Simplified: You probably know Theatre 605 – just not by that name. The Black Hills Playhouse has long had a Sioux Falls presence, but with a new name and a new brand, it's leaning into the statewide nature of its work. Here's what you need to know.

Why it matters

  • The Playhouse opened in Custer State Park in 1946, and in the mid-90s, the organization added a statewide touring children's theatre company – later called Dakota Players. Over the years, services expanded even further with the goal to make theatre accessible to people of all ages, all abilities and all geographic locations statewide.
  • With the rebrand, that work stays the same under four distinct programs, but it's all under one consistent label: Theatre 605. In Sioux Falls, the rebrand also comes with a new physical location, thanks to a partnership with Wesley United Methodist Church providing office space, storage and even performance space.
  • The Sioux Falls office coordinates the statewide children's theatre tours and camps, as well as a relatively new Expanding Stage program that brings theatre to folks who may not otherwise get a chance to perform.
    • Artistic Director Deb Workman shared the example of a person at DakotAbilities who got to participate in a show for the first time at age 65.
"Watching that magic be rekindled or found for the first time, it's like, what are we doing not giving people access to what their soul needs?" Workman said. "And I think that's what keeps driving us."

Tell me more about Theatre 605

Theatre 605 has four main programs, including:

  • Theatre 605 Black Hills Playhouse,
  • Theatre 605 Jr. Camps,
  • Theatre 605 Tours
  • Theatre 605 Expanding Stage, in partnership with assisted living facilities and places like DakotAbilities.

The Playhouse itself is unique in that it's a regional professional theatre company, Executive Director Linda Anderson said. That means actors are paid for their time, unlike most community theatre groups which rely on volunteers.

Theatre 605 Tours are also unique in that they bring touring shows to school districts and other community groups that may not otherwise have a chance to stage a show.

  • Students are cast in roles, rehearse and ultimately perform a full production over the course of a week.
"We go to places that others don't," Anderson said.

Often, kids who participate in the touring shows will go on to attend the Theatre 605, Jr. camps, where they get even more exposure to the ins and outs of performance.

And the Expanded Access program helps people with disabilities by pairing them with a volunteer on stage, for example, or having an earpiece so the director can help actors with cues.

"We're not thinking we're going to make Broadway stars," Workman said. "We're out here thinking the world needs creative people."

What happens next?

The Sioux Falls Theatre 605 location is hosting a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at the Wesley United Methodist Church on east Sixth Street. All are invited to stop by and see the new space between 4 and 6 p.m.

Clarification: An earlier version of the story misstated the names of the four programs in Theatre 605.