Having grown up in Bozeman, I’ve witnessed our local theatre scene evolve through the years. In just the past decade, there’s been a steady increase in audience size and enthusiasm, as well as an influx of talented theatre professionals from urban areas to the Gallatin Valley; artists wanting a better quality of life, but still eager to explore their craft and perform locally. There are also many talented folks from Montana who, thankfully, have chosen to remain in the state. I have had the pleasure of working with many of these part-time professional actors and directors, and in the process co-founded Actors Theatre of Montana. ATM presented two productions in the past couple of years: “A Streetcar Named Desire” last spring at the Ellen, and “The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild” at the Black Box. Our next production, a staged reading of “Well,” by Lisa Kron, featuring actress Margot Kidder, will be presented as a fundraiser for the company. Performances will be Wednesday, May 4th, at the Dulcie Theatre in Livingston, and Thursday, May 5th, at the Black Box Theatre on the MSU campus, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 at the door.  Call 580-0374 for more information.

Why an ATM fundraiser? Simply put, we are a company of actors without a home. Despite the upward trend in audience and performer participation, Bozeman still has a dearth of dedicated performance spaces for live theatre. Whether at the tiny Loft Theater in the 1970’s (in the attic above the Red Barn on West Main) or in the lovingly restored Ellen Theatre downtown, there’s never been a shortage of performers eager to fill the few available spaces. But with real estate in the valley at a premium, the cost of developing and maintaining a permanent home for live theatre has been elusive.

In the 80’s, the Rialto Theatre was briefly utilized for plays and musicals, and there have been other, more off-beat spaces transformed into temporary playhouses by creative theatrical groups: a warehouse on North Wallace, a horse barn at the Fairgrounds, a cattle stockyard, the lawn at the Emerson, and the White Chapel building, among others. These locations served the groups’ needs for a few productions, but for various reasons weren’t feasible as permanent housing. In fact, the only company in town able to maintain their own space for any length of time has been the Equinox Theatre. Though the space is modest and the Board of Directors works hard fundraising year-round to meet their budget, the relatively low overhead at a renovated storefront in the strip mall on North Seventh, combined with a reputation of delivering fresh and original theatre, has helped keep the doors of the Equinox open for over a decade. Much like ATM’s collaboration with the Ellen and Black Box theaters, the Equinox recently teamed up with another newly-formed acting company without a home, HK Productions, for a run of “True West.” The decades-old Vigilante Theatre Company and MT Shakespeare in the Parks, stalwarts of locally-produced, professional theatre, have the benefit of being touring companies for which finding permanent housing isn’t a necessity.

Many cities in Montana have buildings dedicated to community and professional theatre; Helena’s Grandstreet Theatre, Billings Studio Theatre, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and our neighbors over the hill have two: Livingston’s Blue Slipper and the new Dulcie Theatre, operated by Crazy Mountain Productions. Why the space difficulty in Bozeman? All of the theatres mentioned were born out of large, private donations of either space or funds that provided a much-needed foundation (sometimes literally) from which to build and grow. Despite Bozeman’s ability to raise millions in just a few weeks to renovate a football stadium, artists in Bozeman have yet to connect with local benefactors that would enable the creation of a permanent home dedicated to live theatre.

Not that Bozeman is without potential production space. However, limitations abound.  The Black Box Theatre on campus is a wonderful venue, but primarily reserved for student use. The rental fees at the Emerson’s Crawford Theatre and the Willson Auditorium are prohibitive to most theatre groups, not to mention scheduling difficulties. A theatrical production requires a dedicated space (at least part-time) for a minimum of two weeks prior to the run of a show for set construction and technical rehearsals, and then another 2 to 3 weekends for the run. The renovated Ellen Theatre offers a beautiful space and supportive environment for theatre. Their resident company of community volunteers, Montana TheatreWorks, has produced a wide variety of plays and musicals since the theater’s doors re-opened, and planning is underway for the 2011-12 season. But the hard reality is that staging live theatre, especially given the aforementioned time commitment, is a bigger financial gamble for producers than, say, a one-night concert. Theatrical pre-production costs are substantial: royalties (playwright fees), set materials and labor, props, costumes, and lights. And that’s before any of the actors or crew gets paid. Producing professional theatre (paid actors as opposed to volunteers) is even more costly, but for ATM we feel it is an essential ingredient to our success. Just as professional musicians playing in local theaters or clubs expect to be paid for their time, professional actors, directors, and stage managers expect and deserve to be paid, as well.

Those of us who have a desire to continue acting and directing in Bozeman know there are no easy answers or quick fixes to the space conundrum. We also know that there is an eager and enthusiastic audience for professional, high quality theatre. With that knowledge, we will continue thinking creatively and fundraising for the future.  Regardless of venue, Actors Theatre of Montana will strive to bring engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking productions to Bozeman audiences. And finally, if you enjoy live, local theatre, please support it!

Cara Wilder is an actress, long-time member of Broad Comedy, and adjunct instructor at MSU’s School of Film and Photo. She can be reached at 406-580-0374.