Bravo: A glance at the past, present and future of the Warehouse Theatre Company

“I will live in the past, present and future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me.”

Sound familiar? Those widely recognized lines are spoken by a fear-filled Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol.”

As a man who has led a cold-hearted life in pursuit of wealth and wealth only, it takes a visit from four separate ghosts to scare Scrooge into a less self-centered life. He becomes, “as good a friend, as good a master, as good a man as the good old city knew…” thanks to their intervention.

If the story has the effect Dickens intended, it encourages people to reflect on their own lives; to avoid Scrooge-like regrets and make the choice to give more than they get.

The creatives involved in the Warehouse Theatre Company’s holiday production of “Carol” have yet to encounter any otherworldly ghosts. But even without such visits, a glance at the past, present and future of the Warehouse Theatre Company reveals a spirit built on giving.

Past

When Scrooge visits his past, he is shown multiple cringeworthy moments meant to cause shame and sorrow for prior bad acts. The WTC’s recent past – in this case, the last 12 months - looks extremely good in comparison.

One year ago, the WTC was performing “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” at East Valley High School. As the first show to ever be staged in their new Performing Arts building, the play was hugely successful in all aspects. East Valley High students and staff worked with the Warehouse to mount the production – learning theater skills every step of the way – and over 2,300 seats were sold for just seven performances!

The story of how Shakespeare’s plays were saved by his friends, “The Book of Will,” received a warm welcome in February of this year, followed by a celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary in March. This was a true walk through the past with former company members from far and wide returning to the stage for two sold-out performances.

Company success continued in May with “The 39 Steps” closing out the 75th season. The current season of plays kicked off in July with “Once Upon a Mattress,” a fairy tale musical that gave performers a chance to act in front of capacity crowds. Then, in September, audiences laughed from start to finish at the absurd antics of Neil Simon’s “Fools.”

Every one of these productions welcomed new participants to the company, both on and off stage. That infusion of new talent and interest is vital to the WTC’s present and future work.

Present

Though it has appeared in nearly every imaginable format for decades, “A Christmas Carol” obviously continues to resonate with a wide audience today. The Warehouse production debuted on Nov. 24 to the first of multiple sold-out houses. In fact, even before it opened only a handful of seats remained for the entire 11-show run, prompting the company to add a Sunday matinee performance for Dec. 3 to give more people a chance to see “Carol.”

Such a response from Yakima Valley patrons is vital to the Warehouse mission to engage, enrich and encourage the community through shared experiences in theatre arts.

Attendance at live theater venues has waned drastically across the country. Post-shutdown audiences have proven hard to come by. The result is that many theaters have been forced to close their doors for good. The Warehouse Theatre Company can be thankful to have a loyal and committed patron base. When added together, attendance for the WTC shows-of-the-past mentioned above is over 90 percent.

Future

The WTC’s prospects to continue its spirit of giving are solid.

In the immediate future, auditions for the Warehouse’s next show, “The Nerd” by Larry Shue, will be held at the theater on Monday at 6:30 p.m. with call backs - if necessary - scheduled for the following night. The current season will close out in May with “9 to 5 the Musical.”

The company has recently launched a student intern program. In its inaugural round, this WTC program is offering seven young individuals a chance to dive deeper into the theater-making process. They’ll gain a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of production. Coupled with four intensive workshops, they’ll have experiences centered on directing, producing, marketing and box office management. They’ll work side-by-side with technicians to learn about set, lighting, sound and prop design. In the process, the company hopes that these seven will be ambassadors for the WTC.

The next season of shows is a key part of the theater’s future as well. The Warehouse play selection committee is currently hard at work to arrive at a collection of plays for 2024-2025. The WTC has typically produced a five-show season designed to include something for everyone. That goal remains, but thanks to the ownership of its own space, there is more flexibility and opportunity than ever to add other shows to the schedule.

The Warehouse has this bright and open future thanks to donors who generously give to their cause. Like the patrons, those donors believe in the Warehouse mission in Yakima. The company cites that in raw numbers, 125 community members were actors, 75 community members were technicians, and 7,670 community members were audience members because of gifts received from those donors.

The current version of “A Christmas Carol” on stage at the Warehouse Theatre marks the 17th time the company has produced the show. The frequency is in no small part due to popularity. Sold out houses are always welcome in a business so dependent on ticket sales.

But every retelling also brings the company benefits beyond the box office. Each production offers participants a chance to make their own contribution to the community. In return, they get to see their own place in the past, present, and future of the Warehouse Theatre Company.

It’s a gift exchange truly worthy of the season.