Skagit / Island / SJI
Orcas Center
917 Mt Baker Rd, Eastsound, WA 98245, USA
Upcoming at Orcas Center
- Theater
Art Opening: Potters of Orcas Group
Visual Arts Committee Presents: Featured Artists: Potters of Orcas Group Community Show: Color, Texture & Pattern Art Opening: Friday, June 26th; 5:30pm – 7pm On Display: June 26th – July 28th The Visual Arts Committee of Orcas Center announces the opening of “The Ones That Made It”, a curated show of wood-fired ceramics by local artists Michael Rozzi, Mathew Haeuser, Yuriko, Sam and Ayame Bullock, Sharon Ho, Sean Roberts, Penny Sharp and Mary Jane Elgin on July 3, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Intrigued by the traditional craft of firing pottery using wood as fuel, they custom-built a kiln on Orcas and began firing in 2020. Each piece is an exploration of form and surface marked by the lick of fire, and the burning ash flying through a closed chamber for 18-20 hours. Every firing provides lessons for the next, leading this group of nine on a winding path of trial and discovery. “The Ones That Made It” will be on display from July 3 to July 28. Live entertainment and complimentary refreshments will be provided at the opening on Friday. Please join us! To learn more about exhibiting your art, commission structures, and upcoming shows, please visit the VAC page.
- Theater
Summer Theater Intensive
Orcas Center Presents: Summer Theater Intensive A launchpad for youth ages 10-18 to learn performing arts skills and have an epic summer of fun! This intensive is split into two different camps: Performing Arts (4 Weeks) | SIGN UP Theater Tech (2 Weeks) | SIGN UP Both cohorts will work together to produce and perform the 1-act musical James and the Giant Peach, JR. based on the fantasy book by Roald Dahl. This intensive will work towards a full production and culminate with a performance weekend on Orcas Center Mainstage! PERFORMING ARTS INTENSIVE 4 Week Intensive, July 5th-August 1st Monday-Friday, 9:00am-2:00pm Final Performances: 7/31 and 8/1 at 12pm and 6pm Pay what you can tuition: $550, $1,110, $1,750 Directed by Chelsea Sherman and Jamey Moriarty Explore acting, singing, dancing, and other theater essentials in this month-long creative adventure. Participants will gain more knowledge and confidence in their performing arts skills, spend the summer with an amazing cohort of creators, and most importantly, learn how to channel their inner spark and apply it. Daily Intensive Schedule Sample: 9:00-9:30am: wake up and welcome 9:30-10:00: warm up + technique 10:00-12:00: rehearsal block 12:00-12:30: lunch break and outdoor time 12:30-1:30: rehearsal block 1:30-2:00: games or special activity THEATER TECH INTENSIVE 2 Week Intensive, July 20th-August 1st Monday-Friday, 9:00am-2:00pm Final Performances: 7/31 and 8/1at 12pm and 6pm Pay what you can tuition: $275, $550, $1,200 Directed by Cameron Sherman Explore the world of audio, video, lighting, set design, basic construction and other backstage activities. Both creative and technical skills will be fostered to assist in creating a collaborative design and final product for the overall theater camp production. Lessons will include familiarity with equipment and materials and their uses to create interactive and dazzling sets, props, and the more intangible portions of productions. Students will learn the basic roles of various technical staff and take on that role for the final production of the 2026 camp production, including operating together as a behind-the-scenes production team. CASTING PROCESS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INTENSIVE We will be holding open-call auditions for James and the Giant Peach Jr. for the performance arts intensive. However, there is no audition required to participate in the camp. If you sign up, you can join the fun! We strongly encourage every participant to give the audition process a try, especially those who’d like the opportunity to play larger roles. Every participant will have the opportunity to play one or multiple roles in the show. Dual casting for leads is a possibility. No experience is necessary to participate, although all participants must make an active effort to perform at least one role in the show- courage is required! AUDITION INFORMATION In-Person Auditions: Monday, May 4th 3:30-5:30pm, and Thursday, May 7th, 3:30-5:30pm In the Orcas Center Blackbox Theater. Auditionees will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Please enter and wait in the black box lobby. You only need to attend one of the two open-call dates. Self-Tape Auditions: Self-tape auditions are due to chelsea@orcascenter.org by Friday, May 8th at 5:30pm. Tapes do not have to be of professional quality- using a phone or ipad works great. Please make sure we can hear any audio in your self tape clearly. All Auditionees: Please prepare 30 seconds-1 minute of a song that shows your range and personality. If auditioning in person, please provide a backing track link of your song to chelsea@orcascenter.org. There will be no accompanist available at in-person auditions. In addition to your song, you’re welcome to present another special skill, such as dancing, skateboarding, acrobats, etc. For in-person auditions only: You might be asked to read a scene from the script. Casting will be announced by Friday, May 15th, 2026 for those who participated in the audition