The story of how Luke Walrath and Betsi Morrison came to be Flathead Valley residents is a familiar one: drawn by the scenery and family, Walrath and Morrison wanted to find a way to make this place their permanent home.
But that goal was going to take some planning. Both Morrison and Walrath were active actors on Broadway in New York City, and they wanted to keep theater careers while living in the Flathead. The answer? Build their own theater company and hope it works out.
And now, 10 years later, the Alpine Theatre Project continues to produce top-notch performances and shows in Whitefish. Since coming here in 2004, Walrath and Morrison have gotten married, had children and set down roots.
“The funny thing was we were not planning on staying,” Walrath said in a July 21 interview, one day before ATP opened its third show in three weeks, “Tommy,” a rock show by The Who.
ATP opened its 10th season on July 11 with a new format for this summer with its repertory schedule, meaning the cast and crew are performing different shows during the same time period.
For example, until July 31, audiences can catch “Guys and Dolls,” “Big River,” or “Tommy,” depending on the evening. It’s a big change from how ATP used to put on productions, Walrath said, but that’s all part of evolving.
While a repertory schedule might be tougher for the actors, production staff and musicians – imagine getting on stage and forgetting which character you are supposed to be that night – it seems to be what audiences prefer.
“The houses have been bigger, the shows are selling better,” he said. “People have more options, due to the new schedule.”
Getting the audience involved is obviously an integral part of running a successful theater company, and Walrath said if it weren’t for the long-running companies in the Flathead, such as the Whitefish Theatre Company and the Bigfork Summer Playhouse, they wouldn’t have bothered starting their own.
“There was already stuff going on and I think it was because of that we thought that, ‘Wow, this is a valley that actually supports this stuff,’” Walrath said. “Had that not been there, we wouldn’t have even tried. It gave us the courage and the inspiration to start what we did.”
He and Morrison met with David Ackroyd and the ATP board to figure out what was missing from the valley’s theater scene and decided that the couple’s ties with Broadway could help bring that talent back to the Flathead.
So each summer since, ATP has hosted actors and musicians from the bigger New York City talent pool.
“It’s a great way to show off the Flathead to these folks, all these New York players and designers,” Walrath said. “Within five weeks, they want to come back.”
But running a theater company has its challenges, the largest being financial. ATP is a nonprofit organization, and the bulk of its funding comes through donations. Two years ago, ATP underwent a business renovation, seeking ways to become more financially efficient while still producing high-caliber shows.
The company took last summer off from plays and musicals and put on four concerts instead. They stripped the company down to the foundations and started over, which was step one of a five-step plan. Step two was moving to a repertory model this summer, and next comes finding permanent housing and rehearsal space solutions.
With that in mind, ATP will continue to move forward and adapt, Walrath said, but one aspect of the business – the valley’s love for the arts – has remained constant.
“It was the right time (to start a theater company), but at the same time we’ve always been wondering can it be done? Is it possible? Can you pull off the expense of bringing talent like this to the valley and can we do this year after year?” Walrath said. “One of the great things in looking back on 10 years is realizing yes. This valley continues to surprise us and inspire us.”
“Guys and Dolls” will run until July 31; “Big River” will run until Aug. 1; and “Tommy” will run until Aug. 2. For more information, visit www.atpwhitefish.org.