Woodinville Rep performs ‘The Odd Couple’ at Inglemoor High

For Hjalmer Anderson, the production is a homecoming, but mostly it’s about relaunching theater in Woodinville, possibly via Bothell and in any case, providing the Northshore area with another solid venue for the performing arts.

For Julianne Christie, a member of the Inglemoor High class of 1984, it’s definitely a homecoming and one of several steps toward relaunching her acting career.

For others, such as Bothell’s Holden Bicknell, the point is launching a career from scratch, about learning the ropes of professional theater.

Whatever the reason, Anderson, Christie and a troupe of others are resurrecting the Woodinville Repertory Theater with a production of the female version of the “Odd Couple” playing now through Aug. 15 at Inglemoor High in Kenmore.

And while Anderson said he wants to breath new life into the Woodinville Rep, Bothell and Kenmore are well represented in the reborn theater company’s inaugural production.

Acting as director for the “Odd Couple,” Anderson started his theater teaching career at Inglemoor and currently works as technical director for the Northshore Performing Arts Center in Bothell. During his time at Inglemoor, one of his students was Christie, who went on to what the actress called a “good eight-year run” of significant guest-star roles on TV shows ranging from “Star Trek: Voyager” to “NYPD Blue” to “Dead Like Me.” She also starred in a few pilots. And she hums the theme for the “Twilight Zone” while talking about being back on the Inglemoor stage with Anderson directing her once more.

“I’m thrilled to be here,” Christie said.

Bicknell is one of several members of the still freshly minted Bothell High class of ‘09 working behind the scenes of “The Odd Couple.” He is completing an internship at the Northshore Center, though he recently took a turn in a homegrown Bothell production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which ended up being staged at Edmonds Community College.

“I just love theater in general. I do whatever I can,” Bicknell said of his involvement with the “Odd Couple,” for which he is working behind the scenes, running a sound board.

Anderson said the Woodinville Repertory Theater came into being in 1998 largely through the efforts of actress Peg Phillips, the Everett native best known for the role of Ruth-Anne Miller, the shopkeeper on the TV series “Northern Exposure.” Phillips not only founded the Woodinville Rep, but was its artistic director until her death in 2002.

“Things kind of fell apart after that,” Anderson said. The Woodinville Repertory has “done a few small things” since 2002, he added, but those involved felt some new energy was undoubtedly needed.

“We decided we’ve got to do something more or we’re just going to go away,” Anderson said.

Anderson eventually hopes to see the Woodinville company using the Northshore Center as its home base. For right now, the venue is a bit too expensive, which led him to seek out the Si Siverson Theater at Inglemoor.

In the theme of homecoming, Anderson notes the theater is named after the school’s former principal and the man who gave him his start as a drama teacher. Siverson handed Anderson the task of getting the Inglemoor theater up and running.

For the female “Odd Couple,” Christie has taken the role of sports-loving slob Olive Madison opposite regional actress Laura Hanson’s recently divorced, but neat and proper Florence Unger.

Christie spent most of her career in Los Angles, though she did some work in Vancouver, as well. “Trek” fans might remember her from her stint on “Voyager” as series regular Neelix’s girlfriend toward the end of the show’s run. She also did a guest starring role on “Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Besides various TV dramas, Christie had appeared on some 40 sitcoms. Despite doing pretty well with her acting career, at age 35, she said she realized something was missing. A single mom, her daughter Zoe filled the empty space. She returned home to the Kenmore area when Zoe was only a few months old, wanting her daughter to be around her family.

Looking to restart her career, in addition to taking on “The Odd Couple,” Christie has done one independent movie shot locally. She believes Seattle has the makings of a film or theater hub, similar to Vancouver and Portland.

“I think we could have a really strong TV and film community,” she said.