process. Script and songs will be sent out by June 1st. PERFORMANCES Friday July 31st, 12PM and 6PM Saturday August 1st, 12PM and 6PM Strike and cast party Sunday August 2nd in the afternoon MEET YOUR COUNSELORS Chelsea Sherman has spent her entire life exploring the world of performing arts. Over the last decade alone, she has crafted dozens of grassroots performances, including one musical, four records, and a multitude of dance theater works. Her compositions and courses are supported by her advanced training in music, dance, theater, and voice. Sherman also founded the co-led Orcas Dance Collective in 2021 and has taught performing arts on Orcas Island for the last five years. She leads with the belief that every person has a right to self expression and that all performing arts skills can be learned. Sherman graduated with honors from Indiana University in 2019 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Performing Arts and Composition. Notable stage credits include Eurydice (Eurydice), Into The Woods (Cinderella), Still Now (Annie), A Feminine Ending (Amanda), The Arboretum: A New Musical (Three) HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE: A Play with Dance (Carrie) and Footloose! (Wendy Jo) Jamey Moriarty is a longtime theater artist and performer who loves acting, directing, stream-of-consciousness improvisation, dancing, and having fun. He studied theater at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, graduating in 2014 with a degree focused on acting and performance. Jamey spent approximately four years working at the Orcas Center, where he specialized in technical design work including lighting and stagecraft. He made his directorial debut at Orcas Center in 2024 with the magic comedy She Kills Monsters and followed it up the next year with a theatrical spoof of Harry Potter called Puffs. He also has an extensive background working with kids, including time at YMCA Camp Orkila, teaching theater classes at the Orcas Center, and working at private schools in Seattle. This will be Jamey’s fourth year teaching theater camp at Orcas Center. He is very excited for this summer’s production of James and The Giant Peach, especially since he’s often been told the claymation version of James from the original movie is his doppelgänger. We’re gonna have a peach of a time! Cameron Sherman began his foray into stagecraft from his secondary school drama classes, high school sound crew and video production, and a focus on set and lighting design, construction and media arts in college, and furthering his career by becoming an IATSE stagehand. He is an adamant supporter of education in the performing arts for youth, specifically from the backstage perspective. With 30 years in the industry involved in every aspect of production, including managing crews of large scale concerts at venues across the PNW, working on school, local community theater and national/touring productions in theaters throughout Washington State; a brief stint into acting and directing, and even returning to his alma mater as the Theater Advisor, he continues to find ways to further the creative and technical drive and prowess of himself and others looking to express themselves through stagecraft of all types. He welcomes technical challenges and seeks the best possible team solutions right up until the curtain opens. ABOUT THE SHOW Based on one of Roald Dahl’s most poignantly quirky stories, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach JR. is a brand new take on this “masterpeach” of a tale. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a witty and charming book, this adventurous musical about courage and self-discovery is destined to be a classic. The possibilities for creative costuming and puppetry abound, and young actors will love playing the outlandish and larger-than-life human and animal characters! Featuring music and lyrics by the Tony-nominated songwriters Justin Paul and Benj Pasek and book by Timothy Allen McDonald, James and the Giant Peach JR. is based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl and tells the story of a young orphaned child who finds a loving family in a most peculiar way. Sent by his mean, conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, James discovers a magic potion which results in the growing of a tremendous peach that rolls into the ocean, and is occupied by some not-so-normal characters. From the center of the gigantic fruit, James and the unlikely crew launch a journey of enormous proportions. Together they discover that while we are all born into a family, we then go on to create a family of our own. Paul says, “Behind its wit and whimsy, James and the Giant Peach explores some sophisticated themes. How do we define our family? How do we start over after a big loss? We’ve always planned to make it available for performance by schools and educational theaters groups as soon as possible, because – and we think Roald Dahl would agree – young people are capable of amazing things” McDonald says, “I was a dyslexic student who hated reading when my third grade teacher, Mrs. Spencer, introduced me to the wonderful world of Roald Dahl. His stories instilled in me a love of reading and I have never looked back. Through their production these students are celebrating the power of story-telling, teamwork and imagination. We hope you’ll join us in applauding them.”
