Grandstreet Theatre

Last updated

Grandstreet Theatre (GST) is a theatre in Helena, Montana. It is one of Montana's largest theatres. Located in historic downtown Helena, the community theatre presents several plays, musicals, and youth extravaganzas each year. Founded in 1975, "GST" remains a cornerstone for entertainment and education in Montana's capital city. GST's Summer Conservatory combines education with a full-scale summer stock experience. Grandstreet Theatre School offers year-round classes, and has produced a surprisingly large number of theatre professionals across the country.

Contents

Grandstreet Theatre current staff includes Managing Director Corinne Woods, Artistic Director Jeff Downing, Director of Education Marianne Adams, as well as a few others. [1]

History

Carl Darchuck, a Montana native, returned to Helena at the invitation of John Wheeler in May, 1975 to investigate the potential for starting a community theater in Helena, much as he did in Fort Peck, Montana, Tacoma and Port Townsend, Washington. For a year, the theatre was located on Grand Street and Last Chance Gulch, in the ballroom of the historic Placer Hotel. In August, 1976, Grand Street Theatre (still three words then) was invited to move into its current space, a beautiful stone building designed originally as Unitarian church and serving as the Helena Public Library from 1933 until 1976. Since the move, the original avenue of Grand Street was demolished, and Grandstreet became one word.

The Theatre has flourished under the guidance of several skilled directors, notably Don McLaughlin, who served for fourteen years, leaving in August, 1993. Later Artistic Directors include Jerry Morrison, Blair Bybee, and Stephen Alexander. Grandstreet Theatre produces seven to ten productions a year, including comedies, dramas and musicals - all the best titles.

During the McLaughlin years, Don's wife Janet, began the Grandstreet Theatre School. Now run by Marianne Adams, Theatre School offers school-year classes of a wide variety, and the celebrated Summer Theatre School. Adams also coordinated the Summer Conservatory, bringing burgeoning artists from across the country to the picturesque locale for rousing Summer Stock.

Grandstreet's historic building, beautiful setting and excellent plays is a must during any visit to Montana's "Queen City," Helena.

Building

Built as a Unitarian Church in 1901, the facility included the sloping floor and the proscenium stage area of today. Even then, early church documents indicated it was intended as a multi-use facility. The Reverend Leslie Willis Sprague idea for the building: "...nor do I believe God wants churches that are too holy for usefulness in any cause, even for the entertainment and pastime of His children...."

In 1933, an earthquake destroyed Helena's main public library. The church was donated to the City of Helena in memory of Ellen Dean for use as an interim library following the near destruction of the original facility by earthquakes. Renovations were made to the building by leveling the house floor and adding a mezzanine.

In 1976, Grand Street Theatre (dba Broadwater Productions) assumed occupancy and transformed the building into Helena's full-time, year-round community theater. Its former elegance was restored thanks to a Historic Preservation Award in May, 1996. Carl Darchuck oversaw such projects as restoring the original sloped audience floor, the removal of the temporary mezzanine, putting back in the balcony, and protecting its priceless 1910 Tiffany window. The final piece of restoration came with the discovery of the 1901 blueprints of the spectacular stained glass frieze. Under the direction of Tom Cordingley, it was painstakingly reproduced, with the addition of the comedy and tragedy theatre masks.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena, Montana</span> Capital city of Montana, United States

Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the seat of Lewis and Clark County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theatre (Atlanta)</span> Movie theater in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The Fox Theatre, a former movie palace, is a performing arts venue located at 660 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, and is the centerpiece of the Fox Theatre Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warner Grand Theatre</span>

The Warner Grand Theatre is a historic movie palace that opened on January 20, 1931. It is located in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, at 478 West 6th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena High School</span> Public high school in Helena, Montana, United States

Helena High School is a public high school for grades 9 through 12 located in Helena, Montana, United States. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana. A new building was completed in August 1935 and it was almost destroyed a few months later in the 1935 Helena earthquake. In 1955, the building became Helena Junior High School and Helena High School moved into its present location at 1300 Billings Avenue, just off Montana Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Montana, USA

The Diocese of Helena is the Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in western Montana in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fillmore Detroit</span> Multi-use entertainment venue in Detroit

The Fillmore Detroit is a multi-use entertainment venue operated by Live Nation. Built in 1925, the Fillmore Detroit was known for most of its history as the State Theatre. It is located near the larger Fox Theatre in the Detroit Theatre District along Woodward Avenue across from Comerica Park and Grand Circus Park. The Fillmore Detroit features a theatre with a Grand Lobby and three levels of seating, as well as the State Bar & Grill which has a separate entrance and is open when the theatre is not hosting events. The Detroit Music Awards are held annually at The Fillmore Detroit in April. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located at 2125 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a regional Community Center it sponsors cultural, educational, civic, wellness and spiritual activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Church (Cincinnati, Ohio)</span> United States historic place

