Your Community Theater on the Long Beach Peninsula
About
In December 2004, there was a small notice in the newspaper inviting folks who were interested in local theater to meet at the Ocean Park Fire Station. Wilma Vardsveen wrote that notice. At that first meeting, it was discovered that people were also interested in a real, live, theater group even though Wilma’s idea was primarily skits for the Senior Center.
So, we credit Wilma as being the catalyst for our group!
We quickly formed a group, tentatively called “Peninsula Theater Group” with our first officers being Rob Lindberg as President, Janis Hoover as Secretary, and Laurie Carter as Treasurer. Our first production was a Community Talent Show in March 2005.
Carole Barger sketched out our logo before the Talent Show and Laurie asked Don Nisbett to finalize it. We have used the same logo ever since.
Next up, Bob directed “Deadwood Dick – or – A Game of Gold” a melodrama set in the Black Hills. Deadwood Dick ran at Hilltop for 3 performances. It was well received.
By this time we had been talking to Nyel Stevens about the old Peninsula Players and their left-over funds. If we took their name, we could have their money. We received the funds in October, 2005.
We started out as a traveling theater, finding places to rehearse and perform.
In 2008 we rented our first theater space, 2nd Story Playhouse, above “Just Treasures and Antiques” in Ilwaco. It was a wonderful space, but difficult for handicap access and we battled water leaks.
In November 2010, we were given the opportunity to accept the American Legion Hall on Lake Street, as our building. The River City Arts and Crafts passed the building on to us and we have make River City Playhouse our home! It is a challenge to keep up with the maintenance of owning our own building, but it has been a fun challenge and we have many wonderful volunteers to help.