- Theater
The Ocean Hates You
Orcas Center Presents on Center Stage: The Ocean Hates You Saturday, July 11 at 7 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: $70, $40, or $25, ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) The Ocean Hates You A former Marine Biologist turned comedian gives a voice to the ocean — and it’s not happy. This comedic and interactive show dives into humanity’s messy relationship with the sea: the pollution, the overfishing, the bad decisions and why now more than ever, it’s time for change. Performed by former marine biologist turned comedian, Forrest Shaw, the hour-long presentation combines elements from the two professions to create a unique and humorous perspective on the planet’s oceans. It’s what would happen if a Netflix Comedy Special married a Ted Talk and had an environmentally conscious baby. Each show incorporates multi-media and interactive features including curated video and audience trivia. It’s a sharp, funny, and honest look at the chaos we’ve created and the extraordinary life that still manages to thrive beneath the waves. Come laugh, think and leave more in awe and less of a problem. Shaw is a stand-up comedian and writer whose career began after spending a decade as a marine biologist in his hometown of Miami, Florida where he led the Manatee Protection Program and managed large water-quality and habitat-monitoring projects throughout the region. His fieldwork spanned seagrass communities, coral reef habitats, and sea turtle nesting, and he frequently collaborated with state and federal agencies on critical coastal ecosystem studies. As a comedian Forrest has been featured at Netflix Is A Joke Fest, Moontower Comedy Festival, Clusterfest, Just For Laughs Montreal and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival. He’s performed on Conan, Live From Gotham and Jim JeQeries and Friends and his debut special, Poor Decisions can be seen on Amazon.
- Theater
SCS: Ska Island + Desolation Sound (July 12)
Orcas Center Presents on The Village Green Stage: Ska Island + Desolation Sound Sunday, July 12, 5 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: Free, by donation! Ska Island + Desolation Sound Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs June 28 through Aug. 30. The eclectic lineup will have something for everyone with phenomenal performers for all ages. Ska Island takes the stage, with Desolation Sound opening. Ska Island is a Pacific Northwest supergroup that plays vintage Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae. The band regularly performs across the Salish Sea and often features regional reggae legend Adrian Xavier, touring to celebrate the roots of 1960s and 1970s Caribbean music. Opening the show is Desolation Sound, whose music they call “Salish Rock,” inspired by the beauty and remoteness of their island home of Friday Harbor, Washington. The band consists of Scott Sluis on drums, Darvis Taylor on bass, Gene Nery on lead guitar and Daniel DeShon on vocals and guitar. Their third record arrives on King Tide Records on July 10.
