Woodhaven Amphitheater

Each painting stems from a community story or a conversation that I’ve had with folks. This new one is little, about a foot by a foot, and depicts the Woodhaven Amphitheater in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Allison and Andy McGuire, two theatre-makers at the George Daily Community Auditorium, zipped me over to this magical spot in their golf cart during a tour of the town.

Here’s the run down of what they shared with me.

Woodhaven Amphitheater is a gift of COVID.

Originally part of Vennard College that closed in 2008, the overgrown amphitheater had been on the theatre community's radar for years as a potential performance venue.

And then 2020 came along.

The George Daily Auditorium was shuttered, and folks realized that outdoor gathering spots may be a potential solution. All eyes turned to Woodhaven. The stage was sound, but the grounds were a mess, and seating was nonexistent.

(No matter. Forward movement.)

In late 2020, the George Daily was awarded a Resilience Grant from Arts Midwest to renovate and update the existing stage and add power and internet.

In 2021, a local high school student shouldered the seating problem for his Eagle Scout project. Taylor Drost set a goal to raise $10,000 to create 20 eight-foot benches. By January 2022, he had raised $24,000 and built 30 benches just in time for Woodhaven's first production of Twelfth Night.

Since its opening, Woodhaven houses a Summer Series for George Daily Auditorium, as well as serves a performance rental space for community groups.

Check out the painting here and read more about Oskaloosa, Iowa.