History Sets the Stage for Slocum House Theater Company
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Theater patrons get a bit of local history as well as a quality stage production when they visit the Old Slocum House Theater, a converted residence saved from the wrecking ball more than 40 years ago.
The home, which was moved to its Esther Short Park location in 1966, is Vancouver’s oldest nonprofit community theater. It is the last building standing in a former residential section of town that dates back to the mid-1800s. Built by Charles W. and Laura Slocum as a modified Italianate villa, the structure has lavish architectural features that include a curving stairway of rosewood and mahogany, ceiling medallions with patent dates of 1842 and 1846, 10-foot doors, an octagonal room and a marble fireplace.
With such a setting, it’s no surprise that the Slocum House Theater Company has found decades of success staging a variety of theatrical productions, recitals and concerts in the former dining room and sitting room area. And with a six- to eight-show season, the building is as busy as it ever has been, says D. Michael Heywood, president of the company’s board of directors. Heywood has been involved with the company since 1978.
“We try to do at least one old piece each year, such as Fallen Angels, an early work by Noel Coward, which we did in 2008,” Heywood says. “And then we try to do a mix of contemporary and middle-aged shows, really trying to match the sensibilities of our faithful constituency.”
The house seats 65 comfortably, and with a season-ticket roster of 160 patrons, it’s no problem getting a good turnout for productions. That’s always been the case with Vancouver’s arts community and its patrons, which have kept the Old Slocum alive and thriving over the decades, Heywood says.
“We have a revolving cadre of people who are interested in theater, in keeping it alive in the face of a lot of stress, strain and other competition,” he says. “We have about 15 people who have been involved for a number of years as actors and directors and patrons, so we’re able to run on a pretty thin shoestring and still produce very good shows. It really is a combination of the facility, the culture of the community and people’s love of being on stage and participating in the creation of a dramatic work.”
The company has an ongoing lease agreement with the city, which owns the house, and this also helps keep expenses low. And these days, while some small renovations are being studied, no major plans are in the works for the property.
“We had an ambitious plan to expand the house and move the theater to the newer part, but we realized we were talking about a $2 million or $3 million project,” Heywood says. “[For now] we’re going to continue with the idea of keeping the house as a cultural element in its own right and providing an opportunity for community theater.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Jeff Adkins
