Saturday, I went to the Winnies, the annual awards party for the Warehouse Theatre Company, Yakima’s largest and oldest community playhouse.

This isn’t a photo of the party. I took this at a rehearsal for “Our Town,” the final production of the 2009-2010 Warehouse season. I was a cast member.

The Winnie’s name isn’t just a tribute to winners. It’s named for the Warehouse’s founder, whose name slips my mind — I was elsewhere when WTC was founded in the 1940s. WTC has been a vital organ of Yakima’s cultural life ever since. This season was more or less typical:

Last summer’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” won Brandon Lamb this year’s Best Director award — it was a precision, high-energy musical performance. “Joseph” also won the “Peoples Choice” award, which I think means it won the box office sweeps for this season. “October Festival” delivered the Best Actress this year, young Tori Gresham.

Then there was “Every Christmas Story Ever Told…and Then Some.” What can I say? Three goofy guys on stage, lotsa gags, lotsa props. Big hit.

Winter show: “Almost, Maine,” an uncharacteristically almost-new play — a series of vignettes set in a mythical town, about most varieties of love. Performed with zest by a fine young cast. Won Best Show.

Finally, this spring, WTC revived “Our Town,” the classic American play by Thornton Wilder. Vance Jennings played the Stage Manager, and took home Best Actor of the season.

The Winnies was the Warehouse gang letting its collective hair down. Unlike its productions, the evening was charmingly underproduced and spontaneous. Which is O.K., because it was a gathering of the clan, not for the WTC audience. Besides, it was scheduled against a big “Yakima’s Got Talent” show downtown Saturday night. One of our stalwart directors was a judge at that event, and Emily Stephenson, one of our stars, had to leave early to compete in it. She came in second.

After the awards, we had a party across the hall in the art gallery. Good munchies, good Yakima Valley wine, good friends.