First Unitarian Church is a historic congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in the early nineteenth century, it survived a series of division and reunifications in the nineteenth century. Among the people who have worshipped in its historic church building on the city's northern side are many members of the Taft family, including William Howard Taft, the President of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton</span> Historic church in Newton, Massachusetts, US

The First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton occupies a prominent location at 1326 Washington Street in the heart of the village of West Newton in Newton, Massachusetts. Architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the church, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. designed the grounds, the cornerstone was laid in 1905, and it was dedicated in 1906; it is one of the village's oldest buildings. The church is in Cram's signature Gothic Revival style, with buttressed walls and a blocky square tower with crenellations and spires. An enclosed courtyard is formed by an office wing, banquet hall, and parish house, which are built to resemble Elizabethan architecture with brick first floor and half-timbered upper level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensburg Downtown Historic District (Greensburg, Pennsylvania)</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Greensburg Downtown Historic District of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is bounded approximately by Tunnel Street, Main Street, Third Street, and Harrison Avenue. It consists of 62 buildings on 21.8 acres (8.8 ha), with the most notable buildings from the years 1872-1930. The district's oldest structure (1872) is the former Masonic Temple at 132 South Main Street. The Academy Hill Historic District is directly to the north of downtown Greensburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The First Universalist Church is a historic Universalist Church building at 125 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Romanesque church building was built between 1916 and 1923 to a design by Ralph Adams Cram, and is the only example of his work in Somerville. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is currently owned by the Highland Masonic Building Association, and is the home of King Solomon's Lodge AF & AM, the builders of the Bunker Hill Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedder Building</span> Private commercial building in Central, Hong Kong

The Pedder Building, located at No. 12 Pedder Street, in Central, Hong Kong, is a historic commercial building built in the Beaux-Arts style. Built in 1923, it is the last surviving pre-World War II building in Pedder Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josephine Airey</span> Irish-American madam and businesswoman

Josephine "Chicago Joe" Airey, was an Irish-born American prostitute, madam, and proprietor of brothels, dance halls, a variety theatre, and saloons in Helena, Montana. She eventually became the most influential landowner in Helena. She was known as "Chicago Joe" Hensley following her marriage to James T. Hensley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James W. McLaughlin</span> American architect (1834–1923)

James W. McLaughlin was a Cincinnati, Ohio architect. He studied to be an architect working under famed James Keys Wilson. He fought in the American Civil War serving in the Union Army. During the late 19th century, he became a popular builder in Cincinnati. In 1870 he helped organize the Cincinnati chapter of the American Institute of Architects; that year, he was selected as a Fellow of the AIA, serving on its board.

The First Baptist Church of Montana, located in Helena, Montana, is an historic church founded in 1880. It is Montana's oldest Baptist Church, located on 8th Avenue. It is associated with the American Baptist Churches USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Link & Haire</span>

Link & Haire was a prolific architectural firm in Montana, formally established on January 1, 1906. It designed a number of buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Historic District (Helena, Montana)</span> Historic district in Montana, United States

The Helena Historic District (HHD) is a federally designated historic district in Helena, Montana, United States. Since its establishment in 1972, the HHD has had boundary adjustments in 1990 and 1993. The original 1972 designation was composed of two unconnected sections known as "Downtown" and "West Residential".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington</span> Historic church in Virginia, United States

Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (UUCA), historically known as the Unitarian Church of Arlington, is a Unitarian Universalist church located at 4444 Arlington Boulevard in Arlington County, Virginia. Founded in 1948, UUCA was the first Unitarian church in Washington, D.C.'s suburbs. Throughout its history, UUCA has taken part in progressive causes from the Civil Rights Movement to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia. During the Civil Rights Movement, UUCA was the only Virginia church to speak out in favor of racial integration. UUCA's sanctuary building, designed by local architect Charles M. Goodman in 1964, is a concrete Brutalist structure that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia Landmarks Register in 2014. It is one of only three church buildings designed by Goodman and the only one in Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation</span> Church in Georgia, United States

Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Northwest) was organized in 1969. The organization of Northwest was the result of action taken by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA) to establish a new congregation in the northwest suburbs of Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Griswold Street</span> High-rise building in Detroit, United States

One Griswold Street is a high-rise building in the Financial District of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The building sits at the intersection of Griswold Street and West Jefferson Avenue, on the same city block occupied by 150 West Jefferson. Since 2007, the building has been owned by the Church of Scientology, which operates the building as the Church of Scientology Detroit. Between 2017 and 2018, the building underwent an extensive renovation that restored much of its interior appearance, including a grand staircase and mezzanine for the first and second floors.

References

  1. Record, MARGA LINCOLN Independent. "Grandstreet acting classes not just for kids". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2016-03-15.

46°35′25″N112°02′24″W / 46.59022°N 112.0399°W / 46.59022; -112.0399