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The curtain rises on Drama Dock’s 50th fabulous year

Published 2:03 pm Tuesday, February 17, 2026

By Elizabeth Shepherd

Local theater stars came out to shine at the opening of the Vashon Heritage Museum’s new exhibit celebrating 50 years of Drama Dock. Kelly Godell, the company’s current artistic director (top left) exulted in the evening, as did Maya Krah (right) who first began performing with Drama Dock at the age of 11. Below, a group of the founders gathered: Pam McMahan, Patricia Kelly, Sue Wiley, Marjon McDermott, Rich Wiley, Cornelius Lopez, Anita Lopez and Marita Ericksen. (Tara Morgan Photo) Local theater stars came out to shine at the opening of the Vashon Heritage Museum’s new exhibit celebrating 50 years of Drama Dock. Kelly Godell, the company’s current artistic director (top left) exulted in the evening, as did Maya Krah (right) who first began performing with Drama Dock at the age of 11. Below, a group of the founders gathered: Pam McMahan, Patricia Kelly, Sue Wiley, Marjon McDermott, Rich Wiley, Cornelius Lopez, Anita Lopez and Marita Ericksen. (Tara Morgan Photo)

Local theater stars came out to shine at the opening of the Vashon Heritage Museum’s new exhibit celebrating 50 years of Drama Dock. Kelly Godell, the company’s current artistic director (top left) exulted in the evening, as did Maya Krah (right) who first began performing with Drama Dock at the age of 11. Below, a group of the founders gathered: Pam McMahan, Patricia Kelly, Sue Wiley, Marjon McDermott, Rich Wiley, Cornelius Lopez, Anita Lopez and Marita Ericksen. (Tara Morgan Photo)

Local theater stars came out to shine at the opening of the Vashon Heritage Museum’s new exhibit celebrating 50 years of Drama Dock. Kelly Godell, the company’s current artistic director (top left) exulted in the evening, as did Maya Krah (right) who first began performing with Drama Dock at the age of 11. Below, a group of the founders gathered: Pam McMahan, Patricia Kelly, Sue Wiley, Marjon McDermott, Rich Wiley, Cornelius Lopez, Anita Lopez and Marita Ericksen. (Tara Morgan Photo)

Wonder of wonders and miracle of miracles: Way back in 1976, a small but mightily talented group of friends decided to put on some shows on Vashon.

On a shoestring budget — taking out a small bank loan in their own good names — they created an organization called Drama Dock.

The company is now celebrating 50 years of continuous commitment to Vashon’s cultural life in a number of suitably dramatic ways.

This month, a new special exhibit was unveiled at the Vashon Heritage Museum, “50 Years of Creating Theater Together,” curated by longtime and faithful Drama Dockers Patricia Kelly, Pam McMahon, Sue Wiley, Gaye Detzer and Susan Shrier.

The opening reception on Feb. 6 was a chance to hobnob with a glittering cast of characters that included many of the troupe’s original members as well as newer folks currently making the company click.

The exhibit — a treasure trove of posters, programs, newspaper clippings, video and other artifacts from 126 shows, including 28 toe-tapping musicals — runs through July 23 at the museum, located at 10105 SW Bank Rd.

But wait: the party is just getting started. The curtain will rise on Drama Dock’s 50th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, March 21, at Vashon Center for the Arts, bringing together generations of artists, supporters, and theatergoers for an evening of food, entertainment and star-studded theatrical derring-do.

A retrospective showcase will highlight iconic scenes and musical moments from standout Drama Dock productions over the years, including “Plaza Suite,” “Inspecting Carol,” “33 Variations,” “Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “Urinetown,” “Rent” and many more. The performance will be enhanced by archival projections, rare historical highlights from Drama Dock’s legacy, and appearances from special guest presenters and an extraordinary roster of Drama Dock artists and alumni.

These folks include many beloved members of Vashon’s theater community: Elise Ericksen, Marita Ericksen, Dianna Daniel, Dianne Kutzke, Erika Strandberg, Liz Stephens, Sue Beer, Rich Wiley, Paul Shapiro, Maria Glanz, Shannon Flora, Damian Sevilla, Arlette Moody, Alex Drissell, Matthew Fontaine, Matt Wilson, Hail Quackenbush, Jeanne Dougherty, Leonard Su, Maya Krah, Lauri Hennessey, Gretchen Neffenger, Linda Lee, Brooke Osment, Steven Sterne, Marjon McDermott and Sierra Tinhof.

Tickets are $65 for general admission or $125 for a Golden Ticket, which enters attendees into a raffle to win a prize package. Purchase tickets and find out more at dramadock.org.

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