#95. Jackie Dandeneau: How A Small Playhouse Became a Big Engine for Culture and Connection

Send us Fan MailA small stage can change a whole town. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Jackie Dandeneau , the executive artistic director behind Playhouse Arts, conductor of the Blue Lake Community Choir, and one of the community builders shaping Arcata’s creative life. We swap stories about saving a venue, turning it into a citywide arts engine, and how a Tuesday night show can feel like church when the room leans in.Jackie takes us from a farm near Jasper to national theater tours, radio drama in Vancouver, and eventually to Blue Lake, where the Arcata Playhouse became home base. We dig into how the Playhouse grew beyond performances: writing the City of Arcata’s strategic arts plan, placing artists in schools, and creating Our Space, an arts-and-wellness program for houseless neighbors that restores dignity through making. When KHSU went dark, the community lit a new signal—KHHA 94.7 LPFM—broadcasting from a converted storage unit with big spirit and a local-first roster that keeps Humboldt’s voices on the air and in your earbuds.We share favorite shows and why they hit so hard, from an all-women mariachi band filling the room with new songs and new neighbors, to intimate sets where the audience becomes the magic. Jackie’s lens is clear: gratitude is a balm inside pain, justice is the work of designing belonging, and succession is generosity in action—handing over the reins so a legacy no longer depends on one person. We close with what’s ahead: holiday pantomime chaos, porch festivals, poetry in the marsh, line-dancing fundraisers, and how to rent the Playhouse when your crew needs a seasonal home.If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves local arts, and drop a review. Your support helps more people find the creators, venues, and programs that keep Humboldt connected. Support the showAbout 100% Humboldt with Scott HammondHumboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt! Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!