Imagine it’s the year 1959. If you lived in the Grays Harbor area, you might very well be taking in the Driftwood Players’ very first play. You would be watching the classic The Pajama Game. And you would also be joining in a piece of local history.
Since that first show, the Driftwood Players have gone on to put on over 265 productions, ranging from comedies to dramas. They have earned a reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest’s best community theaters. Now in their fifty-sixth season, this group has worked tirelessly to keep audiences engaged and entertained. Whether it’s a classic or a more contemporary play, the Driftwood Players are always seeking to bring something exciting to audiences (last year they performed The Rocky Horror Picture Show to much fanfare). By bringing the gift of high-quality live theater to the Harbor, the Driftwood Players are part of what makes the area special.
A Visit to the Driftwood Playhouse
I visited the Driftwood Playhouse to meet with Debbie Scoones, Board President, and Gary Morean, a Board member and long-term volunteer. As you enter the stately building, you see many years of play posters lining the walls, a testament to all they’ve accomplished.
The theater has always been a true community effort. People come from all walks of life to participate in the Driftwood Players productions. Many people have full-time professional and family lives as well. The Driftwood Players are a non-profit organization and volunteers run all aspects of the theater, from acting and directing to selling tickets and building sets. A large and dedicated group of Board members and trustees also play vital roles. This is another reason to celebrate the Driftwood Players as a local gem: hundreds of local residents have come together for so many years to help make these plays happen.
Both Scoones and Morean have acted in and directed plays at Driftwood in addition to their Board roles. Scoones started pursuing musical theater at the Bishop Center for the Performing Arts before auditioning for her first role at Driftwood, in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, in 1998. Morean is a local attorney and has always enjoyed the opportunity for creative expression that the Driftwood Players provides.
Scoones and Morean are both passionate volunteers and take their work very seriously: Scoones visits New York City once a year to review possible plays, and Morean just returned from the summer Shakespeare festival in Ashland, Oregon. They both agree that the history of the theater is one of being a true labor of love, shared by many. “We’re very dedicated…many of us wear multiple hats,” Scoones notes.
History Highlights
Did you know that the Driftwood Players have been housed in four different locations over the years? This group has a long and rich history in Grays Harbor County. Here are some highlights and interesting facts from their fifty-plus years of existence:
- A Tradition Starts: The Driftwood Players is formed by several members of the Grays Harbor Civic Choir in 1959. The curtain rises for the group with their first play, The Pajama Game. It is a huge hit. For the first couple of years, they perform in remote locations for summer tourists, including a former carriage house in Cohasset Beach.
- Move to Cosmopolis: The Driftwood Players then moved to Cosmopolis, where they used a remodeled store as a theater (where Opal Art Glass now stands). Their first play here was See How They Run. The theater was small, and the back stage area was especially small. A funny tale is that an actor, Dick Lane, once had to run outside the building to change his costume and then re-enter from the other side during a show.
- A Home in Hoquiam: For the rest of the 1960s and 70s, the Driftwood Players performed at the B Street Theater Hoquiam (formerly the Swedish-Finn Temperance Hall). In 1979, they started the tradition of performing A Christmas Carol, which had a full house and has since become of their staples audiences can look forward to at the holidays.
- A Final Move: In 1982, the Driftwood Players moved into the former Christian Science building on Third Street in Aberdeen. They completely renovated the interior of the building to make it into the beautiful, well-appointed theater it is now. It took many hands, many hours and a lot of creativity to convert the space. The Aberdeen Lions Club led the effort, headed by local residents Will Foster and Gene Fodge. The Aberdeen Rotary Club raised the funds. The renovations were completed literally two hours before show time for their first production here, Auntie Mame.
- A Unique Cast: Morean shares that there is a rich history of local professionals, including lawyers, participating in the Driftwood Players. In 1991, Morean got together as many fellow lawyers as possible (and a couple of former judges) to stage a production of 12 Angry Men.
- The Show Goes On: In 2014, the Driftwood Players are still delighting audiences with an extra-full array of shows (they are doing six instead of the usual five shows this year). The theater now has over 180 seats, not including the balcony area. Building renovation projects continue, and a major landscaping project has just gotten underway on the grounds.
Combined with the 7th Street Theatre (read more about them on GraysHarborTalk here), the Bishop Center for the Performing Arts, and productions at area high schools, the Driftwood Players help create a truly remarkable theater scene for the size of the local community. “We have so much talent here in the Harbor,” notes Scoones, who says it’s wonderful that the community has been so supportive of both the Driftwood Players and local theater efforts in general.
How You Can Support the Driftwood Players
For over half a century, the Driftwood Players have been one of the elements that make life on the Harbor unique. Help keep the historic Driftwood Players and Driftwood Playhouse alive and thriving. The members of Driftwood Players credit the community’s support with their continued success. Scoones notes that they always welcome volunteers. They also appreciate donations of any amount.
And of course, you can support them by going to their shows, and bringing friends or family. If you haven’t already seen one of their productions, check out their current season schedule here. Whether you are already a loyal fan or haven’t been to a play in years, you will get a kick out of seeing the Driftwood Players’ live theater and you will appreciate all the heart that goes into it.
To learn more about the Driftwood Players, visit their website or “like” them on Facebook.
All photos courtesy of the Driftwood Players.
