Performing Arts

Island Shakespeare Festival is about people. Well, and Shakespeare. But also, artists, community, learning, connections, collaborations, music, art, life, the Pacific Northwest, and, oh, yeah, we truly believe that everyone should be able to see quality theatre. Performances are “Pay what you will.”  We “pass the hat” after performances and appreciate donations.  Shakespeare and classical theatre are what we do, but it really is more than that. In some ways, one could say that to us, theatre is sacred.

The Oak Harbor Music Festival is held Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day in Historic Downtown Oak Harbor.  The 2019 festival runs from August 30 through September 1. There are two main stages with over 30 bands playing throughout the festival featuring all types of musical genre. With two beer gardens, a variety of food vendors and sidewalk cafes there is plenty of food and drink for everyone. Enjoy the arts and crafts vendors as you stroll from one stage to the other.  Admission is free.

OutCast Productions is a private, 501(c)(3), not for profit theatre company incorporated in Washington State. As a theatre company that focuses on producing “theatre with a social conscience,” we strive to bring to our audience productions that encourage critical thinking about the social issues of our time. Our goal is to provoke a dialogue about such issues as oppression, human rights, politics, and the psychological and emotional worlds of human beings at large.

We welcome the opportunity to earn the trust of the community and deliver a product that serves and includes them.

Ned Farley and K. Sandy O’Brien are the managing partners of OutCast.

A non-profit professional orchestra providing great music for all of Whidbey Island. We perform 4-5 concerts each season and provide music for special events island-wide. Our Talent Development Program affords local music students the opportunity for a mentorship with orchestral musicians.

Whidbey Children’s Theater is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of youth by creating opportunities to discover, experience, and participate in the performing arts.

We believe that the performing arts have a valuable place in our community, and that through participation in the arts children will develop their unique selves in an environment that embraces the whole person and emphasizes support, collaboration, and trust. We strive to engage in collaborative efforts with the larger community of arts groups wherever possible and recognize the positive impact such endeavors have on the community as a whole.

Visit our website for upcoming events and ways to get involved.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) is dedicated to offering high-quality performances; exposing residents and students to local and nationally recognized artists, musicians, literary works, and authors as well as the chance to be a part of in-house full-scale theater productions.

Whidbey Island Dance Theatre (WIDT) was founded in 1993 with a love for dance. Back then it was known as Whidbey Dance Theatre, and it began with the idea of creating a new and exciting opportunity for young people in its community; young creatives of all ages, who also loved dance, could find their place on stage with their peers.

Hard work paid off. As the company moved forward and found its legs, it provided real, pre-professional dance experience to outstanding young dancers. Its participation in the wider world of dance followed. The juried, national association of ballet companies, “Regional Dance America,” chose WIDT as an RDA performing company from 2001-2012.

Since 2000, WIDT has performed throughout Washington, as well as in Arizona, California, Utah, Oregon, at the National Dance Festival in Pittsburgh, PA, and in Montreal, Canada. Through the years, both professional and community choreographers have expressed their appreciation for the generations of talented dancers they’ve worked with at WIDT.

Each year, WIDT graces the stage with two major productions, “The Nutcracker” and “A Celebration of Dance,” its springtime choreography showcase. Both highlight the diverse talents of its broadly trained dancers and feature the works of both resident and guest choreographers.

These productions are a gift, 28 years of WIDT making the creative, athletic, joyful and fun-to-watch magic that is dance!

The company’s main performance venues are South Whidbey High School Auditorium, a 400-seat theater, and Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, which holds 250 seats.

WIDT and Island Dance are located at 714 Camano Avenue in Langley. Office hours vary. Please call in advance to arrange a time or confirm when we are open at 360-341-2221 or email whidbeyidt@gmail.com.