Directors Robert Hall and Jake Perrine brought top quality theatrical productions to Orcas Center this spring.

True West by Sam Sheppard and William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream were proof that our island has exceptionally gifted directors who can present community theatre productions of the very highest artistic and educational standards. They were extremely enjoyable and inspiring.

We are grateful to Orcas Center, to the Orcas Island Education Fund, and sponsors Alison Weir and John Bric, and the wonderful cast and crew for making these productions possible.

Both plays are classics, but very different. True West, by a modern American playwrite, had a small adult cast of actors who needed guidance for digging deeply into their emotions to carry off the poignant drama of the story. A Midsummer Night’s Dream had a cast of mostly high school students who needed to gain an understanding of Shakespeare’s language and historical time in ways that made it relevant to their own time. They also had to learn how to pull off comedy well.

Both plays also offered unique challenges for both directors, and to the many local actors who participated, and all rose to the challenge superbly.

We look forward to more community theatre productions of this quality in the future.

Jean and Steve Henigson

Orcas Island