For the past two summers, my elementary-aged daughters have attended “theatre camp.” Over two intensive weeks at the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, they take on an entire production and then perform it in front of a live audience on the historic stage. Everyone gets a part, and students ranging from elementary to high school learn everything from casting to choreography.
While Skagit Theatre Camp has been around for several years, it’s now administered by the Lincoln Players Theatre School. The new, all-ages educational endeavor was born out of community interest in youth theater arts, as well as the nonprofit’s 2023 leadership transition.
Under the helm of Executive Director Damon Morris, Lincoln Players continues the theater’s “long tradition of providing educational opportunities and community support to the residents of the Skagit Valley and beyond.”
New leadership, new directions
The Lincoln was built in 1926 and has a history of connecting the Skagit Valley community to arts and live entertainment. Morris was the theater’s former development director; he succeeded Roger Gietzen as executive director in 2023 and has since made youth education a top priority.
Morris attended Western Washington University and pursued a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts at the University of Oregon. His dissertation research focused on Oregon’s Unit of the Federal Theatre Project, an era of government-funded theater through the Roosevelt administration.
Landing at the Lincoln was serendipitous: Through his research and findings, Morris unexpectedly became an expert in vaudeville. He discovered that South First Street had seven different theaters over the years, several of them being in the vaudeville tradition (meaning they have a focus on a variety of entertainment).
“Coming here to this vaudeville theater [was] natural for me,” Morris added.
Prior to the Lincoln, Morris also founded and ran Shakespeare Northwest and was tenured faculty in Skagit Valley College’s drama department — until the college’s previous administration eliminated the program due to budget cuts. Keeping theater arts as a core aspect of curriculum is crucial to Morris, who advocates for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) versus STEM education.
“We need the arts,” he continued. “There’s no way that you can build a rocket to Mars without an imagination.”
Upcoming classes
Nowadays summer camp isn’t the only way for community members to get involved at the Lincoln. The Lincoln Players Theatre School offers classes for various age groups each quarter, with some financial assistance to make the curriculum accessible to all community members. The skills-based courses are led by experienced, trained educators and “meet students where they are, engaging new and experienced students alike.”
Previous classes include “Fundamentals of Acting for the Stage” with Andy Friedlander and “Improv for the Stage” with Mike Marlin, the Lincoln’s technical director. New teachers, especially those with a background in musical theater, are in demand: There is growing interest in Skagit County, and the summer camp in particular fills with a long waiting list.
Looking ahead, Andy Friedlander will return for a Shakespeare workshop Feb. 9 and 15, and registration for the 2025 Skagit Theatre Camp opens in early spring. There are also plans for all-ages talent shows in February, March and April, and a Battle of the Bands from April 10–13.
Community importance
Thinking about the artists, movies and productions I’ve seen at the Lincoln (including my daughters’), the vaudeville label rings true. The theater’s newest chapter, with education as an essential pillar, is a good application of Morris’ academic background and passions — as well as the talent and experience of staff and volunteers.
As the Lincoln Theatre approaches its centennial anniversary, volunteers are essential to its success. Morris said there are around 140: “We have volunteers that move from being a volunteer to being an employee. And then sometimes we have volunteers that were employees that are now volunteers. So I think that shows the love for the space.”
For generations now, the Lincoln Theatre has been a mainstay for both entertainment and education, so much so that Morris refers to it as “Skagit Valley’s living room.” His future goals include expanding the Lincoln Players Theatre School offerings, as well as doubling the theater’s membership from 1,000 to 2,000 supporters in the next year.
For information on classes, donations and membership, visit lincolntheatre.org.
Jessica Gigot is a poet and writing coach. She lives on a little sheep farm in the Skagit Valley. See her work at jessicagigot.com.
