Why They Keep Coming Back | Magenta Theater - 📍 Vancouver, WA

What keeps people coming back to a local theater year after year? Adriana sits down backstage at Magenta Theater in downtown Vancouver with Managing Artistic Director Caleb Bourgeois to talk about community, creativity, and the quiet magic of live performance. It’s a conversation about belonging, collaboration, and why theater still matters - especially now.

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🎉 This episode also celebrates Syrup Trap.

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Why They Keep Coming Back | Magenta Theater - 📍 Vancouver, WA

Adriana: [00:00:00] There's nothing quite so magical as an opening night. The audience is dressed up just a little bit nicer than they would be otherwise because they know it's opening night. Usually the house is full because that's when you invite everybody to come. And if there are critics - oh remember critics? - they would be there on opening night, too.

The cast looks at each other. They squeeze each other's hands. The stage manager comes by and says, “okay, [00:00:30] everybody, it's places.” And it's time to go out on stage, trod the boards that somebody else painted, wear the costumes that were lovingly sewn. Look up into the bright lights hung by that one guy who always seems to show up to help with all of the things.

And you say those words that somebody else wrote and it all happens. Do you remember that movie, Shakespeare In Love? They keep asking questions like, “Well, how is this gonna work? And how is that gonna work?” And that one guy, [00:01:00] he just always says, “I don't know. It's a mystery.” And theater is kind of like that, isn't it?

How does it all happen? It's a mystery, but somehow all those long rehearsals have paid off and here you are and you open your mouth and you say the words and suddenly, whoosh. It's over. The audience is clapping. You take a bow and you look to your left and your right at your collaborators. You see the director standing in the back so proud, clapping, [00:01:30] smiling, and you did it.

It's those moments of connection between you and the people on stage with you or the people who made this play alongside you - and the audience. That important last piece of the puzzle, the audience. It's that magical energy between the stage and the people watching the stage. That is where the magic of theater lies.

And it doesn't matter if it's Broadway or a [00:02:00] touring production of something fancy or if it's your local community theater, theater is just kind of magical. So today we are talking to the leader of one of our local community theaters, Magenta. They've been on Main Street in Vancouver for a long, long time, and they are the place where no matter what, if you used to love theater when you were a kid, if you did it in high school and you kind of miss it, or if you've never done it at all, but you're just kind of [00:02:30] curious, they have open and welcome arms to say, come on, come play with us. Let's make some magic for the people of our community. I gotta admit, I have a soft spot for these theater ones, guys.

That's because I have been a theater director for a very long time, and I caught the bug myself when I was about six years old, and I've never been able to shake it, and frankly, I don't want to. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this conversation I'm having today with [00:03:00] Caleb Bourgeois of Magenta Theater.

You're also gonna get a sneak peek of the show that's opening this week and what's to come for the rest of this season. 

Welcome to, I’m Into This Place, your deep dive into the local arts culture, and heritage of Clark County. From fabulous new restaurants to quirky art installations to the historical sites you never even knew to look for,

we’re inviting you along. [00:03:30] Whether you're a Clark County connoisseur or just starting to get to know her, get ready to fall head over heels for this place we call home. I'm your host, Adriana Baer, and I'm into this place. Let's go. 

I am sitting in the basement of the Magenta Theater at 1108 Main Street with the Managing Artistic Director, Caleb Bourgeois, and we are actually in the [00:04:00] costume collection right now.

Because this is the quietest space in the building, and we're surrounded by all of these old costumes and props and set pieces. It's so fun down here. Caleb, thank you so much for having me today. 

Caleb: My pleasure. Thanks for being here. 

Adriana: So Magenta is one of Clark County's community theaters, and it is right on Main Street, right across the street from Kiggins and it's been around for quite a while. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: What [00:04:30] is the kind of core mission of Magenta? 

Caleb: It's a great question because we just updated our mission statement, so 

Adriana: Oh, awesome. 

