In the small town of Fort Peck, Montana you can find Fort Peck Summer Theater, a theater that offers a variety of plays at a reasonable price in the summer.
The theater highly values supporting artists and keeping the art culture of the town alive and is supported primarily by donations and volunteers.
With a summer camp for kids and a scholarship offered to undergraduate students studying the performing arts, the theater is considered by many locals to be a vital part of the town’s culture and community.
Built originally as a temporary structure, the Fort Peck Summer Theater has a charming, cozy feel to it. A smaller theater, the theater is typically less crowded. This makes the show much more intimate and relaxed, giving audiences a chance to really focus on the show rather than a crowded, noisy seating area.
There are many different shows that guests can also see at the theater that is typically performed by local performers. Whether it’s comedy or romance, Fort Peck Summer Theater has something for everyone.
Shows are also usually family-friendly, so you can feel comfortable bringing your kids. Plus, by seeing a show you’ll also be helping support the local performing arts community in Fort Peck.
The History of Fort Peck Summer Theater
Fort Peck Summer Theater was originally built as a temporary structure in 1934, however, it remains today in good condition.
The theater was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and integrated a Swiss Chalet motif. The auditorium has hand-crafted light fixtures that were made directly in the Corps of Engineers shop. The theater also was built impressively fast, being finished in less than nine months.
In its beginnings, Fort Peck Summer Theater also showed movies rather than plays. The setting capacity was 1,200 and the theater had continuous showings all seven days a week.
The theater was a popular attraction with locals, with there often being lines across several blocks for showings. The theater stopped showing movies in 1968 and was reopened in 1970 as a live theater venue.
The Fort Peck Fine Arts Council helped make the theater what it is today when they purchased it in 1987. Thanks to their support and focus on revitalizing the theater, the venue has become a hub for arts culture and performing arts in the community.
Today the theater is both a place to showcase local talent in plays and help youth develop creativity and interest in the performing arts through their educational events and camps.
How Fort Peck Supports the Local Arts Community
As one of the few theaters in the area, Fort Peck Summer Theater has been crucial to keeping the arts alive in the town.
The theater is especially dedicated to supporting young artists and youth education. The theater offers a summer camp to young children interested in the performing arts and a family-friendly reading event in the winter, where actors read through a short story or play.
The theater camp is quite popular and is hosted in the summer in August. The camp is for children grades 3-12 and provides mentorship by professional company members.
Students will have the chance to learn dance, singing, and other theater basics. The camp ends with a Showcase performance by the camp’s students.
Fort Peck Summer Theater also provides an undergraduate scholarship to students in the fine arts. The Jake Etchart Memorial Scholarship provides up to two scholarships a year.
Those interested in the scholarship will have needed to have volunteered with the theater or have participated in one of their programs. The scholarship ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 dollars.
Fort Peck Theatre Details
- Address: 201 Missouri Ave Fort Peck, MT 59223
- Contact Number: 406-228-9216
- Website: https://www.fortpecktheatre.org
- Hours: 1-5 pm Thursday – Sunday, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Friday – Saturday
Upcoming Events (2022)
- Forever Plaid: June 3, 7:30 pm
- The Complete History of America: June 10, 7:30 pm
- The Bridges of Madison County: June 17, 7:30 pm
- Always…Patsy Cline: July 15, 7:30 pm
- Seussical: July 30th, 7:30 pm