The Drama Dock board of directors strongly supports Vashon Allied Arts’ ongoing efforts to construct the Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA). Drama Dock is a 36-year-old nonprofit that has worked closely with VAA for many years. We have used its current 100-year-old facility to stage many productions, and the idea of working in a new, modern facility has us ecstatic.

Some concerns have been expressed regarding the size of or even the need for such a facility, given that Vashon High School is building a new theater, but there are several reasons why construction of the VCA should proceed.

The new Vashon High School facility will be a smaller venue and has been designed primarily as a theater and to meet other school needs. That is how it should be.

Vashon Island is blessed with a vibrant community of both visual and performing artists. These individuals provide a range of exhibits and performances — from ballet to drama, opera, sculpture, painting, photography and more. The VCA will provide a home for all of these. It will have a gallery for our visual artists and a 300-seat theater that will be perfect for music, dance and drama of all kinds.

The location is centrally located on the main highway, easy for anyone to find.

The current VAA center, the Blue Heron, is heavily used for performances and rehearsal space for drama and dance. Because of its age and design, it is inadequate by anyone’s standards.

This opportunity is a great one for Vashon residents, one that will positively affect the entire community for years to come. A facility like this will not only add to the quality of life for our citizens, it will assist the business community as well.

— Gaye Detzer, president, Drama Dock board of directors