Bellingham Theatre: Small Stages, Big Talent
Time and time again when I see shows across Whatcom and Skagit I forget the stigma of “community theatre”. Not once as an actor or audience member have I thought to myself, “oh, well, that was good for community theatre.” The talent from stage to set, tech to concepts are high level and rival shows I see in Seattle.
I am a proud volunteer, actor, arts marketer, and donor to several theatre companies in town and the fun stages that put them on. In this blog, I am going to share a few of the local theatre companies and locations you should check out. You won’t regret it. I promise.
Local Community Theatres in Bellingham, WA
We’ll start with local community theatre options that have a robust season and showcase a few that welcome volunteers year round to help build sets, perform, usher during shows, and participate with whatever talent or skill you have to offer!
Bellingham Theatre Guild
I have performed on stage with the Guild a handful of times now and I can’t believe I’ve lived in Bellingham since 2013 and not be an audience member more often! I went once in college to see August of Osage County and then rediscovered them in 2023. Do not sleep on the productions this theatre produces!
The Bellingham Theatre Guild puts on an incredible season of shows, usually opening and ending with a musical with plays making up the middle. They also produce staged readings which gives new actors or folks with busier schedules a chance to take the stage. Staged readings are just as they sound, performers read directly from the script to an audience who is in charge of using their imaginations to craft the set, costumes. It’s like a read-aloud, radio-play, audiobook experience that you should definitely try.
The Guild is entirely volunteer operated and has been producing theatre in Whatcom County, Washington, since 1929. The theatrical adventures take place in a stunning renovated church that the theatre purchased in 1944. They have fundraised to restore the foundation and put in elevators to ensure accessibility to the community.
As an actor, I loved auditioning for their shows. They unveil their productions for the season early on, so it’s easy to read al the scripts and determine what you’d like to audition for. A lot of the information is readily available online and they run a tight ship. Rehearsals can be a lot, usually five to six nights a week if you’re a lead and if you like to build sets those usually take place on Thursdays and it’s a great group of folks who know their stuff and will help teach you.
They have a monthly volunteer orientation, usually on the 3rd Saturday of the month where you can learn about all the volunteer opportunities available and get a feel for the theatre itself.
The quality of shows performed at the Guild are top-tier and they regularly produce well-known shows. Learn more about the Bellingham Theatre Guild on their website.
American Theater Northwest
American Theatre Northwest is run by two New York transplants who produce high-quality theatre. Their main staple is SUGAR: A Cabaret which performs twice a year in Fall and Spring.
SUGAR has performed at Mount Baker Theatre several times, Seattle’s The Triple Door, and smaller venues around town. The show is comprised of talented dancers, singers, and a full band run by Brie Mueller. The Cabaret is great fun and, not to be confused with Burlesque which can be a bit more raunchy, is a sassy and laughter-filled event the community looks forward to every year.
Bellingham TheatreWorks
Bellingham TheatreWorks is known for producing stories of significance to the Pacific Northwest, with an emphasis on local actors and local playwrights. They specialize in new works, meaning plays that have not been staged before. They also have a New Play Cafe program which helps showcase new playwright’s works.
They don’t have a physical location and instead take their performances to various locations like the Firehouse Arts and Events Center, New Prospect Theatre, Found Spaces (theatre term meaning, “non-traditional, pre-existing location that was not originally built as a theater,”) they’ve also begun partnering with local high-schools.
Bellingham TheatreWorks has a variable season of shows so it’s important to check their website regualrly to learn what they are up too and what opportunities are available.
They also produce one of the biggest Summer Repertory theatre productions in Bellingham with Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre which takes place usually in June and July at the Firehouse Arts and Events Center. They put on three shows, six nights a week, for four weeks. They pick a theme and each show fits under that umbrella. The best part? The plays rotate so you can go every Tuesday and see a different play. It’s a delightful feat and simply a stunning experience to witness so much theatre in a short amount of time.
iDiom Theater
Is an original, irreverent, and independent theater established in 2002. The iDiom theater produces works that make you think, tend to be more gritty and absolutely stunning. They produce a mix of new works and currently are producing new translations of Anton Chekov’s work.
One of my first productions out of college was with the iDiom where we did Chekov’s The Seagull in the park.
The iDiom also has some of the most exciting fast and furious theatre adventures performers and creatives can participate in, including: 48 hour theatre festivals and Serial Killers.
The 48-Theatre Festivals are a mad dash to write, cast, direct and perform pieces as a team to then perform in front of audiences.
The Serial Killers is another great concept. Multiple groups of creatives form and create episodic stories that then each week the audience eliminates, “killing” them off one by one.
BAAY Theatre
The Bellingham Arts Academy of Youth is a theatre focused on children and the exploration of the arts. While I didn’t grow up in Bellingham so many people I have met were either in BAAY or have BAAY kiddos. Founded in 2006, it is another staple of community theatre that brings families together for performances. They also provide classes and summer courses for youths who are interested in the arts.
Western Washington University’s Theatre
I would be remiss to not mention my alma mater. WWU has two incredible stages, the Performing Arts Center’s Main Stage Theatre and the Douglas Underground Theater “DUG” Theatre. WWU Theatre puts on a variety of plays and musicals that are high-quality in production and direction. They also regularly have guest performers and projects which is always great fun to see those collaborations come to life.
The WWU theatre is exclusive to students and the community is cast as the audience but these shows will leave you talking and in awe of what students can do with a few weeks on top of their academic schedule.
From the productions directed by professors to the Student Theatre Productions, you can’t go wrong showing up to a show on WWU’s Campus — Plus their dance and music performances which are separate from the theatre are also stunning.
Learn More about the College of Fine and Performing Arts Theatre Productions at Western Washington University.
Additional Theatre Companies
There are probably so many more that I don’t even know about but here are a few more worth keeping tabs on that are in Bellingham and in Skagit!
Local Performance Spaces in Town
While the big one, of course, is Mount Baker Theatre, there are only a handful of local shows produced there from what I understand. Here are few of the venues to check out for theatre, dance, live music and more!
The Show Goes On and On and On!Yay! So many wonderful theatre happenings, music delights, and ways to participate and volunteer your time and energy! I hope this list of local theatre Bellingham things helps you discover, rediscover, and explore the community and it’s incredible talent! If you have any questions definitely email the community theatre groups. They are very friendly and willing to help!
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