The close of a community theater season can be a bittersweet thing.
The bitter comes when you realize the plays and musicals that had been so anticipated as future opportunities are now in your past. On the other hand, if you鈥檝e been fortunate enough to be part of a creative team putting a show on stage for an appreciative audience, you鈥檝e had a sweet experience creating bonds and shared memories.
The Warehouse Theatre Company鈥檚 2025-26 season of plays 鈥� 鈥淎 Season of Secrets, Surprises, and Switcheroos!鈥� 鈥� officially closed with the final performance of 鈥淭he Importance of Being Earnest鈥� on May 16. The six mainstage shows that comprised the season are now visible only in the rearview mirror.
But in a ritual that helps underscore the sweet and reduce the bitter, the company will hold its annual Winnie Awards presentation Saturday, June 13, starting at 7 p.m.
鈥淭he Winnies鈥� were created all the way back in 1967 by the Yakima Little Theater Group (now Warehouse Theatre Company) board of directors. The awards were meant as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to outgoing YLTG president Winston 鈥淲innie鈥� Hoffman.
From the outset, the concept was a hit. Something about gathering to acknowledge the hard and exemplary work that went into the previous season, while previewing the shows to come in the next, was cathartic. The awards and ceremony were so appreciated that they became an annual event.
So, for all but one of the past 59 years (WTC was closed because of COVID-19 in 2020-21), the company has made a point to stop and celebrate its accomplishments from the previous season.
Theater families that formed while working on shows together have a reunion of sorts. Songs or short scenes from the plays are presented once again. Directors for upcoming productions offer previews of their shows and make a recruitment pitch for cast and crew.
And, of course, Winnie Awards are presented.
The original categories are still there, including awards for best actress, actor, supporting actress, supporting actor, set design, lighting design, costume design, director and production.
The original awards also included an Outstanding Contributor award (now known as the Bootsy Semon Award in honor of her remarkable contributions to the company) and an Outstanding Newcomer award.
Over the years, as the company has gradually changed and grown, it has sought to acknowledge a broader range of contributions.
The People鈥檚 Choice Award now gives patrons a chance to vote for their favorite show. Two renewable college scholarships have been added to the mix to support students from the company.
Since 2018, when WTC was able to buy its own venue, an award for contributions to the business side of the company 鈥� the Gilbert & Seely Outstanding Service Award 鈥� has also been presented.
The Winnies have always been aimed at appreciating the plays within a given season. But owning the building where WTC mounts its work has led to more performance opportunities.
In fact, during the past 12 months, while putting six fully produced shows on stage, the Warehouse presented no fewer than eight special events.
These ranged from educational projects such as the preprofessional summer intensive production of 鈥淧hantom of the Opera鈥� 鈥� presented in conjunction with YVC 鈥� to readers theater works such as 鈥淛ames & The Giant Peach鈥� and 鈥淔antastic Mr. Fox,鈥� featuring young performers.
The script-in-hand events 鈥淣ative Gardens,鈥� 鈥淭he Velocity of Autumn鈥� and 鈥淒oubt鈥� were sprinkled throughout the year. In the two weeks following the final curtain of 鈥淓arnest,鈥� two more special events hit the stage.
鈥淒ream Roles & Miscasts Cabaret鈥� gave singers from throughout the Yakima and Kittitas valleys a chance to share their talents, and 鈥淣o La V铆 Venir鈥� 鈥� a series of short comedic scenes performed entirely in Spanish 鈥� rounded out the special projects for the season.
This wealth of creativity makes for a bit of a dilemma at season鈥檚 end: If the Winnies are truly intended to honor the creative energies of company members, how best can those working on special events be recognized?
The question was first posed by board member Megan Hawkins.
Her concern came from the Warehouse approach to 鈥淭he Quality of Life鈥� in fall 2024. The play selection committee felt strongly that the show deserved to be done, but the Jane Anderson work contained strong content in both plot and language that placed it well outside the norm of Warehouse Theatre presentations.
As a result, it was performed over just two weekends and was excluded from Winnie consideration.
鈥淭he amount of time and effort and quality of the show is no less than any other show in the season,鈥� Hawkins argued. 鈥淭hose people deserve to be recognized just as much as the other shows.鈥�
The rest of the board understood her concerns but felt that a late addition to the judging process wouldn鈥檛 work that year.
Hawkins accepted that decision. But then, doing something many an elected official could learn from, she invested time in clearly defining her position on the topic, identifying what she considered to be the problem with the lack of special-project recognition, and offering a solution for board consideration: Establish a separate award for these special one-off events.
She proposed calling it the Vanguard Award because these projects involve company members leading new and different experiences while trying out new things.
She also grounded the concept by harkening back to the Yakima Little Theatre Group roots.
As it happens, the two people who were the driving force behind establishing YLTG in 1947 were Hal and Lorna Millen 鈥� Megan Hawkins鈥� grandparents.
Those two were in the vanguard of Yakima鈥檚 little theater movement, and they embodied the spirit of adventurous risk that today鈥檚 special projects hope to replicate. So Hawkins鈥� suggestion was to name the award after them.
The result?
The board approved establishing the Hal & Lorna Millen Vanguard Award.
The award was created to 鈥渞ecognize productions and projects that help lead the Warehouse Theatre Company into new territory,鈥� Hawkins said. 鈥淚t focuses on innovation, inclusion, collaboration, and artistic exploration.鈥�
While details surrounding the new award are still taking shape, patrons attending each of the special projects received a chance to offer feedback.
Hawkins explained, 鈥淭he plan is to give Vanguard Recognitions based on patron feedback in areas such as Challenging Convention, Embracing Progress, and Advancing Diversity, Inclusion, Innovation, and Authentic Cultural Representation. These recognitions highlight the distinct contributions each project made to our artists, audiences and community.
鈥淭hese projects are expanding opportunities and strengthening community connections,鈥� Hawkins said. 鈥淭hey play a vital role in moving the mission and growth of Warehouse Theatre Company forward.鈥�
Whether focusing on the standard theatrical elements of the 2025-26 mainstage productions or expanding recognition of the art and craft found in special projects, the Winnie Awards gathering will honor all the mission-driven experiences WTC put on stage in the past year.
It will help the creatives of the Warehouse reflect on their personal growth as performers and technicians. It will be a gathering filled with the community connections Hawkins cites.
And if all goes well, it will help remind the company that the bittersweet feeling of wrapping up 鈥淎 Season of Secrets, Surprises, and Switcheroos!鈥� can serve to inspire even more creativity and courage in the coming 鈥淪eason of the Unsung Hero.鈥�
Upcoming Warehouse Theatre Company events Performances: • WHAT: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed by Ray Pritchard and produced by Chelle Bos. WHEN: 7 p.m. July 10-11; 15-18; 22-25; 2 p.m. matinee July 11, 18 and 25 WHERE: Warehouse Theatre, 1610 S. 24th Ave. DETAILS: $22 adults, $20 seniors and students. Available to the public July 3 at Auditions • WHAT: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. Directed by Jenny Brown and produced by Keila Scott. WHEN: 6 p.m. July 27. Callbacks 6 p.m. July 28. WHERE: Warehouse Theatre, 1610 S. 24th Ave. DETAILS: For full details, visit .