In March 1980 Richard Waites presented the one-man play, Krapp’s Last Tape,
at the Old Dungeness Schoolhouse. The success of that production prompted a
group to form and present two plays in the next year, including A Lovely
Sunday for Creve Coeur directed by Olivia Shea, and from that Olympic
Theatre Arts was launched.
Within three years, it became evident that there was a need for a permanent
location and, with the support of many in the community, the Howard Wood
Memorial theatre was created at 132 ½ Washington Street in Sequim. A Neil Simon
play, The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, was chosen to open the
theatre in March 1983.
Since its beginning in November 1980, Olympic Theatre Arts has produced many
well-known and very well-received plays, including a variety of comedies,
musicals and dramas. But OTA has also presented quality lesser-known works that
challenge the audience and encourage community involvement, such as the 1998
production of River Gone Run, co-produced with the Jamestown
S’Kallam Tribe. With the production of The Little Foxes, by Lillian
Hellman, in March 2004, OTA reached a milestone – the production of their 100th
play.
Through these years OTA has been sustained by a dedicated group of talented
volunteers. The organization has built a reputation for quality
theatre and draws audiences from the North Olympic Peninsula, the Seattle area
and even farther. In an effort to continue to provide the highest quality in
their productions and serve the community with more extensive programs and
educational opportunities, OTA realized the necessity for a new, more accessible
facility. In 2001 generous community donors helped raise the down payment to
purchase the former Methodist Church building at 414 N Sequim Ave from the Boys and Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula. In the same year,
Johnston Architects won the bid to design the renovation of the graceful
building into a 163-seat live theatre and additional gathering hall for use by
the community for meetings, social events and other presentations. Located in
the heart of Sequim, and with its long history of service to the community, the
renovated center will continue its traditional role as a community resource.
Olympic Theatre Arts Mission is to serve as an artistic, cultural and
economic resource through theatrical productions and educational programs that
entertain, stimulate and inspire community involvement. The new community arts
center is designed to help OTA fulfill that mission through an expansion of
programs for both adults and children.
Many years ago, OTA reached out to the children of the community and
began the sponsorship of the Missoula Children’s Theatre annual production, and
also began the sponsorship of the children’s Summer Arts Camp. The
children’s’ programs, including a joint effort with the Boys and Girls Club,
will be expanded to include classes and other productions within the additional
functional space. The new facility will be accessible to seniors and the
handicapped, and allow the expansion of workshops and special presentations to
those segments of the population.
Beyond being a new theatre and home for Olympic Theatre Arts’ programs, the
new center will be a multi-purpose community meeting place to benefit everyone
in the community. Olympic Theatre Arts is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit community
theatre organization and belongs to the community. The Board of Trustees is made
up of individuals from the community at large, and it is the open support of the
entire North Olympic Peninsula that has sustained OTA and is creating this new
center. The organization has been made possible by the dedicated energy of
talented community members over the past 30 years. In recent years, that group
has grown to include donors, business leaders and community members who are
dedicated to the renovation of the Olympic Theatre Arts Center.
After many volunteer hours spent in the initial renovation of selected
interior and outdoor areas and the design development for the complete remodel
and renovation of their new home, the Olympic Theatre Arts Center again
presented The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, this time in September, 2004 in
the new The Gathering Hall. The theatre is on its way to completion for its
future productions.