SEQUIM — Two slates of candidates faced off in the contentious Olympic Theatre Arts board of directors election held Tuesday.
As of presstime, results were not available.
The vote is considered as a crossroads for the community theater group.
Concern manifested itself in turnout as at least 150 people packed into the theater for an annual meeting that usually attracts no more than two dozen attendees.
The controversy started in May, when the theater’s board decided not to renew the contract of Cj Augustine, executive director for the last three years and the first person to hold the job full-time.
Her supporters view her dismissal as a move to dilute the theater’s mission in favor of using the facility — currently in the middle of a $1.9 million overhaul — for other community activities.
Two slates to pick from
There were two slates of candidates Tuesday. Nine people, including three current board members, were listed on the ballot passed out to members. The ballot also contained 10 spaces for write-in candidates.
A group of members angered by Augustine’s ouster pulled together 10 people who agreed to run, and more than 200 letters were sent out urging others to write in the names of those members, said Marianne Trowbridge, who is one of the potential write-ins.
15 board members possible
The organization’s charter allows for up to 15 board members. Five people currently on the board still have a year left on their terms. The 10 top vote-getters in Tuesday’s balloting will land seats, and then the new board will convene to select officers.
Though the meeting was civil and lively, with humor and awards, it turned serious whenever the topics of Augustine, the pending election or the future came up.