Julie McDonald: Evergreen Playhouse a legacy of those who are no longer here

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Along with hundreds of others, I enjoyed a visit to the Evergreen Playhouse recently to see “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a play offering plenty of laughs for the audience in the plush red velvet seats.

Last month, I joined two of my sisters in Woodland to watch a musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” at the Love Street Playhouse, where a writer friend of mine performed.

These cozy community theaters are treasures, but I realize they don’t just happen.

Before I watched the Centralia farce with my sister, I let my mind wander to those who made our afternoon entertainment possible — the actors, director, behind-the-scenes creators of the set and lighting, and Book ’N’ Brush as the sponsor.

I looked around the semicircle of seats and thought of those who came before who created the Evergreen Playhouse decades ago, making it possible for us to enjoy plays without driving to larger cities. I learned a lot about the history of the Evergreen Playhouse when I interviewed longtime college instructors while doing research for the book “Centralia College: Its People and Their Stories.”

In 1959, thespian instructors at Centralia High School and Centralia Junior College worked with Marilyn Crosta, an energetic newcomer to the community, to establish the community theater. Six people signed a charger in September 1959 — Anne Caldwell, Helen P. Smith, Betty Olson, Frank Rosa, Verbeck Smith and Joanne Mattison.

Others joined the group, among them instructors Gordon Aadland, Phillip Wickstrom and Richard Lindner and Centralia College trustee Tom Koenninger as well as Loris Crampton. Their spouses also became involved in the theater — Ann Marie Rosa, Caroline Aadland, Metta Wickstrom, Joy Lindner and Robin Koenninger. Other educators who performed in plays or helped with the set included Florence Kennicott, Etha Russell, Thelma Brooks and librarian Philip Meany.

The theater group initially performed at the Lewis and Clark Hotel and other places until they borrowed money to purchase the Church of the Open Bible building at 226 West Center St. in 1972.

While watching the play, I thought of former Centralia Mayor Bill Moeller, who died Sept. 9 at 96, a local columnist who portrayed the legendary Mark Twain for more than four decades and often performed at the Evergreen Playhouse. And I thought of Ann Trout Blinks, Maureen Mitchell and Judy Marks, who died on Oct. 13 at 71, as all three of these women worked in The Chronicle’s feature department and wrote many stories through the years about plays performed in the little theater.



If you missed “Arsenic and Old Lace,” take heart. You have plenty of opportunity to enjoy plays and musicals during the Evergreen Playhouse’s 65th season. “A Christmas Story: The Musical” opens on Dec. 6 and runs through the Dec. 22. The musical, set in the 1940s, focuses on 9-year-old Ralphie Parker, who wants an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle for Christmas.

Then, on Jan 24, visit the playhouse to watch the debut of another farce, “Charley’s Aunt,” which runs through Feb 9. Another musical, Roald Dahl’s “Matilda, the Musical,” debuts March 7 and runs through March 23, followed by another comedy, “The Curious Savage,” which runs from April 18 through May 4. The season ends with yet another musical, “Into the Woods,” scheduled to run from May 30 to June 15.

Season tickets for the six shows cost $100 for adults, $85 for seniors and students. Tickets for plays are $14 for seniors and students and $17 for adults while the price for musicals is slightly higher, $17 for seniors and students and $20 for adults.

The Evergreen Playhouse offers a terrific afternoon or evening of entertainment, but while you’re enjoying them, take a moment to think of the hundreds of volunteers whose hard work brought the community this jewel.

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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.