BIGFORK – The Bigfork Summer Playhouse has been a staple in the Flathead community for decades — all in thanks to the Thomson family.
Don, Jude, and Brach run the Playhouse with dozens of actors from all over the country. Don has worked at Bigfork Summer Playhouse for over 50 years.
He said that people from all over the country come to see their shows.
This year the Playhouse is performing Seussical the Musical, Oklahoma, Catch Me If You Can and The Wedding Singer.
“Certainly across the state, there are people that come from all parts of the state to watch the shows here,” said Thomson.
Kaleb Jenkins traveled all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina to spend his summer with Bigfork Summer Playhouse.
This is Jenkins’ second season as an actor with the Playhouse and he said the rehearsal process is grueling.
Often times the actors are rehearsing for multiple musicals/plays at once.
“We just opened Oklahoma and Seussical, we rehearse those at the same time and we’re going to be rehearsing Catch Me If You Can for two weeks, so at this point, our bodies are kinda hitting a wall a little bit and we’re a little tired,” explained Jenkins.
Ginny Swanson says that after a long day of rehearsals she likes to relax by exploring Montana’s great outdoors.
“I really like going down to the River Rocks trail; it’s about fifteen minutes away from where we are staying. It’s just really nice to walk down there and kinda sit by the river and kinda decompress.”
For Kailyn Sprinkle, Bigfork Summer Playhouse has been calling her name for a while. “I also had an alum from my school who went here, I think two years ago, and she absolutely loved it and only had good things to say.”
Right now, the actors are finishing up their two-week rehearsals for Catch Me If You Can which will open on June 25.