Caleb: Yeah, no, it's very exciting. So as part of our journey as Magenta, we're sort of in this new, the new phase and in that our board of directors did a whole process around, um, developing a new mission statement and our values statement.

We are a performing arts center where people connect through shared stories, artistic expression, and community [00:05:00] building. Our vision is to be a vibrant, trusted home for live performance In Vancouver, where creativity thrives, diverse voices are celebrated, and our shared experience strengthens relationships.

Our values are deep community roots, embracing creative challenges, knowing that inclusion is purposeful, live performance builds connection, opportunity at all levels, and that playfulness is vital. 

Adriana: What a great set of, uh, [00:05:30] directions for the company. 

Caleb: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, that was really big for me. I, I started in February in this role as Managing Artistic Director, and when I came on, we knew right away that this was something that should be a priority for us. 

Adriana: A couple of things really stand out to me about that. The first is the Performing Arts Center piece of it. 

Adriana: So you are a theater company, and we're going to mostly talk about that today. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: The work that Magenta does as a performing, producing [00:06:00] organization.

Caleb: Sure. 

Adriana: But being a center for performance here in Vancouver is really exciting. 

Caleb: Yes, absolutely. The thing that I see as one of the biggest values that Magenta Theater has is right here on Main Street. We're in the Arts District. We're right across from the Kiggins. There's no real, uh, downtown

theater space except for ours. And so it's important to me and to our board and to our community [00:06:30] that we open up this resource that we have to the rest of the community. So we partner with Jam Session, which is a, uh, a group of, um, emerging musicians who come and put on a concert, you know, uh, four times a year for their community.

And we partner with Artstra to do a, a, you know, a poetry event. We're going to be hosting Ekklesia, a, a local Clark County performing arts group, we're gonna be [00:07:00] hosting, uh, Metropolitan Performing Arts as well as they are between homes. As well as being a producing company, we are also aware that this resource is to be shared and it's something that we are stewarding for the community.

Adriana: Yeah. That's really a big deal. It's so exciting to think about this downtown space as being activated 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: full time year round. 

Caleb: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. 

Adriana: How long has Magenta been around? 

Caleb: Yeah, so Magenta [00:07:30] was founded in 2002 by Janie Roberts, and she was, at the time, a stay-at-home mom and had this theater background and wanted to share that with, with her kids.

And so initially this started as a, a way to facilitate that and came out of this, this community effort around Janie's work. And Janie was a huge part of why this building is here today. After [00:08:00] she resigned in 2020, seeing this place continue through the hands of the community was really inspiring. This community said, we want this place to continue beyond its founder.

And the board of directors stepped up. It's a working board of directors. They all contribute a ton of time and resources to this organization to make sure it continues. So it's been a pretty beautiful story to see it come from one person's, uh, will and wanting to share theater with the community, [00:08:30] to now being this community-driven space that was made possible by all that work.

Adriana: And you started here as an actor back in the day, right? 

Caleb: Correct. Yeah. So Magenta is very near and dear to my, my heart and is a big part of my personal story. When I first came to the area, uh, I'd moved from Anchorage, Alaska, my hometown, and, uh, hit the road in my Jeep with my dog. Went down the ALCAN 2300 miles, and then [00:09:00] my sister lives here in Vancouver, and I stopped in to say hi to her and she was like, well, why don't you just stay?

And so on a whim stuck around here in Vancouver, and she and I had done theater together growing up, and she was like, oh, I'm thinking of auditioning for this play at the local community theater. Will you help me with my audition? So I was coaching her through her audition and then, um, you know, I, I came to the audition with her to support her, and I was like, you know,

I just got out of my theater undergrad. I'll just go ahead and audition too, [00:09:30] just for fun. And, uh, then we both got in the show, so we were both in Little Shop of Horrors and, uh, at that, that show actually, uh, I met my wife and, uh, so she and I were working on Little Shop together and uh, we got married a year later and 

Adriana: Oh wow.

