Shakespeare in the Parks: A Community Affair

For forty-two summers, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been been taking professional theater to towns across the region. This year they will put on seventy-five performances throughout Montana, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington with an emphasis on underserved, rural areas. Over 40% of the communities served by Shakespeare in the Parks have a population of less than 2,000 and Eureka is one of these. Shakespeare in the Parks' van, trailer and pick-up truck pulled into the Tobacco Valley on August 25 this year and after a bit of lunch, the ten actors began setting up the stage in the Historical Village. By late afternoon, the entire stage with scenery was ready and the actors then took a break before the 6:00 pm show. For the last forty-two years their plays have been free to the public. Folks showed up around 5:00 pm to purchase a box dinner, spread their blanket on the lawn or set up chairs then enjoyed chatting with friends and neighbors until the play (this year it is "Cyrano de Bergerac") began. And you might just ask yourself, how does this fantastic troupe manage to put on this play in Eureka and all those folks sitting on the lawn don't have to pay a thing to see it? The answer is that a lot of people help make it possible. For example, for the past twenty years Sunburst Community Service Foundation has arranged the date and fund raised to have Shakespeare in the Parks come to Eureka. This year Interbel made a very generous donation to cover the majority of the fee to bring the troupe to town. And then Cafe Jax pitches in. They made delicious box dinners to sell before the event (this year it was stuffed croissants, fresh fruit and dessert) and donated a portion of their sales to help cover the troupe's fee and other expenses. The Historical Village makes their lovely grounds available for the event. On top of all this, five families in town opened their homes to house the actors and provided meals after the show. And the Lincoln County High School Key Club covered litter patrol after the play ended. There are certainly larger towns where a philanthropist or two might write a large check to cover the whole thing (including hotel and meals for the actors). But here in Eureka, its very much a community affair. Numerous individuals and businesses pitch in so we can continue having this marvelous event every summer.