Past & Present

What We Believe

Our Vision

Verge Theater’s vision is to ensure everyone has equitable opportunities to engage in a diverse and inclusive theater and arts community that nurtures self-awareness, compassion, and connection.

Our Mission

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

How It Started

Verge Theater was founded by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel in 1994 as Equinox Theatre Company. In 2011 the organization transitioned from a company based theater organization to a black box community theater. Thus began Verge Theater, built on the foundational values of inclusion and accessibility. Through out our history, Verge Theater has served our community through theater making and theater arts education. Verge Theater’s robust education program includes 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.

During the Covid pandemic, we shuttered the doors at our beautiful quirky black box theater and transitioned to the nomadic and virtual theater life. We conducted three full productions via Zoom and a vast array of classes all from the safety of our homes. Once restrictions were lifted, we leaned into our community and held our classes and productions out doors and in local churches.

How It’s Going

In 2022, Verge Theater was welcomed into The Emerson Center for Arts & Culture, nestled in the heart of downtown Bozeman. We have returned to our full line up of productions and our education programs are booming like never before! We added a Fine Art Gallery and have transitioned into a Gallery by Day ~ Theater by Night. We continue to nurture an environment of inclusion and accessibility and have extended our programs to meet you where you are at. Our community programs include Verge in the Schools, where we partner with local teachers to bring our time tested theater curriculum into the classroom; Verge in the Community, where we partner with fellow nonprofits to address issues serving our community and provide opportunities to bring awareness and lift the voices of historically underrepresented communities; Pause & Effect, where we partner with our friends at Gallatin County Detention Center to bring our impactful work to community members experiencing incarceration; and a Pay What You Wish scale for all our classes and productions.

As we approach our 30th year, it is increasingly difficult to boil Verge’s profound impact down to a few sentences. Each member of Verge has a unique story of how they found a home in the theater. A new performer recently exclaimed with tears in their eyes, “I have found my people.” We are a safe place for all who wonder, create, seek truth, and make magic.

You Are Welcome Here!