On June 30, 1989, San Juan Islanders and visitors flock to the first performance in the San Juan Community Theatre. It is the culmination of a years-long, grassroots undertaking to provide a properly equipped facility for performances by both local and touring artists. Presentations in schools, churches, and town buildings and visits by touring performers have long been popular on the island and interest in cultural offerings has grown steadily. Dramas and musicals, arts classes, choral performances, and more are increasingly in need of a home. The new theater, built through generous gifts from Paul (1908-1991) and Lucy (1920-2003) Whittier and community contributions both large and small, will foster local talent; offer musical, dance, and theatrical programs; develop creative activities for children; and host visiting artists representing varied forms, styles, and cultures. Ongoing fundraising efforts will be assisted by the Community Arts Theatre Society (CATS), whose members are among hundreds of volunteers who make the complex operation possible. The Community Theatre will indeed be the well-patronized performing arts center that its early proponents envisioned.
Before the Community Theatre
Performance arts have always been fundamental to personal expression, ceremonies, celebrations, and entertainment -- universal elements of human experience. Coast Salish Indian groups who for thousands of years have inhabited the San Juan Islands archipelago (in the Salish Sea between the Washington mainland and Canada's Vancouver Island), have long gathered to share legends and dances. When Europeans and Americans arrived on San Juan Island in the second half of the nineteenth century, music and simple dramatic presentations quickly became popular entertainments. As early as 1859 a gloomy American soldier grumbled in his diary that a pavilion tent was being erected for a theatrical performance for the soldiers "and all others who may be willing to give one dollar for a few hours annoyance looking at the murder of some play. Still, we will all go ..." (The Pig War ..., 134). Just a few years later the island was a stop on the West Coast tour of Fanny Morgan Phelps (1840-1900), an illustrious Australian actress who arrived from Victoria, B.C., to give performances of songs and recitations at both the American and English military encampments (the island was then claimed by both the U. S. and Britain).
In 1872 the San Juan Islands officially became American territory. Soon Friday Harbor, the only town on the island, could boast a singing school offering vocal and instrumental musical entertainments. Additionally a San Juan Island Orchestra regularly performed for popular local dances and 15 cents admitted one to the International Order of Good Templars (a temperance organization) Prize Medal contest consisting of vocal and instrumental music and recitations. By 1910 a drama club had been organized and the following year 40 eager singers showed up at the first rehearsal of a newly formed glee club; the population of Friday Harbor at the time was just over 400. A local military-style band was a popular entertainment at island events. Occasional visits by performers from as close as Bellingham or as far away as New York were front-page news in the local newspaper, something "this community is seldom privileged to enjoy" ("Entertainment Tonight") and always well attended.
In 1957 Emelia (Lee) Bave (1910-2008) and her husband Milton (1918-1985) arrived to assume ownership of a popular island resort. Lee Bave's writing talent and experience in performance arts quickly became known, and she was asked to write and organize a special program for the island's centennial celebration in 1959. The presentation was a great success and stimulated community interest in developing more performing-arts activities. Within a few years the Baves had purchased a large building and turned it into performance and classroom space for art, theater, dance, and music. Later they purchased and renovated a deteriorating movie theater that became the MADD (Music Art Drama Dance) Playhouse, where movies continued, but live performance arts really began to blossom. A Shakespeare troupe from Portland performed each year, a Canadian variety show visited, and a group of islanders, anxious to put on local dramatic productions, formed the "Straights of Juan de Fuca," which ambitiously brought both dramas and musicals to the small stage. Their first production was a play titled Ten Nights in a Bar Room, which owed much of its success to Herb (1912-2000) and Martha (1909-1997) Gubelman. Recently moved to the island, they had extensive theatrical experience with Connecticut's Goshen Players, which they had formed many years earlier. Herb had been working in theater since his teen years and Martha had extensive acting and directing experience. They would continue to be at the forefront of theater development on the island for decades to come.
Music, too, was among the Playhouse offerings, and when Elizabeth Burton (1926-2008) founded the San Juan Singers in 1980, a new opportunity opened for vocally talented islanders. Burton, a professional singer, voice teacher, and assistant to the head of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, arrived on vacation and decided to stay. The Singers first met in her living room but soon needed a larger rehearsal space and venue for semi-annual performances that filled the small auditorium with appreciative audiences. The following year the Directors for San Juan County Dance, Art, Music, and Entertainment (DAMES), was formed by Jack Cory and other Friday Harbor residents. The nonprofit organization's purpose was, in part, to raise funds for the arts and then provide financial and technical support for specific activities or projects.