Caleb: Um, you know, Magenta was, was a big part of bringing us together and it's just such a treat to be able to use my skills and background in a place that I really care about. 

Adriana: That's so cool. What's also interesting about that piece [00:10:00] is between 2016 and 2025, you worked at a number of theaters in Portland and got a lot of skills in your back pocket that you didn't probably know at the time where leading towards coming back here and taking over as the

creative and executive leadership, but you have a lot of community connections and you have a lot of experience working in the professional theater that you're able to come to this space and kind of take [00:10:30] this company to its next step. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: Which is exciting. Magenta has a really big community base. It's a community theater, but it's a theater for and of and by this community.

Yes. And you have a, a literal army of volunteers who basically do everything. Yes. You know, the actors are essentially volunteers. The people who organize these amazing costumes we're sitting next to are volunteers. What is it that's [00:11:00] drawing people to this space? 

Caleb: Yes. I hate to be cliche, but it's community.

It's really at, its at its very core. It's being with other people who care about the same things, and we come from a very diverse background, people from all different walks of life, and we all come together under this shared love of performing arts. And people come here to make friends to do something that they love, that they don't have the opportunity to do somewhere else.

It's very hard to break into the [00:11:30] professional field. It's very competitive to have the opportunity to do that work - well, you may not get paid to do it, but at least you get to engage in the art and the creation of it and get to be in community and have, have that part of the art stay constant in your life.

Community theater is for the community. It's for us to enjoy the art together. There is so much heart and care and love that exists in this place that people are willing to give their time, their energy They're [00:12:00] willing to come after work, drive in traffic, come find a parking space, do all the things that are challenging to then come through the door and say, ah, great, 

I'm, I'm at rehearsal now. Great. I get to see my friends. Turn my brain off from work all day long and act in this role or do something that just takes me out of my everyday life. And seeing people make those connections, [00:12:30] uh, enjoy themselves, feel community, feel welcomed, and a part of something is so meaningful to me because in a world that's so isolated. I don't know where else to find that.

And I think anybody who comes through these doors sees that, oh, there's an opportunity for me to make that connection for me to do something, for my contribution to the world to mean something. 

Adriana: I think being together in real time, in real space and three dimensions is absolutely crucial. It's just, [00:13:00] it feels more important than it's ever felt.

It's not just gathering, it's also creating something together. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: And you're using a different part of your brain and a different part of your heart. And a different part of your body when you do that. 

Caleb: Yes, absolutely. And I see people designing a show for the first time, taking that leap, that creative leap into something that challenges them or that they didn't know that they could do.

And then they come to the end of the show and they say, wow, I did [00:13:30] that. I made that happen. I made those costumes. I was able to lead this group of volunteers to make those costumes. All of those things are ways that we can challenge ourselves and do new things in our lives. I can't do it alone. None of these volunteers can do it alone.

We all do it together. 

Adriana: And then the piece of the puzzle that's missing until it isn't anymore is the audience. 

Caleb: Absolutely. 

Adriana: And I think what's always so magical about theater is that [00:14:00] - you know, the definition of theater is one performer and one audience member in a room together, right? So you need the audience to show up to complete that circle, really, right?

We make the thing and then here you are, and there's that very difficult to to describe, but everybody knows the feeling, energetic exchange between the people on the stage and the people in the theater. Yes. And your audience is quite loyal. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: And quite [00:14:30] robust. 

Caleb: Yes. We have over 300 subscribers to our season.

Anywhere from a three show pass to a five show pass. So it's only $130. You know, I, when, when I first saw that price, uh, when I came back here to Magenta, I was thinking, i s that real? Right. That's the cost for, you know, one, one show at the, the Keller. You know, like 

Adriana: If you're lucky!

Caleb: If you're lucky. Yeah. And, um, you know, these are people who get to sit in the front row if they want to, you know, so, um, and we have such an intimate and great [00:15:00] space that I think that people keep coming back because they, well, I, I hear a lot.

