You may know me as the owner of Wanda’s Café + Bakery, or as the Director of the hit production ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ this past June, or as this year’s Director of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play’ coming up this weekend at the NCRD Performing Arts Center.
When my family moved to Manzanita from Portland to take over the iconic café in Nehalem, we wanted to be more than just business owners. We wanted to be a part of something bigger, to be a part of the fabric of the community, and to be involved in the schools, to be involved in local governments, and to be involved in local community projects of all kinds. For it’s a community and how you spend your time in it that defines who and what you are.
As new business owners we were welcomed with open arms, and maybe a touch of skepticism from those that were concerned that we were about to ruin Wanda’s. As the years have passed since our takeover the community has expressed its pleasure with our stewardship by rewarding us with record visits and record sales, each year outperforming the previous.
But we wanted it to be about more than just the business. I was fortunate to be asked to join the board of the Riverbend Players Community Theater group and a new love was born. Having spent nearly 40 years as a radio broadcaster and TV host I found an unexpected new passion, theater. And not just any theater, but community theater.
A big part of the sense of community that I was looking for has been found within our group. It’s an opportunity for a distraction from the regular tasks of operating a business and a chance to be involved with some incredibly gifted and giving neighbors who come together to put on multiple performances a year for our little community on the coast.
Theater, and the arts in general, are such a gift we get to share with one another, and I am thankful for the opportunity to helm my second production this weekend.
The production is only as good as the cast and crew you work with, and these 15-20 people involved in ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ are some of the best.
More intimately, it’s a loving experience for my family with my husband Patrick and daughter Colbie both being highly involved in the production with me.
After hours, weeks, and months of rehearsing they are ready to give their all in a delightful holiday tradition at the NCRD Performing Arts Center.
May your holidays be filled with love and laughter. And thank you for supporting Riverbend Players Community Theater with your presence in the theater, your support of advertisement in our playbill, and your spirited encouragement for all we do.
www.riverbendplayers.org 
