Please read the detailed previous review, as it does a wonderful job of encompassing the full experience of working as a performer for this theater. I enjoyed my time with Bigfork immensely. You truly do work hard, and play hard. I’ve made some of my closest friends on contract here. The work can be exhausting for the first seven weeks, but it is so worth it when the shows are all open. Those second seven heavenly weeks of lake days, boating, hiking at Glacier National Park, and stargazing, all while performing in a different big beautiful production each night, are so rewarding. Are the dorms beautiful and perfectly clean? Maybe not, but you do get your own room (and it’s free!). How’s the pay? If you’re starting out in the professional world, or are still in college, it’s fairly decent. Are the people nice? The people in this town are lovely, and take very good care of you. The producing family is very kind, welcoming, generous, and they are always trying to make you laugh. They can be tough when needed, but if you have a good attitude, do the work well, and are on time, they’ll love working with you (and vice versa). I am not performing with the company this season, so I am unaware of their current COVID procedures. Previously, there hasn’t been a consistent reliable method of handling positive performers. I do wish that this theater would hire swings, or divvy up understudies beforehand, in the same way that they choose performers to dance or music captain each show. It would help the performances easily continue when someone is out. That being said, I am not aware of any non-equity summerstock that has handled COVID procedures perfectly over the last few years. :) All in all, I would absolutely recommend working for this theater. If you’re looking for a rewarding summer with a great mix of work and play, you’ve come to the right place.

I want to preface by saying that I’ve spent a considerable amount of time at this theatre, so I have a pretty in-depth knowledge of this company! I want to lay out as much information as I can for you, so you can make an informed decision about your summer! I’ve worked for this company for three seasons(2018, 2019, 2022) and will be headed back for my fourth and final season this summer. The culture that this company creates is truly unlike any other that I’ve ever experienced. We work hard, but we play even harder! Bigfork, MT is a huge tourist destination in the summer, due to its location in the Flathead Valley, nestled in the mountains, next to “the cleanest lake in the world”, and an hour’s drive away from Glacier National Park, my absolute favorite place on the planet. In May, when the cast arrives, weather can be pretty chilly due to high altitude. Once July rolls around, you can expect super temperate weather with dry heat, which makes for excellent summer vibes. I know literally every little dinky town that has a theatre in it claims they have amazing tourism, but this town truly means business! The people that inhabit the town are really grateful that the Playhouse exists, as many of their small businesses flourish and thrive during the summer months due to traffic at the Playhouse! This means we get fed for free a lot, and there’s a Playhouse discount pretty much everywhere you go. There’s a free gym membership included at one of the nicest gyms you’ll probably ever use. The housing is all up at the Thomson compound where the producers live. The costume and scene shop, as well as all company housing and an additional rehearsal space are located a short walking distance just up the hill from the theatre. There’s hostel type arrangements, meaning everyone gets their own private and spacious furnished bedroom, but you share communal areas like bathrooms, living room, kitchen and laundry. The amenities are pretty nice because it was built specifically for this company to use as cast housing, so there’s a ton of space to keep your personal belongings, groceries and toiletries! It’s possible to get around without a car there, but I would definitely recommend bringing one with you if you’ve got one that can make it out to Montana! I would consider myself to be a pretty independent person, so I like not having to ask someone for a ride to get groceries, go to the movies, go to the gym, go to the lake, stuff like that! Not the biggest deal of you don’t have one, but you’ll definitely appreciate having one there. The producers always pick really fun and well selling titles that make for great seasons. The shows in the seasons I worked there were as follows: 2018: Singin’ In The Rain, The Little Mermaid, All Shook Up, Into the Woods 2019: Oklahoma, Seussical, Catch Me If You Can, The Wedding Singer 2022: Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!, Freaky Friday, The Full Monty 2023(upcoming season): Fiddler, Grease, Addams Family, Escape to Margaritaville This is the most challenging and most rewarding job I have ever worked in my entire life. The company producers are really transparent about the amount of work you’re expected to do for them upfront. And let me tell you, it is not for the faint of heart(meant with love and care), but it comes with some really unique benefits that I’ve laid out previously! For starters, the company will offer you what they refer to as your “contract role”, the role in one of four shows that will be your main responsibility. After the performance company has been assembled, you’ll get your tracking for the other three shows, which can be anything from an ensemble track to a secondary character. If you keep returning, your offers for your “non-contract” roles usually get a little more involved, which usually means a little more stage time, if you’re into that! Each production also has a different direction staff(director, choreographer, and music director), so you’ll get to work with 12 different industry professionals throughout your rehearsal process, which is pretty unique! The rehearsal schedule is a little grueling, if I’m being completely honest. For the first seven weeks your schedule is as follows: Morning Block(9am-12pm), Lunch Break 12pm-1pm, Afternoon Block(1pm-4pm), Dinner Break 4pm-6pm, Evening Block(6pm-10pm). You rehearse 7 days a week for 7 weeks on this schedule. Keep in mind you won’t always be called to rehearsal, depending on your track in the shows. I will say, since the time I started working there, they’ve started giving the