Woodinville Repertory Theatre Being Kicked-Out

When Woodinville Repertory Theatre finishes its upcoming play near the end of June, it’ll pack up its things and leave — for good. The theater, founded in 1998, has taken up residence in the Wellington Hills Golf & Country Club for the last 10 years, but that era is coming to an end as the country club board has set a date for the theater company to terminate use of the facility.

Initially, the board gave a 30-day notice, meaning Woodinville Rep would’ve been unable to stage its upcoming production of “Dearly Beloved.” A request for an extension was granted, allowing the company to complete a whole run of the play. The new termination date is July 10, said Hjalmer Anderson, co-president and artistic director for Woodinville Rep.

“The situation is kind of touchy,” Anderson said. “The board at the country club (has) mixed feelings about us being in their space.”

Woodinville Rep was beginning to convert the dining room into a performing arts space, and had previously brought in theater seats to the clubhouse to better accommodate patrons. As they began occupying more of the building, it prompted some ill feelings among country club board members, Anderson said.

The increased usage conflicted with plans for the country club, said Gary Fowler, who’s been president of the board since February.

“Like anything else, we are an evolving club,” Fowler said. “For a number of years, you might say the club lay dormant, and that’s no longer the case.”

The golf course hosts a tournament once a month, and people are using the clubhouse nearly every day. Summer will see two to three major events held in the clubhouse, Fowler said.

“We just decided it was time to more fully utilize our own facility,” he said.

An additional factor was a new provision in the leasing language. The University of Washington owns the land, and Woodinville Rep was told Wellington could no longer sub-lease the property, Anderson said.

The new agreement — which took place sometime in the last year or so — was a factor in the country club’s decision, but the facility usage was a more pressing issue, Fowler said.

“We didn’t explore whether something could be worked out,” he said.

Now, Woodinville Rep is on the hunt for a new performance space. Getting the extension and performing their next show has allowed them to not go completely under financially, but prospects are still not good, Anderson said.

“The bottom line is, we’re in trouble,” he said. Season tickets have been sold for a season that will not happen if another space isn’t secured, and there’s nowhere to store all the scenery, props and costumes.

For now, Woodinville Rep will stage “Dearly Beloved” in June, make plans for a silent auction fundraiser in September and hope they can make it out of the current state of limbo.

“Dearly Beloved” runs from June 3 to June 25 at the Wellington Hills Golf & Country Club clubhouse. Tickets are available for purchase online.