Before Centralia’s Evergreen Playhouse audience settles into their seats, the lights are dimmed, and the actors take their places on opening night, so much time has already been invested in the production. Countless hours of effort, energy, and heart are spent behind the scenes, making the on-stage performance appear effortless.
Behind the Scenes at Centralia’s Evergreen Playhouse
Board member Michelle Koenen explains that, regardless of the play or musical being performed, the work that goes into it began the previous season with the efforts of numerous volunteers. The process of selecting the next season’s shows starts with the board members, currently numbering 11. They each submit their ideas for shows, which are separated into musicals and plays for consideration. Then, board members begin narrowing down the options to choose the next season’s lineup.
Michelle, who joined the board about seven years ago, says, “We consider things like how to include a variety of actors and the appeal to the audience.”
Once the lineup of shows is selected, the playhouse calls for applications for directors, who are also chosen by the board through in-person interviews. The six selected directors take on the task of calling for and conducting the actor auditions.
Auditions are held for the entire season at once rather than for each individual show. Approximately 100 people audition each year, with some receiving callbacks. Directors call back far more actors than they actually need. For example, ten roles will result in perhaps 40 people being called back from the initial auditions.
In the callback, the director will have the actors read the most challenging passage in the script or, in the case of a musical, sing songs that showcase their vocal range. Directors want to see the actors out of their comfort zones. As part of this process, the directors may ask actors to read a part for the opposite gender or even ask adults to read a script for a small child.
Creating the Physical World at Evergreen Playhouse
Depending on the specific play, some sets are quite simple, while others are elaborate and require a lot of construction. “Each show is unique,” Michelle says, recalling that the set for the play “Almost, Maine” from the 2024-2025 season was a modest, minimalistic set created by a few simple moving set pieces. Yet “The Curious Savage” required stairs, French doors and more. “It took six people volunteering to build that set,” she recalls.
There are many roles involved in creating the scenes that the audience sees, such as the set designer, lighting designer, props dresser, and set dresser. “Sometimes the props designer and the set dresser are the same person, but not always,” Michelle says. She explains that the difference between the need for props versus the need for set dressings is that a prop is something used in the production. For instance, if they have a baby in the play, they not only need the baby but might also need a basket to put the baby in, which is the responsibility of the prop dresser. However, if there’s a table with a lamp on it, the set dresser comes up with the lamp.
Musicals require both music directors and choreographers. Another role the audience doesn’t see is the stage manager. “If the director is the brain of the play, the stage manager is the spine,” Michelle says. “They get everything to work together.”
Those working in the control booth are responsible for managing sound and lighting systems. They take their cues from the stage manager via radio or by watching the action on stage. For instance, the lighting changes with the different scenes, but the technicians also respond to the actors’ movements, such as when a hand touches a light switch. The switch doesn’t control the light. The technicians in the control booth do.
Dressing the Actors at Centralia’s Evergreen Playhouse
Working from the script, the volunteer costumer comes up with the costume for each actor in each act. “We have costumers who love to thrift,” Michelle says with a chuckle. “They will go out and find pieces.” Often, the clothing will need to be altered to make it work.
“We keep a lot of pieces on hand, like skirts and suits, but we also borrow pieces.” An example of a situation made for borrowing occurred with the musical “Nunsense.” The playhouse did not have nuns’ habits in storage, so the costumer had to look elsewhere. Fortunately, Centralia College’s theater department had performed “The Sound of Music,” and they still had the nuns’ habits to borrow.
The 2025-2026 Lineup at the Evergreen Playhouse
Before one season ever ends, the Evergreen Playhouse’s board of directors plans and schedules the next season’s lineup. The 2025–2026 season is set to include the musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” “A Crazy Little Café Called Love!,” “9 to 5,” Agatha Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution,” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” also a musical. The 2025-2026 season will run from October to June.
Audiences can witness the results of all these magic makers’ efforts in “Into the Woods,” the final show of the 2024-2025 season, running from May 30 to June 15.
The Evergreen Playhouse
226 West Center Street, Centralia
