Josephine Keefe and Ashlie Blaske discuss Harlequin Productions: ‘Where the Summit Meets the Stars’
Originally published on The JOLT News on April 23, 2026
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak with Harlequin Productions Marketing and Communications Director Helen Harvester about their upcoming show, “Where the Summit Meets the Stars.” Everything I learned from Harvester went into an article I wrote for OLY Arts Spring 2026 edition titled, "Four Shows for the Spring."
The more I heard about this production, the more intrigued I became.
Compelled to learn more, I reached out to Director Josephine Keefe and lead actress Ashlie Blaske. A few years ago, Keefe played the lead role Rose. Now, as a director, Keefe gets to pass that torch to Blaske and mentor her as she steps into Rose’s shoes.
The cast of this show has honored the script while adding their own personal touches. It’s going to be unforgettable! I cannot encourage you enough — get your tickets now before the show sells out!
My conversations with Keefe and Blaske inspired me, and I think they will inspire you too. The remainder of this column will consist of only their direct quotes from our conversations and allow these powerhouse women to take the spotlight.
Enjoy!
Moments from our conversation
Keefe: “It has been a very rewarding experience finally bringing this show to the Pacific Northwest through Harlequin Productions, and to be part of this season Home/Land season. I really credit Harlequin and Aaron Lamb for the allyship that they show towards tribes in our area, and the efforts that they genuinely try to make to correct wrongs within the larger context of who theater spaces have invited historically in the past."
Blaske: “All the actors and most of the designers are indigenous, and it is so cool that we get to kind of center those voices."
Keefe: "Harlequin’s efforts in inclusion are very meaningful and sincere, and I appreciate that as a Native artist and it has made that space a trusted environment to be a part of. I also sense that from other native artists who have worked at Harlequin, who also feel that same sense of trust in that space."
Blaske: “The first time I read the script, I realized that my character, Rose, speaks the way I speak. There are so many things that feel very natural about how she was written, I could resonate with the ways she communicates and carries herself."
Keefe: "It has been so much fun working with Ashlie and helping her discover who her Rose is. She comes to the work with passion and enthusiasm and focus to tackle this role. This is a very difficult role to tackle because she is on stage for the full 90 minutes and her character takes such a significant emotional arch that requires an unafraid artist to take on. She has just jumped in with two feet and made those character discoveries on her own! "
Blaske: "Josephine has been so collaborative with all of us, and has had really clear direction and vision, but is giving us all space to kind of develop this rapport as a cast. So it’s going to be a very unique production and not at all a replication of what has been done before."
Keefe: "I had a couple moments during the rehearsal process this week where I thought, "Wow, I am loving this energy between Ashlie and Steve!” They are developing this very beautiful chemistry and this charming relationship between the two and some moments and beats that felt new, that I did not explore in my previous production. It’s beautiful to watch all the actors work, I’m enjoying the raw process in it all!"
Blaske: “This story is so well written, and there’s a lot of humanity in it. It’s very real. There is grief, loss, joy, silliness, and moments of surprise. Like you don’t have to be indigenous to appreciate the depth of the story we get to tell here.”
Keefe: "I think the audiences can walk away having experienced something new and uniquely different from other theatre going experiences. I am really excited for audiences to experience indigenous stories from a contemporary lens and format, not as a historical artifact of the past. Indigenous stories and artistry are all very present."
We get to celebrate and honor the work of indigenous artists like playwright Frank Henry Kaash Katasse through this production. Stories like “Where the Summit Meets the Stars” are part of the collective human condition and connection we have to each other.