It was increasingly obvious that the community needed better facilities to host a wide variety of activities, and in 1981 a meeting brought together representatives of the Straights, Friends of the Library, San Juan Singers, Women's Study Club, San Juan Crafts Guild, Island Artisans, San Juan Island Musicians fund, the school district, Whale Museum, and other organizations interested in recreational and artistic endeavors. One result was a letter to the county commissioners asking that land adjacent to the county courthouse be reserved for a community center to include a theater but also sports facilities, a library, and even a small cafeteria. The undertaking never progressed, as the overly diverse interests made effective planning impossible. But the need for a good theater was highlighted again later that year when a local newspaper reported on the Seattle Symphony's visit to Orcas Island and the islands' lack of a proper performance venue.
"The San Juans are ready for such a facility, and they need it. Good music, fine arts, crafts, and theater nurture the soul of the community. They'll flourish here when the necessary physical plant is provided by those who love the arts enough to bring it about. It's not an impossible dream" (Morse).
Creating a Community Theater
Local residents Paul and Lucy Whittier had already supported numerous projects on the island through Paul's Confidence Foundation, when, in late 1983, he informally promised Katie Weed, vice president of the DAMES, to help build a theater. A more formal discussion took place in January 1984 when Whittier met with Frank Klingberg (1919-?), George Thorson (1920-1998), and Ed (1923-2015) and Katie Weed and said that he would be willing to provide major funding, probably over a two-or-three-year period, if a two-to-three-acre site in or close to town could be identified. A subsequent gathering included representatives of the Straights, the San Juan Singers, Jazz Festival, San Juan Island Musicians Fund, DAMES, the Sunshine Gallery, Chamber of Commerce, and county commissioners. School officials were invited but did not attend. The first decisive steps toward a new theater were quickly taken. The site next to the courthouse was identified as the target location for the facility. An organization was incorporated under the name San Juan Community Theatre, and the first Board of Trustees was named: George Thorson, Frank Klingberg, Katie Weed, and Ed Weed. Whittier was adamant that the community must demonstrate interest in having such a facility and stipulated that it would have to match the $500,000 grant that his foundation would make to help finance the project, estimated to cost around $1 million.
Perhaps the major catalyst for that all-important community commitment was the 1985 visit to the island by celebrated actor Helen Hayes (1900-1993), who agreed to participate in a fundraising evening of music, dance, and drama at the Royal Theatre (formerly the MADD Playhouse). The program included excepts from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado by the Straights, operatic arias, piano music, the San Juan Singers, and other performances. Ms. Hayes briefly opened the event and, at the end, enthralled the audience with her reading of favorite poetry. She closed the evening by encouraging audience members to support the effort to build a new theater: "With talents like these on this island the least you can do is put a roof over their heads" (Curtis, Talents Like These ..., 5).
With fresh determination, the community embarked on a campaign to raise the necessary funds. The San Juan County Bank made the first major commercial contribution, but smaller local businesses and organizations stepped up to do their part. For three months a gas station donated three cents for each gallon of fuel purchased (when gas cost less than $1.25 per gallon), the local newspapers gave generous advertising and coverage of the project, the San Juan Singers donated a major portion of the proceeds from their spring concert, tickets were sold to a gourmet dinner following a Straights performance. Fees for special lectures and classes were donated. Fun runs, raffles, concerts, a dance at Roche Harbor, and a celebrity golf tournament all contributed to the effort. A theater-seat-sponsorship campaign ($100 for a seat with donor-identifying label) was extremely successful. Fundraising was tracked on a large wood thermometer (created as a donation by a local artist) situated at the prominent intersection of Argyle and Spring Streets in Friday Harbor. Every donor received an acknowledgement letter noting how important the theater would be for the community, as it encouraged and developed
"the talent potentials of local performers and artists. It will enhance the enjoyment of audiences and enrich the lives of all islanders, now and into the future. Your contribution, therefore, is an investment which will pay community dividends for years to come" (Letter to ... donors).
