The founder of Whidbey Children’s Theater received a sweet surprise during the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Martha Murphy’s family and friends caught her off guard when they announced they had finally come up with a name for the theater’s stage — that’s right — the Martha Murphy Mainstage.

Murphy’s children made the announcement and presented a banner boasting the new name.

“As we all know, this organization would not exist without the blood, sweat and tears of Martha Murphy,” Emily Moss, Murphy’s daughter, announced during the event.

After the dedication, Murphy came up on stage to thank the crowd for the dedication.

“The idea of having a stage — having anything named for me is pretty amazing, so what can I say?” Murphy exclaimed. “Thank you all and continue to support what we are doing because we are making a difference in the lives of kids.”

Murphy said even though she founded the theater, it is the community that helps nurture and make it grow.

After the dedication Suzanne Kelman, a local comedian famous for her show “Big Purple Undies,” roasted Murphy in the form of a skit.

It was entitled “A Day in the Life of Martha Murphy — A Year in the Life of the Rest of Us.”

The anniversary celebration also included a short documentary outlining the progression of the theater, from Murphy’s living room, to various locations around the community, to a barn, and then finally to it’s current location in downtown Langley.

Guests enjoyed a salmon dinner, dessert and a performance by the Shifty Sailors. They also perused the building, which had been decorated with memorabilia from performances throughout the years.