Valley Performing Arts Center holds annual meeting

WASILLA — Valley Performing Arts members gathered with their friends and family members to celebrate the end of the most recent season and prepare for the next one during the annual meeting Wednesday, June 29.

VPA Executive Director Garry Forrester said this last season was an exciting return to live theater after a lengthy hiatus due to the pandemic.

“This season went well,” Forrester said. “We really have to thank our volunteers and patrons for having faith in us. We’re just glad to be back.”

Each year, VPA board members dedicate a portion of the annual meeting to handing out awards to volunteer cast and crew members. Forrester said the main awards like Best Actor or Best Supporting Role are chosen by their season ticket holders while board members choose nominations for other awards.

“Tonight is a celebration of our volunteers,” Forrester said.

Longtime VPA member Karen Lackey won the Best Artistic Director Award. She said that she’s enjoyed getting close to her fellow VPA members through various productions over the years.

“It’s family. Everybody comes to have fun doing this,” Lackey said.

Lackey has had the opportunity to witness numerous young and inexperienced actors build up their skills through the Valley’s only community theater.

“It’s interesting to watch their development,” Lackey said.

Lackey said that VPA is an important community resource. She said it’s a welcoming environment that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to try new things and follow their passions.

“This is critical. Not everybody is gonna be on Broadway, but there are a lot of people that are very talented and this gives them a chance to develop those talents,” Lackey said.

After many years of being involved in high school and community theater efforts, Lackey said her prevailing favorite aspect of this art form is how it fosters imagination.

“I love the imagination. Actors have to imagine that they’re somebody else, the set and costume people have to imagine a different time and place, and the audience has to forget that there’s walls in here and they have to imagine they’re somewhere else. You see it a lot in children. Imagination is what makes us human,” Lackey said.

For more information about VPA and the upcoming season schedule, visit valleyperformingarts.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com