Community Theatre History

The Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre was established in 1947 to provide entertainment, education and recreation for the Greater Grand Forks area.

In the early 1980s, the #1 Fire Hall in Downtown Grand Forks was purchased and renovated into the 100 seat Fire Hall Theatre.

Our 2008-2009 Season will be our 61th, and we are celebrating our "birthday" by working on an unprecedented set of programming and organizational changes. The Greater Grand Forks Community is listed as one of the ten oldest community theatres in the nation.

In 2003 the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre found themselves at a low point in terms of financing, staffing, participation and options. The Community Theatre worked through a three year rebuilding program, serving without any paid staff from 2005-2006, and entered 2006 with regained hope. This process included visitation and amending of bylaws, articles of incorporation, a long-term debt relief plan, a staffing plan, and a restructuring of the board of directors.

In 2006, the Community Theatre finds themselves with a rebuilt patron list, a four-show season and community good will.

In 2007 the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre began to explore a collaborative administrative and marketing merger with two other area arts organizations. During this process, and beginning in March 2007, the Community Theatre will assume producing responsibilities for Crimson Creek, a professional summer theatre troupe presenting major Broadway plays and having substantial economic impact on the region (Summer Professional Theatre's economic impact with only eleven performances in summer 2006 was $107,754.59, as gauged via audience research). This addition to the Community Theatre expands our programming and our audience exponentially. Additionally, during summer of 2007, the Crimson Troupe is exploring collegiate credit possibilities and master class collaboration with the University of North Dakota's Department of Theatre, where their major summer productions will also be held.

The Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre is currently managed by a governance board, executive council, and directed by an interim executive director. Over 200 volunteers help produce new, artistically challenging productions each year. General season shows (five, running September through May) are steered by a director (paid), technical staff (paid), and a volunteer production staff. Professional Summer Theatre shows (two major productions, one in June and one in August) are steered, business-wise, by a producer (paid) and artistically by a director (paid), with the assistance of a paid production staff, including a musical director and conductor, company manager, technical director, choreographer, costumer as well as paid musicians and technical crew.

The Community Theatre exists to benefit the entire community, by providing accessible entertainment opportunities, both for viewing and participation. This year, the Fire Halls contribution list is at a five year high, as is true with our amount of season ticket holders.