Mission Valley Friends of the Arts - Newsletter 2003
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Mission Valley Friends of the Arts announced their 2003-2004-membership drive would coincide with the opening of the Port Polson Players production of the charming comedy “You Can’t Take It With You”. The production plays Friday and Saturday Nov. 14, & 15th at 8 pm with a Sunday matinee at 2pm, Nov. 16th on the Polson High School stage. The Show hosts a cast of twenty. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at The Lake County Leader, Browns Jewelry or First Citizens Bank. Adults get in for $9.00, Senior Citizens and student tickets go for $8.00. Become a member of MVFA and get a dollar off your tickets!
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Port Polson Players Report - Best Season Yet
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The Port Polson Players in association with the Mission Valley Friends Of The Arts reported their 28th season broke previous Summer Theatre records. According to Players Managing Director, Neal Lewing, “seventy percent of summer traffic, were tourists. “We were up eight percent over last year, with one less performance week.” Lewing attributed the increase to the selection of shows. “We did two musicals “Radio Gals”, and “The Cotton Patch Gospel.” “Home Games, a sentimental comedy”, complimented the season. The Players were first in the area to produce each show. “ People enjoy the opportunity to depart from the tried and true,” commented Lewing.”
Also contributing to the Players success this past summer was the over all picture, according to Artistic Director Karen Lewing. “Thanks to MVFA membership, The John Dowdall Theatre has become a destination for Montana theatre goers.
“The building has become a source of pride for the Mission Valley. Out-door lighting, carpet, and the new highway sign, entry way stairs, the recent re-chinking, paint and staining job, plus the flowers annually supplied by Delaney’s Landscaping, all provide an ideal setting for our beautiful theatre on the lake.”
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Theatre Receives Needed Highway Sign
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Over a year of jumping through the right hoops resulted in a beautiful highway sign for the John Dowdall Theatre. The sign includes Boetcher Park, and Country Club Shores.
“We needed a sign we could announce theatre events on,” commented Karen Lewing who arranged for the structure. “There's a lot of work involved obtaining something like that, but ultimately, time and energy paid off, resulting in a sign Polson is proud of.”
The State Highway Department, The Polson City Council, The Golf Course Maintenance Dept., Country Club Shores and The Tribe were all consulted before erecting the structure. Lewing and husband Neal built a planter around the sign and maintained flowers throughout the summer.
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MVFA Holds Board Meeting And Elects Officers
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The Mission Valley Friends of the Arts elected officers October 29th in a meeting at the New Moon Café. Dennis Anderson was re-elected President with Dr. Steve Irwin re-elected Vice President. Neal and Karen Lewing were retained as Managing and Executive Directors for the organization. MVFA Board members include above listed officers and Chuck Jaracki, Carmine Mowbray, Urban Roth, Ronnie Davis and Brett McCrumb.
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MVFA and Port Polson Players, A Successful Union
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‘The Friends and the Players’ have been working in a successful partnership many years. Mission Valley Friends of the Arts were formed in 1989 as a support group to provide a performance venue for the Port Polson Players. The John Dowdall Theatre was the result.
MVFA President Dennis Anderson recently commented “MVFA was formed to keep a theatre program going in the area, by providing a performance space.” “It's been a win, win arrangement for everyone involved.”
The Port Polson Players are the main users of the building; therefore the MVFA Board of Directors unanimously voted they manage the building. All membership money has been directed to the space including over $100,000 in renovation and maintenance.
The City of Polson owns the building and is happy the facility is being used for well- rounded programs including Children’s, Community and Summer Theatre. Polson’s tourist industry gets a great shot in the arm with the tourism the theatre attracts. It’s also used by other performance endeavors. “Plus”, concluded Anderson, “a beautiful historic building is being restored! Hey no wonder MVFA and the Players are being referred to as a model for other arts organizations across the state. We represent a perfect marriage between city, community, education, arts support and preservation.”
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Player & MVFA Provide Ten Show Season
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The 2003 theatre year was a crowd pleaser according to Dr. Steve Irwin, Vice President of the MVFA. The Port Polson Players in association with the MVFA opened the season with the classic It’s A Wonderful Life.
The Players kept busy in the schools providing 160 young performers with two Children’s Theatre Shows. The Lewing adaptations of Stone Soup and Hansel and Gretal were musicals performed by kids, K-8 . The Polson High School production of Taming Of The Shrew was directed by the Players and toured Mission Valley schools.
“The King and I”was a very successful Valley wide production.” The Singing ‘O The Green” Dedication of the John Dowdall Theatre, was very popular. “Flights of Fancy” the show for the Children’s Theatre Camp and the three Summer Theatre productions mentioned in “The Best Season Yet” article, rounded out the 28th season for the Players and MVFA. Year # 29 for the Players promises to be just as exciting. “You Can’t Take It With You” jump-starts that season Nov. 14-16, in conjunction with theMVFA membership drive.
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Helps contribute to live theatre by becoming a member of the MVFA, you help keep a live theatre program going in the Valley.
The Port Polson Players in association with the MVFA provide a three-part program for theatre performance opportunities, including:
Children’s Theatre, with educational programs through the schools involving students K-12.
Community Theatre,meshing school age students, community and business people young and old.
Summer Theatre, bringing in guest artists and combining their talents with the best of the Mission Valley.
When you contribute to the Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, your tax-deductible gift is directed into the John Dowdall Theatre on the Polson Golf Course.
All three performance opportunities take
place at that theatre, with the Summer Theatre bringing in the most revenue, which in turn funds more Children's and Community Theatre on the off season.
As it stands now, The Polson High Stage is used to provide performing arts and education
opportunities through winter months. Eventually, it is hoped continued renovation will extend the season at the John Dowdall Theatre.
What do you get from joining the MVFA?
A dollar off MVFA /Port Polson Players events
Your name in all theatre Programs
The annual MVFA News letter.
A tax write off with your contribution to MVFA (a not for profit organization)
The knowledge you are helping to preserve the historic John Dowdall Theatre
The knowledge you are providing a space to keep valuable educational, Community, and tourist base theatre activities going.
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Why Name The Building The John Dowdall Theatre?
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John Dowdall started the Port Polson Players (with Larry and Pat Barsness) in 1972. The Mission Valley Friends of the Arts was founded by John Dowdall in 1989. With all the improvements John spearheaded with the Polson Golf Course expansion, Community Development, St. Joseph Hospital and Catholic church renovations, it was thought appropriate to honor John Dowdall by naming the old “Clubhouse Theatre” after him, when he passed away in March of 2003.
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New steps for the John Dowdall Theatre
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