Few individuals know more about the Bellingham Theatre Guild (BTG) than Doug Starcher. After all, the former contractor and longtime volunteer has studied board meeting minutes from 1929 onward. He could easily write a book about this history — and if he were to do so, its title would be: “ … And the Meeting Dissolved into Chaos.”
As Starcher puts it, BTG has been sustained by “artistic, creative, practical dreamers” for generations. “They fight and they disagree, and they go, ‘Screw it, I’m out,’” he said. But then, someone inevitably asks the question: “What are we going to do with the building?”
No one has an answer, so they meet again the following month.
After nearly 100 years, this historic building is BTG’s glue, but its continued stewardship is about more than obligation. BTG’s history runs deep — and the H Street theater is its most treasured relic. If you catch the season opener, “Cabaret” (running Sept. 27–Oct. 13), you’ll quickly pick up on the guild’s culture: The lobby is papered with old programs, awards and show posters, many of which date back decades.
Backstage, the theater’s history comes into even sharper focus. BTG has a veritable library of archives, ranging from written notes to mounted photographs. The costume room overflows with donated clothing and character wigs collected over decades. If you poke around prop storage, you’ll find everything from run-of-the-mill set dressings to oddities like a faux dynamite box, and what Starcher believes to be Whatcom County’s oldest wheelchair.
But BTG’s most irreplaceable archives are literally written on its walls. Nearly every inch backstage is covered in handwritten messages, signatures and inside jokes. Most reference prior shows, with messages ranging in tone from the comedic (“she was a mad old woman who lived in a tree”) to the heartfelt (“to thine own self be true”).
The messages paint a picture of generations of thespians, united by a shared love for their craft — and the community surrounding it.
Guild history
Board President Francie Gass said BTG is among the longest continually running, all-volunteer community theaters west of the Mississippi. Originally founded by actors at the Whatcom Normal School (now Western Washington University) in 1929, the group bounced around locations ranging from churches, a mortuary and a space across from City Hall before landing at their current location in 1944.
BTG’s building was erected in 1902 as the original location of First Congregational Church, though the church eventually moved to Cornwall Avenue (and took its bell with it). It was then bought by infamous evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, who used her wealth to invest in church buildings across the country. After leaving the space by City Hall, BTG bought the empty church from McPherson to the tune of $1,500.
“Community theater group in 1944, I mean — ticket prices were like a dime,” Starcher said. “They didn’t have any money, so 1,500 bucks was still a big number.”
For much of its history, the guild was run by “a bunch of people who love theater” — not necessarily entrepreneurs. But in the 1980s, low revenue prompted board members to invest in advertising for the first time. The guild now has an administrative board to oversee finances, and a production board to handle the minutiae of each show.
Five shows are staged per season, as chosen by a play committee and based on requests from local directors. They range from classic musicals to “straight plays” and even family-friendly shows around the holidays.
The theater also isn’t allowed to stage shows running in nearby places like Seattle and Vancouver. But despite this big-city competition, BTG has an edge: Its 192-seat capacity results in lower royalties and, ultimately, a much more intimate experience.
Per its website, the guild has put on more than 700 productions and 7,000 performances as of 2024. Countless local actors — the most famous being Hilary Swank — got their start at BTG, often building lifelong relationships along the way.
“We have a lot of people who are come and go, but there are thankfully some young people who are totally committed,” Gass said. “Several people have gotten married here because they met here.”
Growth over the years
Projects and maintenance at BTG have been accomplished through grassroots efforts and volunteer labor. Early on, the board raised enough money to paint the theater’s exterior — but only the sides visible from the street. A coal furnace was once the building’s sole heat source, so for many years, the board president had to shovel coal before each show.
Eventually the guild obtained a section of Clinton Street that now functions as BTG’s parking lot, as well as adjacent lots with a now-nonexistent ravine. In the ’80s, upon learning the ravine’s acreage would be taxed if left unused, Starcher hatched a plan. He called in favors with friends to fill the creek bed with dirt from a Squalicum Harbor dredging project.
This scheme wasn’t without snafus: Thanks to a miscommunication, Starcher had to learn to drive a CAT bulldozer on the spot (“every 4-year-old’s dream,” he joked). But after a grueling 13 hours, the project was completed, and the lot was eventually paved.
Other additions include a building extension in 1988, a sprinkler system in 2006 and even new seats (recently replaced for the second time in 30 years). The biggest recent project, however, involved installing an elevator and replacing BTG’s entire foundation. It was a near-million-dollar undertaking, financed almost entirely through a capital campaign.
The new foundation came with unexpected perks: “Everything just righted itself,” Gass said. With wood buildings, she explained, “a roof over 100 years pushes the walls out of a building. … We thought we were gonna have to put tie rods up in the auditorium and pull the walls back into alignment. [But] everything just settled.”
Community, onstage and off
Over its long history, a multi-layered community has formed around BTG — though some members have never stepped onstage in their life. Volunteers can try on many hats, from directing to stage managing, building sets, running lights or simply selling tickets.
“Young people are coming in, and the lights are just flashing,” Gass said. “They’re ready to learn as much as they possibly can.”
Starcher said BTG’s magic comes from “how all these different stories come together.” He continued, “One of the other [board members] came and got involved because her son was 8 years old and he wanted to be in a play. He’s now a professional actor in Seattle, and she’s still a volunteer here 45 years later.”
Starcher got involved during high school in the ‘70s, whereas Gass discovered BTG through her daughter. Neither consider themselves to be actors; even so, both are familiar with the theater’s nooks and crannies as if it were their own home. Starcher estimates the stage floor’s paint is at least three-quarters of an inch thick — and, if prompted, he could likely tell you the story behind each layer.
Theaters with this kind of history usually come with ghost stories. BTG is no exception: It’s rumored to be haunted by an entity named Carl.
Though Starcher lends credence to these stories, he’s spent countless hours alone at BTG after dark and has never personally encountered otherworldly spirits.
When Starcher references BTG’s ghosts, he’s not talking about Carl. Rather, he’s referring to people he knew through the guild who have since passed on.
“I think about all of them literally every day,” he said. “All of these people and this place are touchstones for three quarters of my 66 years.”
Starcher bought BTG a ghost light about six years ago; per theater tradition, this bulb is left to burn onstage when everything else goes dark. Some lore claims it keeps spirits away. Others, however, believe it illuminates the stage so spirits can perform in the absence of the living.
For folks like Starcher, BTG represents more than theater alone. He and Gass are two out of roughly a dozen individuals still deeply involved with the guild after many decades — and when their building needs TLC, they understand what’s at stake.
“The history is long enough now … that people respect that,” Gass continued. “It seeps into you.”
The Bellingham Theatre Guild is located 1600 H St. Its season opener, “Cabaret,” runs Sept. 27–Oct. 13, and tickets are now on sale. Info: bellinghamtheatreguild.com.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
