HELENA — Grandstreet Theatre is entering a new chapter as construction gets underway on the largest renovation of its longtime home since the former library was converted into the theater more than 50 years ago.
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The months-long project began after the final curtain came down on Clue Sunday. Crews then began striking the set and preparing the building for construction.
“Rather than closing down the building at various times in order to accomplish them, we decided to do it once and let’s get it all done,” Grandstreet Theatre Managing Director Danielle Wineman said.
The roughly $550,000 project is being funded through grants and money Grandstreet previously raised. Renovations include HVAC improvements, new carpeting and a new lighting truss system.
The box office will also be moved to the other side of the building, a change designed to improve accessibility and make it easier for patrons to reach the lower level, including restrooms and concessions.
“These renovations include things that will hopefully better serve our community while still maintaining the love and excitement that the space has generated for 51 years,” Wineman said.
More than a century of history
The project marks another chapter for a building that has been part of Helena for more than a century.
Completed in 1901, the property was donated by the Unitarians to the City of Helena in 1933, becoming the city library. Grandstreet Theatre has called the building home since 1976.
The property is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places through the U.S. Department of the Interior.
That history is part of why Wineman said the project is about more than upgrading an aging building.
“Really just working towards being the best stewards of this incredibly historic building as we can be,” Wineman said.
Grandstreet chose to tackle the improvements together rather than repeatedly closing portions of the building for individual projects.
“It opened up a prime time opportunity to do all of those construction projects that we have wanted to do,” Wineman said.
Temporary changes during construction
While the renovations are underway, patrons will notice some changes to Grandstreet’s day-to-day operations.
The box office is temporarily moving about a block away, around the corner to the Grandstreet Studio at 328 Fuller Ave. The box office is reopening Tuesday with temporary hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and patrons will still be able to purchase tickets for upcoming productions and events there.
Grandstreet will also be operating with limited phone access during construction. Those trying to reach a particular staff member are encouraged to contact them by email through Grandstreet’s website.
Despite the disruption inside its longtime home, the theater’s productions and programs are continuing.
“Our team is so wonderful and I’m so thankful for them, their patience, their hard work, and their dedication to not only this project, but also making sure that we’re continuing to bring live theater to Helena,” Wineman said.
The Grandstreet Theatre School’s production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas will take the stage at the Helena Civic Center this holiday season. Grandstreet has used the Civic Center before, including for its 50th anniversary concert last year.
“Grandstreet is more than just one place, it’s a mindset, and so being able to provide that for our students during this time is really something special,” Wineman said.
Grandstreet beyond the building
For the people who work there, the renovation also means temporarily adjusting routines built around a place that has become deeply personal.
Box Office Manager Sydney Mammano has been with Grandstreet since 2023, including working in stage management.
“Community, it just means community and family and it means arts, and being able to be in a creative space and living my full-time dream of working in theater,” Mammano said.
For Mammano, some of the relationships built at Grandstreet extend well beyond the stage.
“I actually met my partner doing theater here. We’ve been together the last three years,” Mammano said.
That sense of community is something Wineman hopes will remain unchanged even as the physical building around it gets a makeover.
“I hope there’s a sense of what you’ve always felt when you walk into Grandstreet,” Wineman said. “I hope that we haven’t lost that feeling, I hope that the magic of Grandstreet is still alive and well.”
Grandstreet plans to reopen its doors in the spring, with Come From Away planned as its spring musical in April.
The theater is also continuing to accept contributions to its Act II Campaign. Grandstreet says supporters can make a one-time donation, set up a recurring monthly contribution or make a long-term pledge toward the project.
For the next several months, Grandstreet’s historic home may look a little different, but the theater’s work will continue as it prepares to welcome audiences back in the spring.