- Theater
Orcas Center Volunteer Lawn Party
Celebrating Orcas Center Volunteers, Lawn Party! Saturday, July 18 4 to 7 p.m. On Orcas Center’s Front Lawn FREE Have you given your time to Orcas Center? If so, we want to celebrate you! Anyone who has lent a hand and helped our performing arts center thrive is invited to our Volunteer Appreciation Lawn Party. There will be burgers, beverages, games, music and festivities for all ages during this very special gratitude event. Please join us. Examples of volunteers include: actors, dancers, directors, choreographers, backstage crew, lighting technicians, sound engineers, set builders, costume designers, food and beverage servers, board members, ushers, box office, art installers and more. After the gathering, head over to the Black Box for our next Antitode dance party for 18+.
- Theater
SCS: Thunderpussy + Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana (July 19)
Orcas Center Presents on The Village Green Stage: Thunderpussy + Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana Sunday, July 19, 5 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: Free, by donation! Thunderpussy + Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe & Maureen Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, features many artists from the Doe Bay Artist in Residence program (www.doebay.com/music-and-art/). It celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs June 28 through Aug. 30. The eclectic lineup will have something for everyone with phenomenal performers for all ages. Thunderpussy headlines, with Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana opening, on July 19. Thunderpussy is an all-female rock band from Seattle, Washington. Composed of vocalist Molly Sides, guitarist Whitney Petty, bassist Leah Julius, and drummer Michelle Nuño, the band draws its sound from the swagger and energy of 1970s rock. Opening the show are Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana. Maka Gallinger is a Hawaiian advocate, activist, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and accomplished performer from the Big Island of Hawaii, known for her unique ukulele play style, versatility, and powerful voice. Her music blends tones of reggae, Latin and island sounds with lyrics that uplift and inspire. Together with her husband Petroglyph, Maka leads 808 Ohana, a multigenerational band whose music features native sounds with tones of reggae and messages that carry the voices of the Kanaka Oiwi and their community.
- Theater
Casey Skinner's: You Cant Hide
Orcas Center Presents on Center Stage: Casey Skinner’s: You Cant Hide Saturday, July 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. [ Finding the Funny Workshop ] Tiered ticket prices: $70, $40, or $25, ($10 student/senior/veteran tickets available) Casey Skinner’s: You Cant Hide Imagine if Mr. Bean was in The Shining… Follow comedian Casey Skinner (Netflix, HBO MAX, BRAVO) and his true story of how he accidentally landed himself in “the most dangerous hotel in America,” AKA the Cecil Hotel and the hilariously insane events that brought him back for one final night – where a murderer was on the loose. Equal parts storytelling and stand-up comedy, You Can’t Hide begins as a naive hotel stay. But it gradually becomes a deeper comedic look at shame, vulnerability… and the chaos that erupts when your problems become too big to hide. Casey Skinner is an LA-based comedian who has performed at legendary venues like The Comedy Store and The Improv, has appeared on BRAVO, E!, Netflix, and Netflix Is A Joke Festival. He has produced TV shows for Netflix, Discovery, and MAX. His style has been described as an ADHD Nate Bargatze. Whether on stage or behind the camera, he thrives in the art of crafting compelling, hilarious, and memorable stories.
- Theater
SCS: Charlie Porter Quintet (July 26)
Orcas Center Presents on The Village Green Stage: Charlie Porter Quintet Sunday, July 26, 5 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: Free, by donation! Charlie Porter Quintet Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. through Aug. 30. On July 26, the Charlie Porter Quintet headlines, with Rumbo Tumba opening. GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter has been a vibrant force on the jazz scene for over two decades. Recognized for his distinct artistic vision, Porter merges narrative design, sophisticated long-form composition, and boundary-pushing collaboration to continually expand the possibilities of modern jazz. Described by DownBeat as “fluid, expressive, and magnificent,” Porter has released six acclaimed albums as a leader, including Immigration Nation, which was named one of DownBeat’s Best Albums of the Year. As a bandleader and performer, Porter has graced major festival stages and anchored legendary New York jazz venues like The Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, and Birdland, performing alongside Joe Zawinul, Paquito D’Rivera, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars. This summer, Porter launches his seventh album, Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew, reimagining classic science-fiction cinema themes through a modern jazz lens. Opening the show is Rumbo Tumba, the electroacoustic project of Argentine multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Facundo Salgado. For over 13 years, Salgado has captivated global audiences, touring more than 30 countries on every continent. A true one-man band, he plays, records, and mixes a stunning variety of native South American handmade instruments in real time using Live Looping technique, transporting audiences to the purest places in nature.
