About Dreamweavers Theatre - History


Everything you ever wanted to know about our history, but were afraid to ask.


1978 - 1981: In the Beginning, there was Film
Unaware that they were planting the seed that would eventually become Dreamweavers, in 1978 Louise and John Anderson decided to write a screen play, sent copies of the script to friends and asked them to arrive on a Friday evening with lines learned and costumes in hand. As a result, the silent movie Murder by Invitation Only was filmed. Titles were later added and the film was "premiered" with appropriate music to an audience of friends, family and the actors themselves.  

During the next two years, two more silent movies (8mm film) were created: Valentine's Revenge (a spoof of horror flicks) and Carleen (which took up where the ballad "Teen Angel" left off). Since many of the group had theatrical backgrounds, they soon wanted to experiment with live theatre.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1982: The First Play
In 1982, a script was written, and the play, Scramble Deggs, which was rehearsed while the set was built around the actors, was performed in the Anderson's backyard. The result was so good it spurred the group to plan another production.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1985 - 1986: The Founders
In 1985, the group performed Death Warmed Over; this time in Paul Marciniak's backyard. It was after this production that some of the group decided that they should either stop doing these increasingly time-consuming and expensive productions or "get legal". At the advice of some friends in the business, in June of 1986 the group chose the short melodrama, Curse You, Jack Dalton, and arranged to perform it at several locations around the valley. These were the first public performances by Dreamweavers Troupe, with  Paul Marciniak, Lisa Monroe, Kathy Brown, Sue Bohrer, Lori Cantrell, Chuck Tweedy, and Jim Teribili as its first cast .

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1987 - 1988: Dreamweavers Incorporates
In April 1987, Dreamweavers became a non-profit corporation and legally took the name "The Dreamweavers Troupe, Incorporated". Founding members were Louise and John Anderson, Kathy Brown, Paul Marciniak, Vicki Sieber and Chuck Tweedy. The initial bylaws established a 5 person Board of Directors (which was later expanded to 7) to direct the day-to-day affairs of the theatre. Louise Anderson became the first president of the board. There were also numerous committees, such as publicity, theatre manager or hospitality, membership, and fund raising. 

Meanwhile, a proposal was being written for a pilot production of A Christmas Carol, to be presented at the Veterans Home in Yountville with the key consideration that all residents of the Veterans Home be allowed access to rehearsals, see the performances free of charge and that all effort be made to include residents in the production itself, as actors, stage crew or house management personnel. The proposal was accepted and, for the next three years (1987-89), Dreamweavers regularly performed A Christmas Carol at the Lincoln Theatre, as well as at other locations. In addition, the following plays were also performed at the Lincoln Theatre during this time: Death Warmed Over, Ah, Sweet Mystery!, Murder in Company, The Golden Summer Revue, Blithe Spirit, and Rosalie Street.  

However, performing plays at the Lincoln Theatre was not easy. The auditorium was always much in demand. The troupe had to fit its rehearsals in where and whenever it could and it wasn't unusual to arrive there to find the stage covered with chairs and music stands from the symphony rehearsal the night before. All sets had to be “flown” and the stage cleared of all props after each and every rehearsal. Thus, having "a place of our own" became a goal for Dreamweavers.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1989-90-Dreamweavers Finds a Home
In 1989, while at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Arts & Cultural Committee, Louise met Gordon Huether, the owner of the SoCo Gallery and Glass Art Studio. He told her that a space, currently being used by a costume rental company, in the renovated CalNap Tannery complex would soon become available. In October 1989, she and the rest of the troupe went to see it -and fell in love. But how to come up with the necessary first and last months rent, and security deposit required to take over the space? Sitting in the family room of Vicki Sieber’s home Chuck Tweedy said “Get out your checkbooks,”. The amount was split five ways. Dreamweavers had finally found a home.

In January 1990, Dreamweavers moved into this space located at 101-P South Coombs Street. The warehouse was converted into an intimate theatre with an 80 seat capacity. 1990 also saw the first time Dreamweavers attempted more than 3 major productions in one year, performing Harvey, The Mousetrap, Murder at the Howard Johnson, Crossing Delancey, and Christmas Laughter, Christmas Tears.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
1997-99 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003-04 | 2005 | 2006 | Top

1990-94: Dreamweavers' Productions
Between 1990 and 1994, Dreamweavers performed 3-4 major productions per year, along with shorter pieces called " special projects." 

The major shows in 1991 included Arsenic & Old Lace, Fools, Fame, Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille and My Three Angels.

The 1992 major shows included Deathtrap, Artichoke, Weekend Comedy, and House of Blue Leaves; special projects included The Tempest, Impassioned Embraces, the DW original written production of The Greens Scheme, and a transformation of the theatre during Halloween into The Theatre of the Macabre.  