Meanwhile, planning was underway for the new facility. Whittier had generously purchased the site next to the courthouse and donated it to the project. A theater consultant was employed to determine from potential users the needs and wants to be included in the theater's design. It was decided that a 300-seat theater (230 seats on the main floor and 70 seats on a mezzanine), with an orchestra pit, rehearsal and green-room space, and a scenery shop on the main level convenient to the stage, would be given priority. Only a minimal kitchen area would be included and, reluctantly, it was decided that expense precluded an elevator for the two-story building. Offices and other spaces on the second floor would be completed later. Bumgardner Architects of Seattle was the chosen architectural firm, and in November 1987 the trustees "nervously" (Curtis, Talents Like These ..., 23) approved the architectural plans. They were no doubt relieved to learn the following month that $250,000 over five years would be available from San Juan County's hotel-motel tax funds to assist with the rising costs. By January 1988 the $1 million fundraising goal had been met, but it was clear that this would no longer be sufficient. The building design needed to be modified again to reduce costs, and fundraising began for an additional $400,000.
Finally, on July 15, 1988, more than 150 people attended the groundbreaking and watched "as a shovelful of earth was turned over and the seeds of a new building were planted. It will be a place to share. A place to learn. A place for opportunity," predicted on-lookers (Arthur, "Islanders ..."). And the community pitched in to help get things ready, contributing labor, equipment, and materials. The site was cleared with donated bulldozer time and volunteer muscle. Outdoor tile work was provided free as was landscape design and installation and plumbing work. Local building-supply companies donated thousands of dollars of materials. Volunteers even came from neighboring Orcas Island to help install the theater seats with expertise gained when their community built a community arts center just a few years earlier.
Pam Kingsley was selected to be the theater's first executive director and immediately began organizing an office and operations plan to be in place and ready to begin as soon as the theater opened. And, after much discussion by the board of trustees, it was decided that the formal name of the new facility would be San Juan Community Theatre and Arts Center, with the primary performance space designated the Whittier Auditorium in honor of the theater's primary benefactors. The multipurpose space, which replicated the size of the main theater stage for rehearsals, performances, meetings, or events, was named the Gubelman Room for Martha and Herb's tireless leadership and continuing contributions to the creation of the theater. When, in 1994, that space was converted into a black box theater accommodating a variety of seating arrangements and staging possibilities, the name was changed to the Gubelman Theatre.
Community Theatre Opens
At the end of June 1989, the San Juan Community Theatre was at long last introduced to the public in a four-day celebration, for which the local newspaper issued a commemorative 24-page section titled "Curtain Call." Local businesses took out advertisements conveying their "Bravo" and "Hooray" and "Welcome" messages. One insurance broker submitted a quarter-page ad declaring, "You, the wonderful people of San Juan Island, are the star performers of this fine theatre happening! Congratulations to all of us!"("Curtain Call," 8). Articles focused on the development of the idea and the facility and on some of the groups that would be performing there such as the Straights of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Singers, and Dance Workshop II. A list of all those who had contributed to the campaign was included: more than 800 donors representing the San Juan Islands (total population less than 10,000) and 21 states.
The first performance in the new facility was on June 30 and was free to the public. The special event included a one-act play performed by Martha Gubelman, who "sprinkled stage dust from the old Royal Theater on the floor of the new proscenium to herald continuance of great performances" (Curtis, Talents Like These ..., 25). Music from the Friday Harbor Community Band and an impromptu jazz ensemble that included a county commissioner, together with excerpts from the high school's recent production of Grease, were just a few of the offerings. The new executive director closed the program saying, "if all the world is really a stage, then surely this one is yours" (Curtis, Talents Like These ..., 26). Helen Hayes reportedly was delighted to learn of the successful venture.
But the work was just beginning. Shortly after the opening, a small group recognized that additional expenses for the building, equipment, technology, and programs would continue indefinitely, and an organization was needed to support the theater. By 1991 Community Arts Theatre Society (CATS) had 22 members and had already established events each year to provide fundraising opportunities. In the ensuing decades new activities were undertaken that quickly became favorite annual island offerings: Elegant Edibles (a sale of gourmet baked goods and condiments near Easter), the Teddy Bear Picnic in spring (a free event for the island's youngsters), a summer fundraising gala, and a Holiday Festival that grew from the raffle of six decorated trees to a grand event including both silent and live auctions not just of holiday decorations but also of special offerings including get-away trips, enormous baskets of 52 wines (one for each week of the year), and a variety of services. Attic Treasures was begun in 2010 as a one-day "garage sale" style event. Many other activities have helped fund special theater projects and needs over the years. In 2021 "CATS Goes to the Dogs" was a fun outdoor event for pet owners offered in cooperation with the Island's Animal Protection Center and just one example of the organization's on-going creative fundraising endeavors.
