Distinctly Montana Magazine

81 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m to KIDSMAT and I can remember the parents being in KIDS- MAT themselves. We're multigenerational now." One of the biggest turns for MAT was in 2003 when it took Pyette's The Dead of Winter to London. Directed by Olson as a component of his master's degree, 18 actors from Havre crossed the pond to perform a 15-show run in the Off-West End theatre, The Union. "We got really good reviews," Olson said, including in Time Out and The Stage, the theatre trade paper. Closer to home and going forward, MAT is looking to put on shows in as many small towns across the state as they can, espe- cially where they don't get the opportunity to view live theatre. Even more exciting is the possibility of new digs, a 300-400 seat theatre in the soon to be constructed Aurora Complex on the MSUN campus. "Northern has been great for us," Olson says, "but one of the problems is we're growing out of our space; a 140-seat theatre doesn't do justice to the shows we want to do." "Ultimately, we're treating everything we do as professionals," Olson is proud to say. "Because the audience doesn't care if it's community theatre or not, they're paying their hard-earned mon- ey to see it and we're not going to give them an inferior quality." Is MAT really that good? Pyette and Olson might be biased, but Olson says without hesitation, "There are productions I'd pluck out of Havre and put them in Minneapolis, or London, or New York, and I feel the quality is on par if not better." That being the case, lucky Havre. Lucky Montana. www.blacktieskis.com | 406-995-3372 | info@blacktiebigsky.com Aspen/Snowmass • Banff • BIG SKY/MOONLIGHT Boone, NC • Breckenridge/Keystone Crested Butte • Jackson Hole • Mammoth North Lake Tahoe • Park City/Deer Valley South Lake Tahoe • Steamboat • Telluride Vail • Whistler • Whitefish, MT • Winter Park FREE DELIVERY, CUSTOM FITTING, AND UNPARALLELED SERVICE WORLD-CLASS EQUIPMENT, DELIVERED TO YOU. USE COUPON CODE DISTMT23 AND RECEIVE 20% OFF ALL SEASON LONG! BEST BEST SKI RENTALS SKI RENTALS IN MONTANA IN MONTANA N O R T H A M E R I C A' S L A R G E S T N O R T H A M E R I C A' S L A R G E S T IN-ROOM FITTING SLOPE-SIDE SERVICE COMPLIMENTARY RETURN "BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T CARE IF IT'S COMMUNITY THEATRE OR NOT, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY TO SEE IT AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE THEM AN INFERIOR QUALITY." Twelfth Night

• Cover