Theatre center starts getting upgrades

The Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre building on Grand Avenue has new windows.

Earlier this month the entire top floor had new windows installed in the old building. The old windows were large and inefficient driving up the building’s heating costs.

Replacing the windows is just one item on a long list of projects children’s theatre artistic director Brach Thomson hopes to accomplish.

“It could be my imagination, but it feels warmer in here,” Thomson said as he entered the building last week.

The children’s theatre acquired 47 percent ownership of the building on Grand from Walter and Nancy Kuhn in 2013. The Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork owns the other 53 percent of the building.

Per the lease agreement between the children’s theatre and the CFBB, any monies remaining at the end of the year from rent payments goes back to the theatre, to be put toward building maintenance.

The CFBB gave back $6,300 to the theatre this year, which went into the window replacement.

Previously the building had been a branch of the Flathead Industries thrift store, before the Kuhn’s purchased it, with the intent of the property becoming a home for the children’s theatre.

Besides making repairs the goal is for the children’s theatre to make enough money to buy out the CFBB and take full ownership of the property.

Contributions to the Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre building fund can be sent to C/O Building Fund, P.O. Box 456, Bigfork MT, 59911.