CATS undertakings, like so many other theater activities, rely on the generous contributions of time and talent of hundreds of volunteers. Even before the doors opened, community members had helped get the building and grounds ready, and they remain key to the theater's operation. Volunteers have put in hours of property enhancement and maintenance, both inside and out. Scenery design and creation, costume preparation and maintenance, backstage work, and light and sound operations for performances are all done by volunteers (workshops provide on-site training); others bring dramatic talents as cast members. Box-office personnel, hosts, refreshment servers, visual artists, and many other vital workers are all community volunteers who enthusiastically contribute to the theater's success.
Performances and Challenges
Offered at the theater in just the first four months after the opening were San Juan Singers concerts and Annie, the Straights' popular musical; a summer arts program for children in grades K-6; a Music Around the World concert; the Carter Family Marionettes for family entertainment; a sunset concert series; the Philadelphia String Quartet; and a Textile Guild fashion show. And the pace never faltered, with more activities introduced over the next few years. The annual Playwrights Festival featured one-act plays written and performed by local talent, with writing workshops helping new playwrights develop their scripts. And the On Book Readers' Theatre allowed audiences to focus on the written and spoken word, as actors performed plays without the distraction of sets, costumes, or across-stage movement.
Opportunities to engage children expanded when the Missoula Children's Theater began an annual visit; in 1991 more than 90 children auditioned to participate in the several-weeks program that culminated in a performance that delighted the community. The event evolved into summer performance camps for youngsters 8-14 years-old and theater craft camps for those 5-8 years-old and 9-13 years-old. The post-pandemic camp production in 2022 of Frozen Jr. was a huge success. Theatre for Wigglers (pre-K to age 5), After School Theatre FUNdamentals (3rd through 5th grades) and a bilingual first-grade drama program are just a few of the many offerings for the island's youth through the years. Busy middle and high school drama programs bring popular productions that fill the theater.
Although the Straights group eventually disbanded, island performers continued to offer several plays throughout the year and a major musical production each spring. Comedies, tragedies, classic, contemporary, and experimental productions have all been staged. In 2003 the entire community was involved in a cooperative venture focused on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The theater, public library, school district, the island campus of Skagit Valley Community College and the local legal profession all participated. The community read the novel, the theater put on the theatrical adaptation directed by Andrew V. McLaglen (1920-2014), an islander and noted Hollywood film director, and follow-up discussions were organized to encourage residents and visitors to explore the themes and issues presented.
A wide variety of local musical groups from Chamber Music San Juans and the San Juan Singers to the Barbershop Bonanza have performed to enthusiastic audiences. And each year touring artists offer performances in diverse styles and traditions from Wynton Marsalis to Japanese taiko drumming, from the Seattle Children's Chorus to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. With technological advances, the theater now also offers, in addition to live performances and film series, National Theatre of London and Metropolitan Opera performances streamed to the theater's large screen. Even the lobby area is an important arts venue featuring a rotating exhibit of two-and-three-dimensional work by the island's many talented artists.
Operating this busy theater involves many challenges too. Fundraising is an ongoing need. Necessary enhancements have included completing upstairs offices, storage spaces, dressing rooms, and landscaping; improving signage and safety for performers and patrons; and making acoustical adjustments. Production needs quickly grew, and in 2006 an additional off-site facility was developed to provide costume and set workshops, rehearsal space, storage, and a multipurpose room. Volunteers once again assisted with painting, some carpentry, and other finishing work to complete this Performing Arts Resource Center (PARC).
Perhaps no other challenge was quite like the theater closure necessitated by the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020. The theater was dark for many months. Financial concerns mounted, and local staff, performers, and volunteers were deprived of the activities they found so rewarding. Trustee meetings were held outdoors in the adjacent theater garden or online. But creativity would not be thwarted; an online series of short satirical comedic sketches, locally written on island-familiar subjects for actors isolated in space but brought together by technology, kept interest in the theater alive. And virtual concerts and performances were provided for online enjoyment. As soon as possible, theater operations resumed with extra safety precautions; in 2021, for example, the four summer camps for youngsters took place in the open air at the county fairgrounds.
The San Juan Community Theatre has become a wellspring of performing-arts activities. The theater's monthly calendar is filled with local and touring musical, dance, and dramatic performances; workshops; and screenings. It is a popular stop for visitors who come to sample the island's cultural offerings. Schools use it for performances and ceremonies. And residents continue to participate in theater activities on the stage, behind the scenes, and interfacing with the public. In 1993, the theater's former manager noted "the very existence of the Community Theatre has generated all sorts of ripples through the community ... new currents of creativity and new arts opportunities for our people" (Scott). Thirty years later that statement remains an accurate description of the theater's contribution to island life.