1993 highlights included Woman in Mind, Pizza Man, Levitation, and Dreamweavers most successful play to that date, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  Special projects included another DW original production, Murder in the First Act, and Four Short Comedies; 1993 also saw the reprisal of an old favorite, A Christmas Carol, performed as dinner theatre at the Churchill Manor, Bed & Breakfast.

Finally, shows in 1994 included Don't Drink the Water, Mice and Men, A Shot in the Dark, and Bell, Book and Candle. Special projects included When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet combined with The 15 Minute Hamlet; 1994 also saw the short-lived improvisational comedy group What's Next? which performed about 6-7 times during the year between major productions. Lastly, 1994 concluded with A Christmas Carol, this time on stage in the theatre.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1995: Dreamweavers' Productions Take a Turn
In 1995, Dreamweaver's productions took a different turn - all special projects were dropped in favor of putting on 5 major productions. These were Mr. Roberts, Wait Until Dark, Quilters (Dreamweaver's first musical - a great success!), On Golden Pond, and Rumors. 1995 was especially satisfying as the shows began to routinely play to sold-out audiences (On Golden Pond and Quilters were so successful, an extra weekend was added to both runs).

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
1997-99 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003-04 | 2005 | 2006 | Top

1996-97: Dreamweavers' Productions Run Longer
In 1996, Dreamweavers went back to four major shows instead of five; but, for the first time, each show ran four weekends instead of three. The shows in 1996 included Other People's Money, Witness for the Prosecution, Crimes of the Heart, and Having a Wonderful Time, Wish You Were Her.  In 1997, the major shows took on a Southern flair: they were Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Beyond Therapy,Steel Magnolias, and You Can't Take it With You .  

In 1997, the major shows took on a Southern flair: they were Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Beyond Therapy, Steel Magnolias, and You Can't Take it With You.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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1997-99: The Shows Continue
Where 1997 was Southern, the flavor for 1998 was definitely British.  With the exception of the all-American Death of a Salesman, the other three shows were The Ideal Husband, Dial M for Murder, and No Sex, Please, We're British. 

1998 saw another change for Dreamweavers; in addition to the usual four main shows, this was the first year Dreamweavers teamed up with the Young Actors Theatre (YAT), who performed The Wind in the Willows and A Christmas Carol.

1999 would prove to be the last year at our Coombs Street location.  The shows that year were Harvey, Dancing at Lughnasa, Sarte's No Exit paired with Moliere's The Flying Doctor, the musical Into the Woods, and Marvin's Room. YAT productions included The Trial of Tom Sawyer, The Emperor's New Clothes, and A Cricket in Times Square.  At the end of 1999, the Napa Fire Marshall closed down the exit that went through the glass studio next door; as a result, the theatre was left with only one legal fire exit, and the theatre went dark.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2000: Dreamweavers Moves "House"
The year 2000 found the company scrambling for performance space while the Board decided whether to attempt to stay at the Coombs street or relocate.  Options at the time included the River School in the same Tannery Complex, the grocery store at the corner of Old Sonoma Road and Jefferson Street, and the old Marlowe's in the River Park Shopping Center.  In the meantime, the theatre performed Blame it on the Movies at the Uptown Cinema, and Nuts and I Hate Hamlet at the Vintage High School Theatre.  Due to the lack of any theatre space, YAT was only able to perform Little Women offsite, and then ended their collaboration with Dreamweavers. 

In late spring, the theatre received a commitment from the landlords of the River Park Shopping to offer the space of what once was Marlowe's (and prior to that a two theatre cinema complex).  The Board had to obtain a use permit from the City of Napa, converting the use of the space from a nightclub back to a theatre (a process that took a number of months), and had to negotiate a lease with the landlord.  In September 2000, with lease and use permit in hand, the theatre finally said goodbye to the Coombs Street location, packed up truckloads of props, chairs, flats, costumes, set pieces, etc., and moved it all to the new location in River Park.  Plans to create the new theatre space were set in motion. This included construction of interior walls, the stage and  tech booth; construction of an exterior handicap ramp; painting of the interior of the theatre; and construction and painting of the upstairs offices and green room.  During all this time, the company raised almost $40,000 in donations from loyal patrons which, thanks to donated labor and discounted professional work, made $60,000 of construction and installation possible.

In October/November, the first show was performed in the new theatre (in the space that would later become known as the "black box") called Three Viewings.  However, there was no time for Dreamweavers to rest on its laurels – Dracula was set to open the 2001 season in January, and the main stage was still not ready.  It had to be completed, risers for seats had to be constructed, the wall between the main stage area and the black box had to be torn down, and lots of painting still had to be done.  With a great deal of help from numerous volunteers, this was all accomplished literally the day before opening night!

