A new biopic will light up Vashon Theatre’s silver screen about a subject dear to islanders’ hearts: the rock on which we live. Show time is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, followed by a Q-and-A session with the director and editor.
“Vashon Then and Now” takes a multi-dimensional look at four classic island icons — Vashon Theatre, the Point Robinson Lighthouse, the Washington State Ferries and Granny’s Attic. Written and directed by island filmmaker Michael Monteleone and edited by Dennis Lambert for Voice of Vashon, the film covers both the history of each subject and its current status in the community.
“Our motto is: Vashon’s colorful past and equally intriguing present,” said Monteleone. “We organized the series like King TV’s ‘Evening Magazine,’ with two hosts who present the subject to the viewers.”
The hosts cover the history and do the interviewing, so in the case of the theater, Monteleone said, the episode reviews island theaters going back to the 1920s. It then brings the audience forward to 1947 — the current location of the theater —and an insider’s view of the theater.
“We talked with Eileen Wolcott, (theater owner), toured the snack bar and projector room and got to ask about the murals. We got information that is not immediately apparent to someone who walks into the theater,” Monteleone said.
Island historian Bruce Haulman and Tag Gornall explore the four places along with co-host Lisa Reeves, a relative newcomer to Vashon but no stranger to island life, originally hailing from New Zealand. Voice of Vashon radio hosts Jeff Hoyt and Chris Austin fill in some of the retrospective gaps with their signature comedy.
“We put Jeff in a fake newsroom and dressed him in old-fashioned clothes,” Monteleone said. “He reads the news from a 1920s newspaper article. Chris does his mostly true history of Vashon moments.”
Other clever juxtapositions of old and new include a conversation between Jens Pedersen, 89, who grew up in the Point Robinson Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters and Mirabelle Anderson-Yost, 7, who lives there now.
“Their stories are similar and vastly different, but really sweet,” Susan McCabe, Voice of Vashon station manager, said. “Each episode has its own personality.”
Monteleone echoed McCabe’s comment, saying what he learned from making the film is that “the past was not as simple nor as naive as we think — there were plenty of big egos, people maneuvering.” As for the present, he said the notion of kindness and generosity is alive and well.
“Sometimes the stories were harrowing, like when Eileen needed a new projector,” he said. “The community pitched in to buy it. Eileen and her family are bootstrap people who work hard to put out their own fires, but they were moved by the community helping them.”
Both Voice of Vashon and Monteleone’s team hope to produce another series. They already have 10 episodes in mind, but resources remain a challenge. A heritage grant from King County 4Culture funded the current film.
As for Tuesday night, McCabe and Monteleone encourage the community to come out and enjoy the show.
“They’ll see a lot of friends and neighbors on the big screen,” McCabe said. “Admission is free. Popcorn is not.”
