the park. The entire house \u2014 audience, actors, musicians \u2014 was gasping with laughter.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Former Executive Director Wier Harman (left) works the crowd, and the performers onstage, during A Rogue’s Christmas in 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Can you give us a teaser of what\u2019s in store this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Each year, we try to unearth a bit of pirates\u2019 holiday treasure \u2014 where X marks the spot:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s performers include Kurt Beattie, Marianne Owen, and Julie Briskman, with our musical guests, The Go Janes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Who should come to the show?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Anyone who loves a good story and a good tune. It\u2019s family-friendly, though attention spans are required (say, ages 10 and up).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Join us for A Rogue\u2019s Christmas on Sunday, December 14 at 2PM! <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
GET TICKETS<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68144,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-town-hall-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}