Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Logo design contest kicks off anniversary celebrations at Washington Community Theater
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WASHINGTON — Washington Community Theater plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a fresh face. The organization opened submissions this month for a new logo that will appear throughout its 2026 golden-year festivities. The contest offers two season tickets and 200 dollars to the winning designer, but leaders say the reward goes beyond prizes.
“The community theater has been a great way to enrich people’s lives here whether it has been on stage or off stage,” said Theater Board President Mike Jewell. “We want people to know they’re welcome to get involved whether on stage or backstage or building.”
The theater set a Jan. 5 deadline for entries. Organizers will accept digital files in nearly any format. Designers may email submissions to manager@wctheater.com or mail them to P.O. Box 347, Washington, IA 52353. Jewell said a three-person committee will narrow the choices before presenting finalists to the board.
“We sort of needed a logo anyway,” he said, noting that the 50th anniversary provided the nudge.
A milestone rooted in local history
Washington Community Theater opened its doors in October 1976 with a production of the Gershwin musical Of Thee I Sing. Its creation followed decades of volunteer productions by local YMCA members in the former high school auditorium, a stage Jewell described as “very small.”
As shows grew, so did ambitions.
Richard and Sarah McCleary, who owned the former calendar factory in Washington, hosted a pivotal dinner with community leaders, including journalist Dave Elder. The McClearys pledged seed money toward a community-funded theater if residents could match it. The effort succeeded, and the roughly 520-seat venue has operated ever since, surviving economic swings and even the pandemic’s shutdowns.
“We have a lot of volunteers,” Jewell said. “Thanks to them and the people that were on the committee and on the first board, things have evolved from there.”
According to Jewell, Washington’s venue hosts musicals, dance recitals, concerts, community events and rentals ranging from weddings to funerals. Yet many area residents have never stepped inside. Jewell hopes the 50th anniversary will change that.
Events planned for the anniversary year
The theater will introduce its new manager, Mark Fisher, during a Jan. 20 Live After Five open house. Jewell said organizers plan additional events throughout 2025 and 2026, including a fall gala celebration with hopes of inviting descendants of the theater’s founders.
“We’re trying to promote that we do a lot of different special things,” Jewell said. “There are people in the community that have never been in the building for anything.”
He said the anniversary offered a natural moment to showcase the theater’s reach.
During the 50th anniversary year, WCT’s season will feature Grumpy Old Men: The Musical opening in March, Meet Me in St. Louis following in June and The Shawshank Redemption taking the stage in October.
Season tickets cost 55 dollars, a price he described as intentionally accessible.
“We’ve always tried to keep our cost of tickets down as much as we can,” he said.
Designing the theater’s next chapter
As for the logo contest, Jewell encouraged designers to consider the theater’s long-standing imagery. Its familiar Greek comedy and tragedy masks appear on stationery and even as a copper artwork in the lobby. Entrants may incorporate the masks or reference the anniversary years, 1976 to 2026, but the board remains open to new ideas.
Jewell hopes the contest sparks participation. Even small details, he added, can build community pride as Washington prepares for a landmark year.
“We just want to celebrate that event and use this logo throughout the year on our programs and publicity,” he said.
Submissions are due Jan. 5, the same day Fisher officially begins as manager. Jewell laughed at the timing but said it fits the theater’s busy season of renewal.
“We wanted time to work with it, get things produced,” he said.
As the theater approaches its 50th year, Jewell sees the contest as an invitation to reconnect with neighbors old and new.
“We want people to know they’re welcome to get involved,” he said. “We’re excited.”
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
