VPA turns 30

CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman Valley Life editor

As audience members tried to keep warm, the show went on. And on. And on. And now, 30 years later, Valley Performing Arts is celebrating a milestone.

When the curtain rises on "Oliver!" tonight, it marks the start of the 30th season for VPA. What started out as the brainchild of Wendy Kamrass, John Hale and a few other volunteers has grown into a thriving theater group that has been recognized numerous times statewide for excellence on stage.

From a freezing-cold theater in a converted church on the Alaska State Fairgrounds to its current home at Machetanz Theatre in Wasilla, VPA has experienced plenty of growth, but one thing has remained constant - good, solid community theater.

"It wasn't elaborate, but it was a theater, and that was all that mattered," said Larry Bottjen in a previous interview with the Frontiersman. Bottjen acted in the first production, "Harvey." "It was a community theater here in the Valley, and that was the most important thing. Nobody cared that the building was badly insulated, the windows were terrible and there were only padded benches in there. It was exciting because it was such a challenge."

The first season opened with "Harvey," and continued with "Plays at Pooh Corner," "Barefoot in the Park," "The Glass Menagerie," "It Takes a Wizard," "Curse of an Aching Heart" and "Hansel and Gretel."

From humble beginnings, it didn't take long for VPA to blossom into a success. At the time, "posh" accommodations included replacing an oil-drip heater with forced-air heating. On stage, however, the action was heating up.

Just five years into VPA's existence, the group was recognized with one of the state's top awards - the Governor's Award for the Arts. VPA was given the award in 1981 for its production of "The Three Sisters."

In 1994, VPA moved from the fairgrounds to the Fred and Sara Machetanz Theatre in downtown Wasilla, with a performance of "The Molieré Comedies." The move was a huge upgrade for the theater group, giving it precious space, both on stage and in the audience.

This season, VPA is presenting a wide range of productions, as has become its norm.

From Shakespeare to Charlie Brown, there is a show that will appeal to every audience member, no matter their preference of genre.

"Oliver!" opens with a musical bang, and it is followed by "Everybody Loves Opal," a comedy directed by Bottjen. Steve Cuthbert then directs "Here's Love," a Christmas musical based on "The Miracle of 34th Street." A mystery opens in 2006, as Jeff Babcock directs "Wait Until Dark." Shakespeare then rules the stage, as Rod Mehrtens leads "Much Ado About Nothing." Drama lovers will want to see "Proof," directed by Dean Phipps, another longtime VPA veteran.

The 30th season wraps up with "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," the annual VPA children's production, which is being directed by Deborah Cooper.

Tickets for the 2005-2006 season are $19 for adults for individual tickets, which are available for purchase online at www.valleyperformingarts.org.

Season-ticket packages start at $91 and are available at the box office.

For more information, interested people may call the VPA box office at 373-0195.