“I don't need to go across the bridge.” That's a big bonus. You know, this, this is art that's happening right here in Vancouver. We keep showing up. And they keep showing up. And it's that feedback loop of we're just gonna keep providing this service for you. We're gonna keep listening to the work that you want to see and make sure that that gets on our stage.

And then on the other side of it, make sure that our artists are interested in the work and that we're all having a [00:15:30] good time. And so I feel like that feedback loop is successful right now. We're doing the work that our audiences wanna see and and growing that audience. So we have these great subscribers, but we also have more single ticket sales right now of new patrons than I think that we've ever had. I mean, it means that art is alive and well. 

Adriana: And speaking of new audience members, you're also literally growing a new audience. 

Caleb: Yes. 

Adriana: With programming for kids, which is coming [00:16:00] back. 

Caleb: Yes, absolutely. 

Adriana: So you have Magentots, how cute is that, 

Caleb: Magentots?

It's such a cute name, isn't it? So Magentots is a program. Where we produce 45-minute plays geared towards children performed by adults. So right now our program is run by Olivia Johnson, she's our board member. She also does a lot of our volunteer work and manages our front of house. So she's a very magical person.

Mm-hmm. We're gonna do one [00:16:30] show in 2026 and then moving forward we're gonna grow that program. So in, you know, three years time, we're hoping to have three. Uh, Magentot's performances in a year. 

Adriana: One of the things that I end up talking about a lot is how crucial it is to expose people at a young age to arts and culture so that they know it's an option when they grow up, right?

And everybody pays a lot of lip service to, oh yeah, we need [00:17:00] to expose young, young people to blah, blah, blah. But it's really crucial and I am hopeful that this new cultural access funding from the city of Vancouver is going to really be integral into bringing new young audiences into performance spaces and cultural opportunities, because the example I always give is, if you've never gone to a play before and you're [00:17:30] 27, 28 years old and you've got a free night, there is a 0% chance that you're going, I know.

Why don't I go to the theater? Right. You've never been in there, you've never seen a play. You don't know what the etiquette is. You don't know what the seats are gonna be like. You don't know how to even get a ticket. You're not gonna wake up one day as an adult and say, you know, let's go see a play at a theater somewhere.

Mm-hmm. You're gonna go to the movies or you're gonna go to a [00:18:00] bar, or you're gonna, right. So just even the experience of, oh yeah, I saw a couple plays when I was a kid. I know what it's like to go sit in a theater and the lights will go down, this thing will happen. So even just the idea of exposing a kiddo can really plant a seed that yes, this might be something they could participate in as as an adult, but it's certainly something they can go see.

Caleb: Yes. Yeah. And theater is in the [00:18:30] fabric of our human identity and the way that we communicate and I think it's vital for that exposure to take place. Expanding that into the community where they can go outside of their school and see that that world exists is, to me very important. It is that lifeline where when I see volunteers coming in to our volunteer orientations that we have every other month, they, they come and nine times outta 10 people [00:19:00] say.

I haven't done theater since high school, but I really wanna get back into it 'cause it was really fun when I did it. 

Adriana: Yeah. 

Caleb: And they're in their forties or fifties now. Mm-hmm. You know, and that stuck with them. Mm-hmm. Their whole lives. This is something that is a safe place for them, uh, harbor for them to land in.

So I hope that by seeing adults in the world out in the wild doing theater that it says that is something that you can do too. 

Adriana: Mm-hmm. 

Caleb: And that was [00:19:30] a part of why I'm here today. My arts education as a young person going to opera, going to stage plays to musicals, to the symphony, all of those things gave me an understanding of what is available out there in terms of art, and I'm very glad to see that sort of investment and commitment from our government to facilitate that and [00:20:00] make that possible. 

Adriana: So this week is the opening of your 2026 season. We kick off on Friday with Noel Coward's Blythe Spirit, which is a play everybody loves.