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2001: Productions at the New Theatre Locale
The 2001 season opened in the new theatre with Dracula on the main stage. This was followed by Love, Sex & the IRS, The Foreigner, a reprise of the 1993 classic One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and Neil Simon's God's Favorite. 

The 2001 season also saw the continuation of the black box, the upper area of the theatre that could be used for performances when the main stage was unavailable due to set construction and rehearsals.  Black box performances included Stop Kiss, done in collaboration with Napa High School drama students, True West, and an original play written by a member of Dreamweavers called Salvador Dali: Image of the Body. 

Also during 2001, a season ticket program was begun and very successful Thursday night community non-profit fundraiser performances, the latter being a way for Dreamweavers to help the many non-profit agencies in our county raise money by allowing them to sell the house at whatever price they wished and include other fundraising activities like silent auctions and raffles.  Most of our non-profit partners have made from $1,500.00 to $3,000.00 on these nights. It is Dreamweavers’ way of giving back to our community.

2001 proved to be a banner year for the theatre.  Crowds routinely exceeded 100, often exceeded 120, and once reached 140 during a performance of The Foreigner (the previous record at the Coombs Street site was a very uncomfortable 105).  Gone were the old back-breaking folding chairs – the new theatre had comfortable new chairs; now, instead of two tiny restrooms, there were two new spacious ones; gone was the old warehouse theatre too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer – the new theatre had both central heating and air conditioning.  Participant and audience comfort had improved greatly!

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2002: Productions-Dreamweavers Continues to Grow
If 2001 made company members giddy with triumph and success, 2002 sobered them up with the reality of the business of being a theatre.  Where crowds were routinely over 100, now they rarely exceeded 80.  It also didn't help that late in 2001, the Board realized it was not going to be able to afford the royalties for what was hoped to be the opening show of the 2002 season, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.  As a result, the Board substituted the 1970s comedy Steambath with minimal success – the largest crowd did not exceed 40.  Unfortunately, things did not pick up greatly with the next shows: Getting Away with Murder and Magic Time on the main stage; Oleanna and Scotland Road in the black box.  Finally, To Kill a Mockingbird brought in the first 100+ crowds.  This was followed by the eclectic Waiting for Gadot in the black box, and The Man Who Came to Dinner and A Christmas Carol on the main stage.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2003 - 2004: Productions
Productions in 2003 included The Odd Couple – female version; Mousetrap, Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf (critically acclaimed but maintaining the lowest average attendance, less than 30%, during its run); Arsenic & Old Lace and Not Now Darling. Having given up the option to produce A Christmas Carol so that the newly formed Napa Repertory Company could do so, Dreamweavers opted for other material. It was not well attended.

2004 saw productions of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Shadowlands; Picnic and Bustop.  Though well-known, only Brighton Beach Memoirs was well attended. That show’s attendance average was exceeded only by 2001’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Another Christmas show was produced. Again, attendance was low.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2005: Undergoing Changes
Continuing the Neil Simon autobiographical trilogy, Biloxi Blues opened the 2005 season. This was followed by Steel Magnolias, Sylvia, Blithe Spirit and Vampyre. A very energetic and complicated Christmas production was staged for Dreamweavers by Teatro Calamari. Though sparsely attended, it was highly enjoyed by the audience and brought in needed funds.

The year 2005 saw many changes to the internal structure of the company. It returned to a 5-person board format but this time with very distinct and detailed job description attached to each position. With the board handling the corporate policy, financial management, and community outreach aspects of the business, seven departments were created to manage the day-to-day operation of the facility and planning and overseeing each season’s productions. Each department has several staff positions within them, thereby spreading the responsibilities among many, rather than putting it on the shoulders of a few.

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
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2006: The Future Looks Bright
Dreamweavers’ first production of the 2006 season,  On Golden Pond  was a critical and financial success and hope is high that the remainder of the season’s main stage offerings Lie, Cheat & Genuflect, Deathtrap, Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille, and the final installment in the Neil Simon autobiographical trilogy Broadway Bound will equal or exceed that success.

As to the 2007 season, the staff of the Program Department is hard at work researching and reading potential candidates and has whittled a “long list” of over 50 suggested titles, to a slim 20.

Along with planning season content, Dreamweavers is currently in the process of rethinking its season format. With an eye to providing more variety for its participants and audience members the number of productions and the number of performance weekends of each, the possible addition of summer stock, a reader’s theater program, on-going acting workshops, more productions in the black box space are all under consideration.

An influx of new participants and new leadership have instilled a feeling of renaissance within the company. Though it has been a rocky road, in June of 2006 Dreamweavers Theatre, Incorporated will celebrate 20 years of providing live theatre to the Napa Valley area. With continued hard work and the support of the  community, there is hope for many more!

1978-81 | 1982 | 1985 | 1987-88 | 1989-90 | 1990-94 | 1995 | 1996-97
1997-99 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003-04 | 2005 | 2006 | Top