What an incredible year it has been for Theatre 605! From a stellar season of performances, a record-breaking number of campers at our summer camps, and the BIG reveal of our new brand in October, we are profoundly grateful for your support. This year, you truly showed us how the impossible must be possible, making every moment even more special.
As a nonprofit organization, we are inspired daily by the generosity and enthusiasm of our community. Your unwavering support enables us to spark creativity, foster connection, and bring high-quality theatre programs to life. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for helping us make 2025 a year to remember!
Take a Look Back at the Magic Created On and Off the Stage
Our year began with touring the nation to assemble our Season 79 company!
We brought together a stellar company to help breathe life into our season, The Impossible Must Be Possible. Working with these talented individuals to create such an absolutely electrifying season was a real gift. Hear from directors Lisa Wipperling and Tom Schwans about their experience directing at the Black Hills Playhouse this summer.
We are incredibly proud to have delivered another remarkable summer of theatre in the Black Hills and deeply grateful to everyone who joined us for four dynamic productions. Audiences were swept away by the stories on stage, and so were we.
We were proud to support amazing causes like WAVI this summer by collecting donations during the run of Waitress: The Musical, and we hosted a sensory-friendly version of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Season 79 was made possible by a company of amazingly skilled individuals whose dedication brought every production to life. To take a closer look at 2025’s magical summer, you can read our full Season 79 recap here.
We are humbled to have made an impact on a record number of young people through our Educational Programming this year
Our educational programming made a BIG impact in 2025, changing lives in nearly every corner of the state through engaging and inspiring theatre. Theatre 605 Tours visited communities across the state, including bringing summer day camps to life at Storybook Island in Rapid City.
A highlight of the year included entering into a partnership with Wesley United Methodist Church to rent space for education offices, production, and storage space in the Whittier Neighborhood of Sioux Falls! This new space opened up the ability to host the first all-abilities summer day camp in the Fellowship Theatre!
The Expanding Stage partnered with DakotAbilities to bring engaging workshops for adults with disabilities to life. Together, they put on three fantastic productions: The Three Musketeers and the Very Pretty Diamonds, The Little Mermaid Pt. 1, and The Little Mermaid Pt. 2. Read this blog to learn more about the difference the Expanding Stage is making.
Theatre 605 Jr. Camps hosted two fun-filled camps for 5th-8th grade and 8th-12th grade students for the ninth year in a row, and this year we saw an astounding 100+ campers join us! We can’t thank our incredible counselors, staff, and trusting families enough for another amazing year of camps.
Even though the curtain officially dropped on our summer stock stage
The magic of theatre never stops at the historic Black Hills Playhouse. We officially announced Season 80, taking place in the summer of 2026. 250 Years and Counting is our chance to join in the celebration of the United States’ Semiquincentennial, also known as the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence! We will offer audiences a strong dose of the American Dream next summer. Read all about Season 80’s lineup here!
The Big Reveal
October was eagerly anticipated, as we finally got to share a BIG surprise, officially revealed at our Red, White, and Black gala. We officially announced our new corporate umbrella name, Theatre 605, and revealed our brand new look! We know change can be quite a shock, especially for an institution as old as ours. Check out this blog, including a heartfelt video from our staff, to share what has changed and what isn’t changing anytime soon.
And here we now find ourselves at the end of another spectacular year, looking back on so many fond memories. We could not do all we do without the generous support of so many amazing individuals, businesses, and organizations. We can’t thank you enough for the encouragement and support you have given us. During this season of giving, we invite you to support our mission to KEEP OUR COMPANY SAFE as we head into a new year. To learn more about how you can support our goal to update our historic stock theatre, read this blog.
From all of us at Theatre 605, we wish you a beautiful rest of 2025, and we will see you in 2026!