Virginia City Players in Montana

After nearly 80 years, one of Montana's most popular theater productions is facing a major change. Koch Productions has announced it will no longer operate the Virginia City Players.

The Virginia City Players have been a beloved attraction in Virginia City, Montana for eight decades, and is one of the oldest continuously operating summer theaters in the western United States.

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The Virginia City Players released a statement on Facebook about what may be the end of the long-running production.

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For those of you who don’t know, in the 1940’s Charlie and Sue Bovey converted the old livery stable into a functioning theater and along with Larry Barsness, founded the Virginia City Players.

Many of the buildings in Virginia City are owned by the State of Montana, and the Virginia City Players have historically leased the buildings from the state. Now, the future is in jeopardy.

Our contract was supposed to go until 2036, but in December, the State terminated all of their lessee’s existing contracts and offered new ones. The new contract is for 5 years and demands 15% of our gross revenue for rent every season. It also states we are required to pay the State $10,000 if something happens that keeps us from being able to operate for the season.

For a small-town theater, that's a huge ask. The Department of Commerce hasn't released any information regarding the Virginia City Players or whether or not the production will continue.

We hope things get straightened out, because attending a Virginia City Players has been a beloved tradition for Montana families for years.