acting company the afternoon and evening blocks off on Sundays, but it depends on the state that the show is in. Their main stage summer season is a 14 week contract(with a possible extension if you are considered for their postseason show). They run in rep, so the first seven weeks is dedicated to getting all four shows on their feet. The first three weeks is dedicated to getting the first two shows up(usually big hitter box office successes), which means about 10 days of rehearsal each for both shows. The cast learns both of them simultaneously. They are rehearsed two rehearsal blocks at a time. For example, if “Show One” rehearses during the morning and afternoon block, then “Show Two“ will rehearse during the evening block and the morning block the next day, continuing the cycle for three weeks until the shows open. The next two weeks are dedicated to opening the show in the third slot. Rehearsals then take place during the morning and afternoon block, with performances of either the first or second show in rotation in the evenings. After the third show opens, it enters the performance rotation, while the last two weeks of rehearsal are dedicated to the show in the fourth slot until it opens and enters the performance rotation. You do have shop assignments that you’re expected to be at if you aren’t called. Based on interest and skill set, you’ll be placed either in costumes, set building, paint, or props! Although I’m not the biggest fan of having an extra assignment on top of rehearsing, you’re never assigned a task that is above you or too difficult to complete! They still have a technical staff responsible for building sets, costumes and props and paint, so you’re really only there as an extra set of hands! And sometimes they’ll tell you they don’t even need your help that block, which means free time! You are required to strike sets at the end of the season, but it’s usually a pretty quick process. After that, your second seven weeks are free up until your call time for evening shows. Once all four shows are open, the performance schedule is set Tuesdays-Saturdays @ 8pm, and Sundays @ 2pm, with a dark day on Monday. There are no two show days because of it’s repertory nature. There are a couple of other opportunities throughout the season to gain some extra cash and/or credits that also take up some free time in the second half of summer that are not required, but definitely recommended to take part in! They’re listed below. 1. Benefit Revue! Each year, a benefit revue is put together by a returning member of the cast who acts as the director and one of the producers who handles some scripting and music arrangements. It’s “an evening of comedy, song and dance from shows we’ve done in the past, shows we want to do in the future, and shows we promise we’ll never do! Proceeds from the benefit revue go directly towards the scholarship fund. Each year, 5 or more $1,000 scholarships are awarded to deserving actors, technicians, and musicians to help further their arts education!” Your level of involvement is totally up to you, but usually almost everyone participates in some way, shape or form! There’s generally five to six group numbers and the rest of the time is filled with solos, duets and small groups. But it is something that really benefits the theatre and has the opportunity to benefit you as an individual too(Free money for school?!). Group numbers are choreographed and music directed by members of the cast who volunteer. It’s a great way to try your hand choreographing or music directing in a super low stakes environment. The revue rehearses for two weeks during the morning and afternoon, in a really minimal as-needed way. 2. Kids Camp! It takes place for kids K-12! BSP staffs the day camp using actors who sign up for teaching slots! It’s definitely not required so if kids aren’t your thing, no worries! If you are interested though, you can make some extra cash. If you’ve ever wanted to get your feet wet in educational theatre, it’s a good chance to work with kids of all ages, and what you teach them is totally up to you! In the past, people have taught dance, stage combat, improv, creative writing, clowning, plus many other areas of theatre! 3. The Hits! After the Main Stage season, 6 actors who have immediate availability have the opportunity to stay an additional 3 weeks for BSP’s post season show, “The Hits of the 50s, 60s and 70s”. It’s a two act revue show that is really low stakes and a lot of fun! It’s a singer/dancer track. Think of it like a show at a theme park; Well rounded, high energy, and entertaining! Rehearsals are held in the mornings/afternoons starting two weeks before the main contract ends on an as-needed basis. The show runs two weekends of shows with a full week off in between! Previously, the cast has used this time to go to places like Banff in Canada and Seattle, WA! Let’s talk about pay. I started working here between my junior and senior year of college, and most recently retuned at the age of 25. When I started it was $275/week, and within 5 years, they’ve gradually increased to $350/week, based on their previous successes, which for a non-eq summerstock contract is pretty good. You work for every penny you get though, and I will say, there’s just some types of work that you age out of! There’s nothing wrong with that, but this job is maybe more suited for less experienced or even first time professionals who are eager to roll up their sleeves and get to work to add some credits to their resume. BSP isn’t the best with handling crisis, unfortunately. They have a very “the show must go on” mentality, which is great for business, but not always best for the personal well being of the employees of the company. The business will always come first, which is what they have to do as a small business, but I think it’s helpful to know that before going in. Overall, I’ve had some of my most favorite theatrical experiences here. Truly a magical place with magical people, and I choose to overlook some of the cons because the pros definitely outweigh them. Woof! That was a lot of information, but I hope it was helpful. It can be difficult to find out this kind of info if you don’t know anyone who’s worked at the theatre before, and I really wish I had this resource when I first accepted an offer there. That being said, if you accept an offer, get ready to work your booty off and have a fantastic summer!