Whidbey Repertory Festival Explores the Human Experience Through Artistic Expression

Now in its second year, the Whidbey Repertory Festival (WRF) will once again be coming to Langley for a two-weekend festival run. A collaboration between Island Shakespeare Festival (ISF) and Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA), the festival events will occur March 7-17. The programming features five new theatre shows that will explore the human experience through artistic expression and foster important conversations around humanitarian concerns and the vital role that the arts play in the understanding of our shared humanity.

Opening night will feature a special conversation with the Executive Artistic Directors with WICA and ISF—Deana Duncan and Olena Hodges.

“This is our second Whidbey Repertory Festival, born in 2023 as a way for both WICA and ISF to not only share expenses and income but to learn more about each other’s missions and philosophies as we both serve this rural community,” says Duncan. “Our ‘theme’ if we have one is to showcase SOLO performances, this was the original idea from 2023 and we’ve held on to it. There is something starkly powerful about one voice cutting through to tell us a story.”

“This is a unique opportunity for audiences to experience stories they may not otherwise have any awareness of,” adds Hodges. “Solo performance can be hard to program into a ‘regular’ season, but is such a vibrant and expressive form of storytelling. I'm really excited that it's become the key feature of the WRF.”

The festival is an opportunity for what Hodges calls “artistic risk-taking”—an opportunity to “test out some potentially edgier pieces and offer our audiences something new.”

This year’s line-up explores everything from “battles of midlife, and finding what’s next” to exploring “racial inequality that is often overlooked.”

Festival Schedule

Jennifer Rawlings: After the War, Comes the Dishes

  • Thursday, March 7th | 7:30 PM

  • Friday, March 8th | 7:30 PM

  • Saturday, March 9th | 2:00 PM

  • Sunday, March 10th | 4:00 PM

Ghosts of Segregation

  • Saturday, March 9th | 7:30 PM

Gender Play, Or What You Will

  • Thursday, March 14th, 7:30 PM

  • Friday, March 15th, 7:30 PM

  • Saturday, March 16th, 7:30 PM

  • Sunday, March 17th, 7:30 PM

National Theatre Live Screening of Fleabag

  • Friday, March 16th | 2:00 PM

The Miss American Dream Show

  • Saturday, March 16th | 6:00 PM

  • Sunday, March 17th | 6:00 PM

“I think audiences can expect to stretch,” says Hodges of the festival’s offerings. “Each of these events will inspire conversation and I hope audiences come away with their minds and hearts open to the experiences of folks who are different from them. I hope this festival is an empathy incubator.”

“Whidbey Island Center for the Arts came out of COVID a different organization. We wanted to be more deeply involved in the community and be a better partner for as many organizations and nonprofits as we could be,” says Duncan. “ISF and WICA had talked for years about collaboration but it took a pandemic and some changes to strongly held beliefs to get us both to the table with open minds and hearts. Olena spotlights empathy and I fight for authentic heartfelt stories…together that is a powerful mission for our little festival. Together we can keep momentum for this partnership; given the space, time, and money to dream.”

Tickets for all shows are now available online and through the Box Office, with WICA Star and Standard pricing and a $20 option (through Box Office only). In keeping with ISF's mission of accessibility, pay-what-you-will tickets are available at the door. Full festival passes are also available. To purchase tickets and passes, please visit www.wicaonline.org/wrf. 

Nourishing Soul, People, and Community

The future of farming will be on display on Wednesday, February 21 at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) with the 7 p.m. screening of three Thriving Communities films.

“Stories have impact. Films can take stories to a different level of knowledge and wisdom,” says Jerry Millhon, the founder of Thriving Communities. “These films connect us and people on our island have the opportunity to learn why and how we are connected no matter region or race or background.”

The three films will explore the regenerative agriculture movement, with the first film featuring Whidbey Island’s Organic Farm School. This will be followed by two additional short documentaries on communities across the United States embracing regenerative agriculture—an African American community in Ohio and a Navajo community in New Mexico. These films share “the diverse approaches and cultural connections that enrich the practice of regenerative agriculture.”

Discussing concerns over climate change, food insecurity, and “a disconnection from the natural world,” these films will explore how regenerative agriculture can address the issues we are facing and how viewers can take action themselves.

“These films and people are all part of us,” says Millhon. “Most often we just don’t know the impact of farming, food, and productive soil. We can do something in our backyard. Let’s grow something.”

A discussion and informal gathering will follow the three film screenings, where attendees can enjoy small bites and a no-host bar in WICA’s Zech Hall.

