The Seattle Public Library Explores “Serious Play” With Guest Curator Amy Hirayama
release date: September 15, 2025
This fall, The Seattle Public Library’s Guest Curator Amy Hirayama has created a series of programs, “Serious Play,” which invite us to consider the role of play in collaboration.
“Serious Play” explores how people create and connect across disciplines and how we can bring more collaborative play into our work, creative and social lives.
“Play is such a powerful force for helping us stay curious and keep our imaginations sharp,” said Hirayama. “It also allows us to problem-solve and connect deeply with each other while having fun!”
The series kicks off with a night of “Comedy Gold” on Wednesday Sept. 24, featuring short sets from local comedians before a conversation about collaboration in comedy. “Perfect Pairings” on Wednesday, Oct. 29, invites surprising collaborative pairs to share their secrets about connection across disciplines. The finale, a “Collab-o-Rama” on Sunday, Nov. 23, will feature play stations that invite the public to engage in collaborative, generative activities.
Like all Library events, “Serious Play” programs are free and open to the public. Guest-curated series are presented with support from The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.
“Serious Play” programs
- Comedy Gold, with Amy Hirayama. Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. The opening event for Hirayama’s series features short sets from local comedians before a conversation about collaboration in comedy. Panelists include Timmy Booth, a Seattle-based comedian who brought home a Pacific-Northwest-best third place in the 2022 Seattle International Comedy Competition; Kathy Hsieh, an award-winning actor, writer and director who created SIS Productions to present an episodic romantic comedy that ran for 12 years; Bernice Larson, a washed-up comic, PowerPoint enthusiast, and recovering cultist, with an uncanny aptitude for oversharing on stage; ell lin, a Native Pacific Islander artist, researcher, and educator with a background in community-rooted multigenerational theater; and Juno Men (she/her), a Seattle-based comedian, writer, and storyteller who was named Seattle’s Best Comedian by the Seattle Gay News in 2023. Registration is required.
- “Perfect Pairings,” with Amy Hirayama. Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. The second event in Hirayama’s series invites surprising collaborative pairs to share their secrets about connection across disciplines, learning from each other, and flow and conflict within collaboration. Registration is required.
- Collab-o-Rama, with Amy Hirayama. Sunday, Nov. 23, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. This collaborative play fair will give you a chance to visit different stations and engage in collaborative, generative activities. You’ll walk away with art projects, written pieces/poems, ideas/resources, and hopefully connections to new friends. Registration is required.
Guest Curator
Hirayama is a writer and educator from Seattle. She coordinates programming for Clarion West, teaches English at South Seattle College, is a creative writing instructor with Writers in the Schools. Hirayama is also involved at Common Area Maintenance (CAM), a creative space and resource for artists and writers in Belltown.
The Library frequently works with guest curators to develop community-responsive programming. See our guest curator page for more information.
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