To the editor:

I’ve been here 21 years. In response to Margaret Walton’s lovely words in the Record, I’d like to note that, while a great many things have changed, all is not lost.

Today’s Langley is most certainly not the Langley that, with the co-operation and support from Island Theatre and the Willefords at The Clyde, offered me the freedom to produce and direct all kinds of theater; Wings of the Termite, American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross, to name but a few.

Great times we had; many of them involved Pete Jacobs and The Dog House Tavern. I remember crawling into a dark and treacherous storage space that Pete gave us beneath The Dog House where, guided by Ken Church, Tod Ackley, George Cribbs and Bobby Prasch, we struggled to remove stage props, flats, lighting gear – you name it.

Pete made room for the theater group as he always made room for everyone.

I remember the immeasurable help I received from Becky Duthie and Michele LaRue, my producers on those early shows, and the know-how lent by Mike McVay, Shelley Hartle, the Licastros, David Ossman, Shannon Connell, Cynthia Campbell, Dwight Zehm, Danny Ward, Tom Fisher, Tom Churchill, Danny Rosenberg, Maureen Freehill, Keith Allen Bowers, Dave Draper, Dave Malony, Nancy White, Halim Dunsky, Joe Patrick, James Enslow, Kirk Prindle, Vern Olsen, Jim Freeman, Drew Kampion, Sue Frause, Bill Ruth, Beno Kennedy, Sandy Menashe, Janie Cribbs, Robbie Cribbs, Martha Furey, Les Dunner, Chris Spencer, Sharon Jangaard, Jim Scullin, Fredde Butterworth, Rod Eckberg and Marsha Sloan – forgive me, I know I’ve left a lot of people out – the list is endless.

Anyway, we no longer crawl beneath The Dog and, all things considered, that’s kind of sad. Discovering elements of what made our theatre so vital, hidden away in pockets of history, was, for me, a dream within a dream.

But now, thanks to pioneers like Martha Murphy, Ric Prael, Frank Rose, Marge Dente, Bob Sabatini, Jack Eskennazi, Ed Severinghaus, and many others of their generation, we have more venues than most “villages” could ever hope for. Within the creative worlds of WCT, WICA, South Whidbey High, Bayview Center, Mukilteo Coffee, MUSEO – art abounds! Stacie, Deana, Jason and the folks at WICA have launched another full season. Island Theatre is busy making plans for their next production. New galleries have opened and prospered in Langley and Greenbank.

But the most important change I see is the blossoming of newcomers; young and old alike, talented actors, writers and musicians, painters and sculptors, filmmakers and video artists whose work can be seen and heard up and down the island. I suppose we all want change – as long as it’s the change we want – but that’s not the way the world works.

So, if you’re like me, you wince a bit when the familiar vanishes, when the comfort of continuity evaporates before your very eyes, then laugh and wise up. You take what lies in your own backyard and fly with it. It’s a big backyard from the sky, this island, this skinny, funny-looking stretch of good fortune.

I’ve mounted 16 plays and filmed two movies here, shooting all over the island, documenting most memorably, Ebey’s Bluff, and most happily, in, out, and around The Dog. Bless you, Peter, for your generous soul. We all miss you. Like Ray Charles says, “Days may be cloudy or sunny, we’re in or we’re out of the money, but (Art’s with us always) come rain or come shine.” Hey! Ray oughta know.

Go out today and see the work of your local artists. While you’re at it, support Sno-Isle, the best library system imaginable! And thanks again, everyone, for giving me the time and space to function.

Richard Evans

Clinton