Village's theatre named after Thomsons

Don and Jude Thomson have left their mark on theatre in Bigfork in countless ways, but Saturday their contributions were put in permanent silver lettering for all to see.

The auditorium in the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts was dedicated to the Thomsons at the opening night of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' on Saturday, June 5. It is now dubbed the "Thomson Theatre" over both entrances.

"They are definitely the most important individuals related to this theatre," said Walter Kuhn, treasurer of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts Foundation. "Without their dedication (to performance arts), we more than likely wouldn't have a theatre in Bigfork."

The foundation's board talked about dedicating the theatre to the Thomsons last year during the Bigfork Summer Playhouse's 50th anniversary, but decided to space it out from the dedication of the lobby to donor Jim Bell following his death last spring.

The naming of the theatre for the Thomsons was determined in a vote by the 14-member foundation board.

"We thought the recognition was well over due," Kuhn said. "There were probably a lot of different ways to give the recognition, but that seemed to me to be the most lasting."

The Bigfork Summer Playhouse is also a major tenant that helps support the maintenance of the center. The lobby renovation last year makes the dedication more visible than it would have been in the old lobby, Kuhn said.

"It's a moment in history for the playhouse," said Curt Olds, director of "Scoundrels' and a former BSP cast member.

Don and Jude have been heading up the Bigfork Summer Playhouse for 42 years, just nine years shy from its beginning.

Don has been a part of the playhouse since 1964.

"We had no idea," Don Thomson said of the honor. "It's great to see you all here. We're just excited about what we've been doing. We're excited about the season."

Don was first hired by Dr. Firman 'Bo' Brown to design scenery for the sets of the Bigfork Summer Playhouse in 1964. His future wife Jude joined him in 1965. Both did some acting, but that wasn't their main focus. Don at the time directed his energy to designing and creating sets and Jude provided her talents as a pianist and music director. The two married in the fall of 1965.

Brown left after the 1967 season and, at his suggestion, the Bigfork Development Company hired Don and Jude to manage and produce the Bigfork Summer Playhouse. They took over the management and operation of the theatre in 1968 and bought the theatre company outright three years later. They've been running it ever since.