A tribute is being staged Saturday for Brad Duffy, longtime instructor at Grays Harbor College.

Duffy, who started at GHC in 1992, is retiring at the end of this summer. He teaches an average of 19 to 22 credit hours per quarter, leading all of the theater and speech courses.

“That alone has kept me very busy,” he chuckled.

And yet there’s more. Besides his teaching duties, Duffy produces GHC’s spring and summer musicals, fall student productions, and one-act student plays in the spring. He also leads a group of students to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every August. (There are still slots open for this year’s trip, he noted.)

In addition, he has quietly worked to ensure access to the theater, primarily by providing free tickets to GHC students.

Given all this, members of the Harbor’s drama community decided they should do more than send Duffy off with a cake and good wishes.

“We wanted to go big because Brad has affected so many lives,” said Debbie Scoones, who has been assisting Duffy with his productions for more than 20 years.

“Brad’s influence on me is really immeasurable,” said Alex Eddy, a writing consultant at GHC and a director with Aberdeen’s Driftwood Players. “I pretty much learned everything I know from observing him.”

So a five-member committee — Scoones, Eddy, Margo Hood, Bill Dyer and Paige Mellon-Jackson — started brainstorming about a year and a half ago, and decided to put together a heartfelt send-off at the Bishop Center.

“We came up with a list, and we narrowed it down to 15 songs,” said Scoones. “It’s very simple. We can’t, of course, get the pit orchestration for all these songs, so Alex will be playing the piano.”

Several guest speakers also will take the stage during the event to talk about Duffy’s contributions to local theater and his impact on their lives.

“We’ll be interspersing musical numbers, dance numbers and speakers,” said Scoones. “We’re sort of doing it like the Kennedy Center Honors.”

The show will run about two and a half hours. The identities of the speakers and performers are being kept under wraps until Saturday.

The grand finale will revolve around a song Eddy wrote for the occasion.

“Brad has always told us to ‘live your moments,’” he said. “I decided to use his words, so the song became about the memories and the moments that stick with us long after a show has closed.”

Scoones said everyone participating in the show — 76 people — will perform it as an ensemble.

“I’d be surprised if there was a dry eye in the house,” she said. “It’s very touching, very sweet.”

Part of the ticket price will go toward the newly established Brad W. Duffy Student Ticket Scholarship Fund. Scoones said the college will administer it, and the Grays Harbor College Foundation already has put up some seed money.

“Years and years ago, (Duffy) went to the foundation and said: ‘I would like every student at Grays Harbor College who wants to attend a theater production to be able to come at no charge. I’m willing to put up X amount of dollars if the foundation will match that.’ And they have, all these years,” she said. “We would like to continue that legacy, because he’s so passionate about it.”

As to his retirement, Duffy said: “My plans are to not make plans.” He added that he’d like to spend more time with his grandchild and travel to some places he’s always wanted to see, such as the Great Wall of China.

In the near term, he intends to help his replacement, Andrew Gaines, transition into the role at GHC after moving here from New York. “He’s a great hire,” said Duffy. “I’m excited about him taking over and what he can bring to the program.”

The tribute will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Bishop Center for the Performing Arts. A reception will be held afterward at the Hub, with refreshments provided by O’Brien’s Catering.

Tickets are $20 for the show plus the reception, or $15 for the show only. They are available at ghc.edu/bishop. Donations toward the scholarship are also welcome.

“Brad has been a great mentor and a great friend,” said Scoones. “I’m thrilled to be able to do something special for him, because he’s so deserving.”