The 2026 season of Walla Walla Summer Theater wraps with Godspell, which thanks to the genius of director Kaelyn Pyke, is a rendition you’ve never seen before. She conjured up a dilapidated mall in the Y2K era when Facebook was just percolating, cell phones were flip phones at best, and social media didn’t exist. Connection to others occurred outside of technology and the mall was a vital social hub. Think John Hughes The Breakfast Club where a disparate group of people come together at the end to find common ground. Pyke also used Pixar’s Inside Out as a reference. “I wanted it to feel like a lost memory for the audience,” she says. “I think the theater is a great way for us to not only have a mirror into our lives, but an escape from our lives.”
Pyke’s playful yet poignant interpretation coincides with the momentous celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Walla Walla Summer Theater along with its highly anticipated return to the historic Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater. The Theater opened at the amphitheater in 1976 but performances stopped at the venue in 2014. Current Executive Artistic Director for Walla Walla Summer Theater, Tyson Kaup, returned to his hometown of Walla Walla in 2021 after 15 years working in theater and film in New York. He viewed the abandoned amphitheater through a chain link fence, recalling his first performance for the Summer Theater in The King and I in 1993. Kaup wondered how something so significant for the community could just go away which set in motion the campaign to bring it back to life.
Pyke applauds Kaup for holding on to his dream. She says Godspell was a natural choice for the venue once Kaup explained the reverse-stage set up with an interactive festival-like vibe. “It’s the perfect show for that,” says Pyke, referring to the engagement and interaction with the audience.
“We’re seating it backwards out of necessity because we just don’t have the funds yet to remodel the other side,” explains Kaup while noting that the arrangement provides for a unique immersive experience: performers are visible in the main seating bowl with the orchestra on an elevated platform. “You’re probably never going to have an experience like this,” he says.
Godspell follows the enthusiastic response Newsies, which sold at 95% capacity with over 3,200 patrons, says Kaup, who directed the musical. He notes that it’s the first time in an amphitheater season with more than one production – the passion for small-town-authenticity-meets big-city caliber-performances is alive and well. “It’s this blending of local talent and young performers who get the chance to work alongside really vetted and skilled professionals,” says Kaup. “We want everybody to enjoy the show, not because they know somebody in it, but because the talent is incredible, and the show’s really well done.”
Some Details:
- Performances start at 8:00 PM
- Tickets are $25 for General Admission (blanket only lawn seating); $45 for Reserved Seating (includes chair); $75 VIP Reserved Seating (includes chair and drink table)
- Tickets are available through the official website but are also available on-site on hour before showtime
- Outside food is not permitted but snacks from Bright’s Candies, beer from Burwood, and wine from Pursued by Bear, Rotie Cellars, and TruthTeller are available for purchase on-site
RELATED EVENT: Godspell Gala at the Fort: An Evening of History, Hospitality, & Wine
Thursday, August 13, 6:00 PM
To celebrate the Walla Walla Summer Theater’s history and return to Fort Walla Walla Park, the Fort Walla Walla Museum will host a catered dinner with wine pairings from Neher Family Wines including a brief tour of the museum’s grounds. Dinner guests will receive golf cart shuttles to that evening’s performance of Godspell (Gala tickets do not include tickets to Godspell; the dinner is a fundraising event for the Museum).