The Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater is one of the most well-known theaters in North Dakota, putting on over 16 productions a year and dating back 65 years. There are also many other events that take place at FMCT which involves a lot of planning on a day to day basis.
Some of the day to day activities that take place at FMCT include marketing, set & costume design, selling tickets, organizing the next year’s schedule, planning education programs, applying for grants, and scheduling fundraisers; clearly a lot more goes on than someone would expect at a theater during the week! Marketing techniques that FMCT participates in are putting posters up around town, Facebook and Twitter, emailing lists, sponsoring, billboard ads, and ads in the Fargo Forum and Arts Pulse.
FMCT is different from most theaters around the area because they offer classes for all ages. People around the community have the chance to participate in acting classes to either better them for their career or just to do something fun! A lot of people that enroll in the classes do not participate in an FMCT production; they’re there for the pure enjoyment. However, many do participate in productions throughout the year as well. In fact, a lot of the classes have a production built within them which is performed at the end of the class. It is truly a great opportunity!
There are also many other groups and events that use the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater’s space for their productions. Some of these groups include Bare Stage Theater, Fargo-Moorhead Music Theater, Tin Roof Theatre Company, and Red River Players; pictures of these groups are below. Trying to schedule the theater’s 16 plus productions a year as well as all the other events involves a lot of calendar planning and a lot of time.
With all of these day to day activities that go on for a non-profit organization, we ask ourselves: why? A community theater like FMCT is truly for the community. It offers an outlet for entertainment; a vicarious experience that the community can participate in. It is somewhere where you can escape the stressful day to day activity that goes on and can get a great laugh in at night. Art as a whole is great for culture and without it the community would be a darker place. If you haven’t been to a theater production, get out and go to one. Get involved and even try out for a production, whether you are a rookie or a veteran; you won’t regret it. It is a great time to let lose, enjoy yourself, and let out a laugh while enjoying a great thing that is produced by people in your own community!