- Theater
Art Opening: Orcas Artist Studio Tour
Visual Arts Committee Presents: Featured Artists: Orcas Artist Studio Tour Art Opening: Friday, July 31st; 5:30pm – 7pm On Display: July 31st – August 25th All are invited to attend the Art Opening on Friday, July 31st from 5:30 to 7 p.m., featuring live entertainment and complimentary refreshments. Artists are urged to attend and contribute hors d’oeuvres. To learn more about exhibiting your art, commission structures, and upcoming shows, please visit the VAC page.
- Theater
SCS: Reposado and Nick Drummond (Aug 2)
Orcas Center Presents on The Village Green Stage: Reposado and Nick Drummond Sunday, August 2, 5 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: Free, by donation! Reposado and Nick Drummond Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs June 28 through Aug. 30. The eclectic lineup will have something for everyone with phenomenal performers for all ages. Reposado headlines, with Nick Drummond opening on Sunday, Aug. 2. Reposado is a Seattle-based Afro-Latin funk band fronted by singer and bandleader Jean-Paul Builes. Centered in the crowd and creating a movement of connection and vulnerability, the band encourages everyone to rise and let loose. Their sprawling ensemble has employed over 40 musicians since its inception, and their live performances are renowned for their irresistible, full-throttle energy. Opening the show is Seattle singer-songwriter Nick Drummond, a staple of the Emerald City. Playing solo sets at festivals such as Oak Harbor Music Fest, Little Big Fest, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts, and Oregon Country Fair, among others, he has captivated audiences in venues large and small for years. His weekly residency at Seattle’s Mermaid Lounge has become a can’t-miss event, and he provides a sound much larger and more intricate than one expects of a solo performer.
- Theater
SCS: Saltydog, Honey of the Heart and Pamwe Marimba (Aug 9)
Orcas Center Presents on The Village Green Stage: Saltydog, Honey of the Heart and Pamwe Marimba Sunday, August 9, 5 p.m. Tiered ticket prices: Free, by donation! Saltydog, Honey of the Heart and Pamwe Marimba Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs June 28 through Aug. 30. The eclectic lineup will have something for everyone with phenomenal performers for all ages. Saltydog headlines, with Honey of the Heart and Pamwe Marimba also performing on Sunday, Aug. 9. Saltydog is a funk-jam improvisational exploration that takes the audience and band on a journey through playfully crafted, folk-driven tunes inspired by everyone from The Talking Heads and The Band to classic country and jam-band staples. The band spawned on the banks of Duluth’s ice-covered stones by brothers Jacob and Owen Mahon. This midwestern psychedelic cowboy revue features Calvin Lund, Lefty Johnson, Gavin St. Clair, and Sam Deters. Their second album Pepper dropped in spring 2024, and the band is set to release their third album in winter 2026. Also performing is Honey of the Heart, a Northern California-based band and community collective fronted by singer-songwriters Maren Metke (vocals, guitar, ukulele) and Justin Ancheta (vocals, guitar, multi-instrumentalist). Formed in 2014, their genre-blending sound incorporates folk, soul, jazz, and world-flamenco into rich harmonies, focusing on matters of the heart and aiming to inspire and uplift listeners. Rounding out the evening is Pamwe Marimba, an eight-piece ensemble of passionate advocates of Zimbabwean marimba music, with roots in New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Their repertoire ranges from traditional Shona music to original compositions, each piece a celebration of the marimba’s versatility.