My younger-but-still-adult daughter and I were sitting in the Vashon Theatre, waiting for The Muppets to begin. We were a little early, and even though we have been going there for decades (well, I have, anyway), there is always something to see and talk about.

There are the murals, which I am so glad still exist. We always try to find the meaning in them and talk about our friend who had childhood nightmares because of them.

There are memories of things we have attended: Christmas caroling, the remembrance of the life of Billy Sandiford and a re-hash of everyone we remember being there with us.

Remember the night that Helen Frohning, pre-planted in the audience, shouted, “I’ll hug that man!” She raced to the front and embraced John Ericksen and Tom Martin. How about when Father Guzman brought his parishioners and sang “Feliz Navidad”? They were hot.

And then my daughter said, “They should just use this theater instead of building a new one.”

I was silent for a moment, realizing the great idea that had just been proposed.

The Vashon Theatre has a stage behind the screen. It has lots of seats, which have recently been refurbished. You can see the stage from each and every seat. It has a sound system. It has lights. It is a theater, for heaven’s sake. Seems to us that a partnership with the owners of the Vashon Theatre would be the best of both worlds. Is this something that can be explored and encouraged?

It would eliminate the proposed huge building project, which many feel would be out of place at Center. It would be ready to go, right now, instead of having to wait for a place for productions. At a fraction of the cost, upgrades to the stage portion could be made. And the Vashon Theatre could have more stability.

Let’s use the resources we already have. Let’s keep the Island looking like the Island. Let’s support one another as a community.

Let’s really think about this.

— Debbie Butler