The Rep’s Artistic Director Michael Legg with "Hearth" playwright and composer Tyson Gerhardt.
The Montana Repertory Theatre (The Rep) continues its return to live theatre with the upcoming holiday performance, “Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” from Dec. 9-11 in the Montana Theatre at the University of Montana and Dec. 16-18 at the Zootown Arts Community Center (ZACC).
“Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” follows The Rep’s successful season opener, “Back to School,” which sold out for six of the eight interactive performances.
“Our hope is that ‘Hearth’ becomes a holiday tradition for our community and that folks can bring their families, whether traditional or chosen, back to see it every year,” said The Rep’s Artistic Director Michael Legg.
“Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” is written and composed by Missoula-based artist Tyson Gerhardt, and features the band The Recession Special. It tells the story of a young boy named Tom who wanders off on a cold December night into a world of buskers and vagabonds struggling to survive the winter.
As they share their songs and stories, Tom hatches a plan to help them, but one wrong step could upset the balance of a way of life already on the edge. What begins as an act of childhood rebellion becomes a window into the wonder and cruelty of the world.
Following in The Rep’s nontraditional style, “Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” will be part concert, part reading, part musical and part new play development. After each performance, Gerhardt and The Rep’s creative team will hold a short post-show conversation to gather input from the audience about the performance. That feedback will be incorporated into each show, so no two nights will be the same.
“It’s a unique opportunity for the audience to be part of the creative process as the play is being workshopped, and it’s my hope that this play can grow into something that the audience can feel they had a hand in creating,” Gerhardt said.
“There’s also going to be some really fun live music. It’s my hope that audiences walk away with a renewed sense of community, charity, and a holiday spirit free from modern consumerism.”
As with every performance this season, tickets will be sold at “Pick What You Pay” pricing to encourage theatre-goers to set their own cost for each show.
All performances are subject to University of Montana and Missoula City-County Health Department guidelines surrounding public gatherings and can change at any time. The Rep will be releasing information with audience safety protocols should there be changes prior to performance dates.
Tickets are available online and at the University of Montana Box Office.
To support The Rep, its art and mission, donations and season pass purchases can be made at montanarep.com. Season passes include a ticket to every performance and exclusive perks such as invitations to The Rep events.
Established in 1967, the Montana Repertory Theatre is the resident professional theatre at the University of Montana. Standing at the cross section of educational and professional theatre, The Rep produces work that celebrates, engages and challenges the people of Missoula and the state of Montana.