In this class, we will walk you through all the steps necessary to get a quality show on the boards at ACT.  We will demonstrate through one production, all the steps it takes, including: 

• How a play is chosen, and each season is designed
• How auditions work and how one might prepare
• The magic of set design, building and painting
• The technical aspects of lighting and sound
• Costuming, hair and makeup
• Volunteer management and opportunities

By the end of this class, you will find that each of the theatre’s fine productions are not just magic, but hard work by a group of dedicated volunteers that have fun while doing it.

Instructor: Susan Buszta

Susan has been involved in Anacortes Community Theatre since 2012. In Anacortes she has had the pleasure of working on the ACT productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, and Gramercy Ghost, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady and many other shows.

Susan grew up in Los Angeles, CA and graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Film Production, designing sets and lighting in Strub theatre in Los Angeles. In the entertainment industry she worked for Hammer Films, Paramount Pictures, Artisan Entertainment, and finally Lionsgate as a creative director. She designed sets, lighting and sound for the ShoWest Entertainment Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2007 to 2010.

Experience the joy and satisfaction that comes from growing your own food. Seed to Supper is a comprehensive veggie gardening class. It explores practical, low-cost techniques for building, planning, planting, maintaining and harvesting a successful garden. Students will learn how to site their garden, build healthy soil, and make compost. They will create planting maps for their desired veggies and small berries while learning which crops/varieties grow best in our climate. The course will teach how and why to rotate crops. Soil preparation, seed starting, and techniques for protecting early transplants will be included. How and when to fertilize is another topic covered. Students will learn to identify and manage common pests and plant diseases using the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Ideas for watering systems and weed management will be presented. And finally, a crop-by-crop guide for harvesting & storage is included.

Fall is an ideal time to plan next year’s garden.

Course Coordinator: Gail Beasley

Gail Beasley is a retired Special Education teacher with degrees from the University of New Mexico and University of Oregon. After retiring from a 30 year career in Special Education, Gail finally had time to pursue her true interests – plants and gardening. Her garden experiences track back to 4-H and learning from parents and grandparents who survived Great Depression times by growing much of their own food.

In 2011 Gail became a Master Gardener in Oregon and continued in Skagit County since 2017. She taught this course previously to inmates at the Inverness Jail in Portland. Here in Anacortes, she frequently volunteers at the Skagit Master Gardeners Plant Clinic at the Farmers Market.

Class 1: Historical Vignettes 1: Smugglers, Pirates, and Rumrunners of Northern Puget Sound

In the years before and after 1900, a number of skilled mariners used the waters of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands for activities that had been determined to be illegal by the Governments of the United States and Canada. This class will share their history and address some of the myths surrounding their activity.

Class 2: Historical Vignettes 2: The mountain people of the North Cascades.

History often overlooks the people who lived and worked in the foothills and mountains of the North Cascade Mountains. This class will share the history of some of these hardy folk.

Class 3: Historical Vignettes 3: How the mountain people of the North Cascades lived and died.

This class will share the stories of some of the people that lived in the foothills and mountains, describing their lives: how they lived, played, and died.

Instructor: Jesse G. Kennedy III PhD

Following twenty years of university teaching, Jesse worked in cultural resource management for North Cascades National Park Service Complex for more than twenty-six years. A Pacific Northwest native, he became the first Chief of Cultural Resource Management at the park in 1995 and continues to explore the history of Skagit County and the North Cascades through the images, stories, and structures of this heroic environment.

Requested presenter of over 50 programs to various audiences highlighting special aspects of the historical character and characters of Skagit County and the North Cascade.

In most homes today the internet handles our banking, buying, studious inquiries, and is the vehicle for a cornucopia of home entertainment. Learn what all the technical gobbledygook means in easy-to-understand terms.

Explore the various options available in Anacortes for internet access. Learn about the options available to you and choosing the best option. What hardware is best for you and where to get the best price. Did you know you can make your cell phone crystal clear with no call drops in your home with one simple setting!

Replacing Cable TV with an internet option. The ins-and-outs of all the Live TV options that are available (most like cable) and selecting the one that really fits your needs. Did you know you can get local news programming streamed on your TV for free!

How to navigate the hundreds of streaming options. Learn how to make selections that provide the content you really want. This is the best deep dive into streaming content and how to get the most out of it. Did you know you can get a wide selection of movies and TV shows for free!

After each class, every participant will receive a PDF providing details and links to all the hardware and services discussed in class. No need to take notes!

Instructor: Joe Huston

Joe’s varied background includes developing corporate instructional programs, corporate training, as well as being an accomplished motivational speaker. His entertaining programs include strong audience interaction and are always sprinkled with humor. Joe is an avid movie, TV and sports fan and enjoys sharing his incite in the vast world of streaming home entertainment.