Tell us a little bit about what we can expect this season. 

Caleb: Starting. Our season is Blythe Spirit by Noel Coward. Directed by Dylan Sladky and assisted, directed by Alice Tanzillo. And then our second show in the season Four Old Broads by Leslie Kimball is going to be directed by Sharon Gordon and Shelly Tate.[00:20:30] 

The third show of our season is the Bridges of Madison County, which is composed by Jason Robert Brown, and is a Tony Award winning show. That one's gonna be directed by me, that's gonna be assistant directed by Holly Cooper, and it's gonna be a passionate and fun show. Fourth show of the season: Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors by Gordon Greenberg and Steven Rosen.

Ridiculous Slapstick Camp, Mel Brooks, [00:21:00] Monty Python. Really, really funny piece. Directed by Georgia Catchmark, and that's gonna be a blast right before Halloween. And then looking to our last show of the season, the Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon by Don Zoetis. So this is a parody of what we all know as the Hallmark Channel movies.

Mm-hmm. For our Magentots offering for [00:21:30] 2026, we'll be producing the Not-So Mysterious Disappearance of Cinderella by Chuck Novatka. That should be a ton of fun. 45 minutes. We'll also have our normal series of Black Chair Projects, which are staged readings that we do here at Magenta. So we'll have two of those offerings for you next year.

And then our Magenta Improv Theater continues and we do four shows a year there. A really nice balanced season coming out this year. [00:22:00] 

Adriana: I can't wait, and you are offering a special discount to I'm Into This Place listeners. If you're interested in getting one of those three or five season passes, you can get $5 off if you use the code

“Place” when you place your order. As you know, at the end of every episode, I always ask our guests if they want to shout out another arts, culture, or heritage organization. So while you're thinking about that, I would like to give a shout out for our weekly newsletter. [00:22:30] This is where I put together photos, videos, and more behind the scenes content about our podcast guests.

I curate a list of upcoming arts and culture events, and I shout out ways to get involved in our local creative scene. You can sign up for the newsletter by going to imtintothisplace.com or just click the link in the show notes. Alright. Caleb, what place or person are you really into these days? 

Caleb: You know, I gotta give a shout out to my friends over at Syrup Trap.

Always keeping me caffeinated. Thank you so much. I get great black [00:23:00] coffee over there. They do Mochas and all sorts of stuff. Thank you so much you guys. 

Adriana: We will link to Syrup Trap in our show notes as well. Because culture includes food, it includes coffee, and we wanna support all of the small businesses that are making our community a fun place to live.

Thank you so much for inviting me backstage, downstairs here at Magenta. It's been an absolute pleasure to chat with you. 

Caleb: Mine too. Thank you so much for being here. 

Adriana: And now let's hear from you. This is our [00:23:30] Community Voices segment where you call in to shout out your favorites in local arts, culture, and heritage. Community Voices is sponsored by Johnson Bixby. At Johnson Bixby, you get a financial planning and portfolio management team that helps you imagine what’s possible in life, create a plan – and get there over time. Advisory services by Johnson Bixby, SEC-registered. Securities through Private Client Services, Member FINRA/SIPC.

Guest:  This is Deborah shouting out Vancouver Ballet Folklorico for over 14 years of service to Vancouver and celebrating the arts and culture of Mexico. 

Hey, this is Celeste Sarvata and I wanted to give a shout out to my friend artist Monika Deshpande, who is a Bollywood dancer, teacher, and visual artist in Camas. Check her out. 

Adriana: We'd love to hear from you. What are your favorite spots in Clark County? Who really deserves a shout out? Give us a call and leave a message, or send us a voice note via email. All the details on how to do that are in the show notes. 

I'm Into This Place is produced and edited by me, Adriana Baer. Engineering and mixing for this episode by Tansy Aster Creative. This episode was recorded at Magenta Theater, which is at 1108 Main Street in Vancouver. You can find out more about us and them at imintothisplace.com. See you out there.