The curtain is set to rise on VPA’s 50th season

Not many businesses or non-profits can say they have reached the milestone of 50 successful years of operation in the Mat-Su Borough, but one special has done just that, as the show goes on for the Valley Performing Arts (VPA) Center in Wasilla.

“I’m excited and honored to be a part of it,” says VPA Executive Director Jenna Worley, who is the second year of her tenure as Executive Director.

The VPA was first organized in 1976 by a group of dedicated volunteers who were committed to providing live theatre productions to the Mat-Su Borough, performing in the old log Colony Church, which had been moved to the Alaska State Fairgrounds, for the first 17 seasons.

In 1993, VPA moved into a 2,400 square foot building that sat on the property, while maintain the log church for dressing rooms, lobby, and scene shop. Three years later, the VPA moved the theater building to its current location in Wasilla, and three years after that, it was physically joined with the adjacent building, allowing for an expanded performance area and additional seating, bringing the capacity up to 172 seats, including wheelchair accessible seating.

The theater, while bigger than the Anchorage Community Theater, maintains an intimate setting, one that Worley says plays well for the VPA. “It is very intimate…People want that feeling when they come here,” adding that the VPA utilizes the Glenn Massay Theater for their bigger musicals.

Throughout the years, the VPA has been upgraded and volunteers have helped add to the improvements to the building, the theater and additions to valuable behind-the-scenes equipment, all to continue bringing a variety of shows to the Mat-Su.

While the VPA has experienced plenty of growth, one thing has remained constant - good, solid community theater, from the first season that opened with shows "Harvey," "Plays at Pooh Corner," "Barefoot in the Park," "The Glass Menagerie," "It Takes a Wizard," "Curse of an Aching Heart" and "Hansel and Gretel,” to the upcoming 50th season, which will open the curtain for the romantic comedy “Aboveboard” in September.

“It’s a really fantastic lineup,” says Worley of this season’s lineup. She says that the Artistic Director, along with the director of each show, has selected a very versatile season. “We have a great schedule this season, which really offers something for everyone.”

The lineup this season includes the drama “Radium Girls,” a holiday double feature, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” which will bring the holiday classic to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. “We had a lot of success with that in the past, so we thought it would be fun to bring back a radio play for this season.”

Rounding out the season will be a run of the C.S. Lewis classic “The Magician's Nephew,” “Rex's Exes,” a dinner theater production that will be held in the theater instead of at a restaurant following the success they had last season. And finally, the musical “Willy Wonka,” which will run at the Glenn Massay Theater.

Worley says that this season’s list of directors features a blend of experienced directors along with a few new directors making their debut at the VPA. “There’s lot of variety there, a lot of knowledge from our experienced directors, and some fresh ideas to be had from the new ones.”

Of course, just as 50 years ago when the VPA began, all of the VPA’s actors, musicians, back stage and behind-the-scenes personnel are hundreds of volunteers, without whom Worley says none of the productions could happen.

“We are a non-profit, so all of our helpers are volunteers and we only use local talent.” She says she often receives messages from audience members who swear the talent they see on stage was so good that they had to have been brought in from out of state.

“They comment how amazing the actors are, and I agree they are amazing, but we only use local talent. We aren’t flying anyone in from Hollywood, I promise you that.”

Worley also says that the hundreds of volunteers that aren’t front and center are just as valuable to the VPA, and without their commitment and dedication, the show might not always go on.

“There’s so much magic that happens off-stage that allows people to see the magic that happens on-stage. They don’t know how many people are working hard to make that happen. All the stagehands, the special effects and things that come together to make something magical on-stage.”

And like many local theaters, Worley says that there is always room to improve, specifically in the upkeep of the theater, which is in need of new seats and a new curtain, while volunteers refurbish the lobby for the 50th season. “It takes a lot of time and money keeping everything up and running. We want to keep this theater running.”

As far as the future, Worley says the short- and long-term goal remains to put on quality shows for the community, even as rights for the shows they produce continue to rise. “Just being able to continue doing what we’re doing, providing quality shows, that’s we strive to do. We want to continue to reach the community.”

For Worley, reaching the community means tapping in to the local talent in the Mat-Su, but also finding the hidden talent that exists, tapping into the creativity of people that might have otherwise gone unnoticed and giving them a showcase to share stories and experiences with the community

“It’s such a good experience. Here especially (with local theater). It’s one thing to see a traveling production of a Broadway play or musical, which are amazing. But here, it’s literally your friends and neighbors, your teacher, the lady from church, just people from our community grabbing a hammer to create a set or putting on a costume and getting on stage. It changes everything. There’s so much hidden talent right here. I think it’s amazing that we can help them showcase what they can do.”

For more information about the VPA and the upcoming season, please visit www.vpaalaska.org