What We Believe

Our Vision

Verge Theater’s vision is to nurture self-awareness, compassion, and community connection by ensuring everyone has equitable opportunities to engage in diverse and inclusive theater and arts. 

Our Mission

Verge Theater’s mission is to create and offer arts education and offbeat, thought-provoking theater that is empowering and accessible to all members of our vibrant local community.

Cowardly Custard (Life of the Party)

Jimmy’s First Christmas on Parole

Improverts Improv Theater

How It Started……

Verge Theater was founded in 1994 by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel as Equinox Theatre Company. In 2011, the organization transitioned from a company-based theater to a black box community theater, marking the beginning of Verge Theater. Built on the core values of inclusion and accessibility, Verge has consistently served the community through theater-making and theater arts education.

Verge’s robust education program offers classes for youth, teens, and adults, taught by local professionals who excel in their fields. Our MainStage productions are directed, designed, and performed by local creatives, ensuring a vibrant connection to the community.

During the COVID pandemic, we had to close the doors of our beloved black box theater and adapt to a nomadic and virtual theater life. We produced three full productions via Zoom and offered a wide range of classes from the safety of our homes. Once restrictions lifted, we embraced our community by holding classes and productions outdoors and in local churches.

Ride the Cyclone

The Play That Goes Wrong

Stand Stark Still: A Collection of Beckett Shorts

How It’s Going……

In 2022, Verge Theater was welcomed into The Emerson Center for Arts & Culture, nestled in the heart of downtown Bozeman. With this move, we’ve returned to our full lineup of productions, and our education programs are thriving like never before! We’ve also expanded by adding a Fine Art Gallery, transitioning into a Gallery by Day ~ Theater by Night model. Through it all, we’ve maintained our commitment to inclusion and accessibility, extending our programs to meet you wherever you are.

Our community initiatives include:

  • Verge in the Schools, where we partner with local teachers to bring our tried-and-true theater curriculum into classrooms.

  • Verge in the Community, where we collaborate with fellow nonprofits to address community issues and elevate the voices of historically underrepresented populations.

  • Pause & Effect, a partnership with the Gallatin County Detention Center that brings our impactful theater work to community members experiencing incarceration.

  • Pay What You Wish, a flexible pricing model that makes all of our classes and productions accessible to everyone.

As we approach our 30th anniversary, it's difficult to sum up Verge’s profound impact in just a few words. Every member of the Verge community has a unique story about how they found a home in the theater. A new performer recently exclaimed with tears in their eyes, “I have found my people.”

At Verge, we provide a safe, creative space for all who wonder, create, seek truth, and make magic.

You Are Welcome Here!