Meagan Castillo (Mary Poppins) is happy to be spending another spring in the beautiful Kitsap Forest Theater, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to take on the role of Mary Poppins. A Seattle native, Meagan has performed with many local theater companies, including Seattle Musical Theater, SecondStory Repertory, Tacoma Musical Playhouse and the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society. She is currently a pre-nursing student at Bellevue College.

Meagan was first drawn to the Kitsap Forest Theater in 2011, when her then 10-year-old son expressed an interest in joining her on stage. The unique environment of the theater, which encourages family participation both on and off stage, was a perfect fit. Since then, Meagan has had the privilege of appearing on the Kitsap stage with both of her younger sons; in the 2013 production of Narnia, as well as last years production of Honk!.

“I believe that the family friendly, multi-generational environment of the Kitsap Forest Theater is very important, both for the cast and the audience. I'm proud to be a part of creating a place where parents and grandparents can expose their children to quality theater in a relaxed and welcoming space”. Despite the challenges of staging a production of Mary Poppins outdoors, Meagan feels that it really is an excellent fit for the theater. “The themes of finding the magic in the everyday, as well as the Banks family's struggle to connect with one another is something I believe everyone can relate to.”

Meagan is also enjoying the challenge of playing a character many people are familiar with and have preconceived notions of. “So much of the fun in creating a character is making it your own. That's difficult with a role like Mary, since most people immediately think of Julie Andrews. Returning to the source material is also tricky, since the Mary in the original P.L. Travers' stories isn't terribly likeable. Despite this, playing Mary really is a dream come true, after all how often do you get to be Practically Perfect.”

Buy your tickets today online (no ticket fee) and come for a "jolly holiday" in the forest with your friends and family! It truly will be a "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" adventure!

We are planning on profiling some of our actors in our spring production of Mary Poppins. We hope that you will enjoy getting to know them and then come see them in action at the show!

Merrill Matheson (Bert) is originally from Provo, Utah and holds a BA in theatre with a minor in ballroom dance from Brigham Young University and an MFA in arts leadership from Seattle University. He has worked in many sides of the arts, including administration, technical crews, and performance. We asked him to tell us a little something about his experience with the Kitsap Forest Theater:

“I am thrilled to make my Seattle acting debut with Kitsap Forest Theater! I have been impressed with the professionalism and kindness from all the Forest Theater staff. I am amazed by the natural beauty of the theater venue. The forest reminds me of the mountains of Utah where I grew up, but there is the added beauty here of all the Pacific Northwest moss covering everything.”

“Bert is a dream role of mine, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to play him. Bert is a kind, genuine, and playful character who always looks out for others. He sees the big picture in life and doesn't let small mishaps discourage him. He puts others' needs above his own and doesn't worry about material possessions. But most of all, I'm thrilled to play Bert because he's just a lot of fun, always putting a smile on others' faces. If I can help you see what Bert sees to help put a smile on your face, then I will have done my job as an actor. See you at the show!”

It is always exciting to invite new actors to experience the Kitsap Forest Theater stage - there really is nothing like it. You can even hang out in the sunshine between stage time during rehearsals! All of the actors and production staff have been hard at work learning the songs and dances, and putting together an exciting show - don't miss it! Tickets available here. 

Not only have the Mountaineers Players been busy this spring and summer creating two incredible shows (Honk! & Annie), they have also been busy creating a new play area for kids of all ages.

It all started with a family whose daughter, Kamalani, auditioned for Narnia last year. Kamalani loved the experience, and her brother, Brayden, enjoyed hanging out at the theater. Her parents, Lisa Simpson and Brian Fielder, helped out behind the scenes – Lisa backstage and Brian selling concessions. Lisa became the teacher/leader of the Kitsap Forest Adventure Camp (last year and this year!). They had such a positive experience, they decided to join the Players Committee.

Noticing that the old play structure (built by volunteer parents several decades ago) was no longer safe – they volunteered to donate time and money to design and build a new one. After doing a site evaluation, they presented the Players Committee with their recommendations and design ideas. It was decided to build the new play structure on the other side of Kitsap Cabin to take advantage of the trees on the site. 

Here is Lisa's explanation for the design:

"The inspiration for the Treehouse was the Kitsap Forest itself and the imagination of theater. I watched what the kids do when they are playing in the Kitsap Forest and tried to imagine what they might build for themselves if they were lost in the woods — on a great adventure and needing a home. I thought of Peter Pan and pirates battling with swords, the Swiss Family Robinson, and Robinson Crusoe. I also thought of fairies and the magical times younger children, and we all, experience observing the creatures that live in the woods."

"It needed to have a balcony so the kids could be dramatic. It needed a crow's nest, so the kids could get up high and so the "set" would have several levels. It needed to appeal to kids that could just begin to climb up and to the older teens who still want to play a bit while they "hang out." I wanted to make something that would inspire the imaginations of all ages."

With Lisa's design expertise and Brian's carpenter skills, work was begun in the spring. They worked with other Players volunteers to clear the site, dig the holes and set the posts. The actual structure was built mostly by Lisa and Brian with others helping as needed. Lisa and Brian's donation of money was matched 100% by Brian's employer, Microsoft, and his hundreds of hours of volunteer work was donated in matching funds to the Mountaineers Players, paying for the structure as it grew. Additionally, the Walters family (Beaven, Mark, Sophie, Scooter and Maisy) who have been involved with the Players for the past five years as performers, volunteers, and serving on the Players Committee, donated money towards the Treehouse project.

Since the structure was completed in phases, kids could play on the parts that were finished while the rest was being built. During Adventure Camp the swing set and small tower was used. The taller tower was finished in time for Annie families to use. Last to be added was the suspension bridge and the climbing net. It has been a pleasure to see cast and crew kids (and their friends) climbing all over the structure while plotting their next adventure. Families attending shows are spending time at The Treehouse before and after the shows – fitting with our goal of making a trip to the Kitsap Forest Theater part of a "daycation" – picnic before the show, explore The Treehouse, see the show, hike to Big Tree, etc.

This was a labor of love (and a sacrifice) for the entire Simpson/Fielder family (including the family dog, Jack) – they spent almost every weekend of the spring and summer (and some weekdays) at the Kitsap Forest Theater working on the structure (and helping out with the plays).

Thank you, Lisa and Brian (and Kamalani and Brayden) – your thoughtfulness in design, attention to detail and masterful construction will ensure that your gift will bless generations of families. You have created a legacy that will keep on giving to kids young and old – truly inspiring the imagination of all who explore The Treehouse.

To see pictures of the build in progress, see our Photo Gallery.