HELENA — From the stage to the audience, Grandstreet Theatre has impacted many of our lives here in Helena, and it's celebrating its golden anniversary.
"Once you walk in here, the ripple effect of your presence, your purpose, and your person has on Grandstreet is that legacy builder," said Danielle Wineman, the managing director of Grandstreet.
(Learn more about Grandstreet's history)
Over the course of 50 years, the theatre has put on nearly 450 productions.
Roughly 20,000 people attend their performances annually, and results from a recent study show that the theatre generates around $4,000,000 in economic impacts to Helena and Lewis and Clark County.
"We are the longest-running community theatre in the state of Montana," Wineman. "It's so special for so many reasons, and we're so excited to be doing what we do."
Grandstreet currently does eight shows yearly while hosting various classes and camps.
"The stage is always really fun to me," said Harper Mitchell, a camp attendee who plays Piglet in their Winnie the Pooh Kids performance. "Seeing everyone and being not me but someone else."
While these camps for kids are going on, the cast and crew of Grandstreet's next show are in their first week of Mary Poppins rehearsals.
This show is an example of Grandstreet's reach: the two leads, Mary and Bert, are being played by professional actors who have never been to Montana before.
Patrick Higgins, who plays Bert, said, "It's really nice coming out here and seeing how excited everybody is about this and how exciting it is for everyone in the community that this is 50 years – this is such a big deal."
"I don't know if I know of another place that has this: a conservatory for youth, then also opportunities for kids, and shows with professional adult actors. It's really impressive," said Victoria Elena, who plays Mary.
It doesn't matter if you are an actor playing a character or an audience member watching their story unfold; chances are you'll walk away from Grandstreet with more than you came in with.
"Theatre is a gymnasium for empathy," said Wineman. "This is where we practice it."
(HEAR WINEMAN TALK ABOUT HOW THEATRE SPARKS EMPATHY)
Grandstreet is creating a time capsule for all the memories made over the last 50 years, and you can find where to share along with more of the theatre's history here.