To learn more about the film screenings and to purchase tickets, please visit WICAonline.org.

About Thriving Communities

Thriving Communities is a national organization that produces films to catalyze community action. Through the dynamic fusion of storytelling, community engagement, and transformative gatherings, we are dedicated to inspiring action and nurturing solutions for current challenges and those that lie ahead. Learn more at ThrivingCommunities.org.

About Organic Farm School

The Organic Farm School is a Regenerative Learning Center, offering community learning experiences and beginning farmer training tracks to cultivate healthier food systems via closer relationships between eaters and growers. Learn more at OrganicFarmSchool.org.

Work Underway to Bring the Musical Justice to WICA’s Mainstage

In April, the groundbreaking musical Justice will open in Langley with a three-week run (April 11-27) at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA)—the 2023 winner of the Gregory Award for Outstanding Theatre in the North Puget Sound Region.

A new American musical by playwright Lauren Gunderson of The Revolutionists, Justice features the “firsts” of the Supreme Court Justices, exploring the first women of the Court—Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor. With music by Bree Lowdermilk and lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, the play is “an intimate, epic new musical built with sweeping songs, urgent conversations about equality, and deeply relatable heroines.”

Directed by Rose Woods and with musical direction by Sheila Weidendorf, the WICA production is currently auditioning for the roles of Justices O’Connor, Ginsburg, and Sotomayor. Auditions will take place this month, with interested actors sending in a video with one monologue and one song.

To learn more about the application process, please visit the audition posting on the Theatre Puget Sound website.

For more information about WICA, please visit WICAonline.org.

From Deana's Desk, Mystery and Music at WICA

In the midst of the big winter freeze, I found myself hunkered down at an eerily quiet WICA looking across Healing Circle’s open lot to the water and dreaming, or questioning. Both really. Almost 30 years ago, Whidbey Island dreamed up and built a Center for the Arts that could and would hold artists and audiences—sharing humanities stories in multi-genres. Against all odds, in 2024, that dream continues and is building on itself. We keep examining and challenging how we create space, build teams, and keep our work embedded in community. There are more voices in the storytelling as we crack open in new ways. Yes we are almost 30 and...it feels like a beginning.  

In February, I'm very excited to be opening Sleuth, the Tony award-winning play...except we've knitted the inspired screenplay version by Harold Pinter with the heart-stopping final scene from the Anthony Shaffer play for a completely original take on this classic. Sleuth, the ultimate game of cat and mouse, is an elaborate revenge/power story full of style and cunning. If you like a good game, you’re going to love this play. Directed by David Churchill and starring local favorites David Mayer and Ethan Berkley.

Please check our website often for the most up-to-date information. Our programming is adjusted monthly as new events are added and changes are made. Don't hesitate to contact our Box Office staff at (360) 221-8268 or visit our event calendar at wicaonline.org. Or send me an email or swing by and have a cup of coffee!

It's a month of mystery and music at WICA and we're excited to share it with you!

Deana Duncan

Executive Artistic Director

Pictured above is the January 12 performance of National Guitar - A Paul Simon Tribute Band featuring Nathaniel Talbot

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

February 8-24, Sleuth Theatre Series

February 14, Whidbey Island String Trio Valentine's Concert

February 21, Thriving Communities and the Organic Farm School Host "Regenerative Ag Inspires Regenerative Communities"

February 29, Jayme Stone's Folklife

SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOT

Whidbey Island Film Festival co-curators Deana Duncan and James Hinkley introducing 'Victor, Victoria' (set in Paris) on January 20.

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JANUARY STAGE NOTES

Whidbey Island Film Festival Brings Screwball Comedies to Langley

Inaugural Bluegrass Festival Comes to Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts Updated COVID-19 Policy

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts would like to begin by acknowledging that we gather on the ancestral homelands, originally known as Tscha-kole-chy (SHA-KOL-CHI) in Lushootseed (LU-SHOOT-SEED), of the Coastal Salish Peoples, on the lands of the lower Skagit, Tulalip (tuh·lay·luhp), Swinomish (SWIN-ə-mish), Snohomish (snō-hō-mish), Stillaguamish (still-uh-GWAH-mish), and Suquamish (soo-kwah-mish), who have lived in the Salish Sea basin since time immemorial and have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands.

We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water.

Please join us in expressing our deepest respect and gratitude to the indigenous people of this territory and for their enduring care and protection of the land in which we currently occupy and share through the Treaty of Point Elliott signed by 82 tribes in Múckl-te-óh (Mukilteo) on January 22, 1855.