Community coming together to support Sixth Street Theater

WALLACE — A local landmark is looking for some help and fortunately the call has been answered.

Team Wallace is a philanthropic group of folks who have taken on the responsibility of making sure Wallace’s businesses survive whatever may come their way.

The ongoing pandemic has crippled several Wallace businesses, particularly those that depend on tourism dollars — dollars that suddenly weren’t there when COVID-19 struck.

Team Wallace has raised a total of more than $15,000 for businesses like Slab Meat Co., Woodland Market, Q's Haircuts, the Brooks, the Wallace District Mine Museum and they are now focusing on the Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater.

The Sixth Street Theater is an incredibly popular attraction for Wallace’s year-round tourism as it gives visitors and locals alike, something to do in the evenings.

According to Norma Douglas, a board member with the Sixth Street Theater, just to keep the lights on costs between $500 and $600 per month, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg in show business.

“If we use a script that was written by a current board member, community member or founding member, the costs are around $500,” Douglas said. “This includes minimal wages for the director, ticket person and sound engineer. Other costs would be for any materials needed for the stage set and promotion. If we use a script that requires royalties, then add another $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the number of shows and cost per show.”

To give readers a perspective, during their attempted run at the hilarious “Church Basement Ladies,” the theater actually lost money due to closing early, but having already paid the royalties, they also lost money during their attempted 2020 summer season.

With vaccines being rolled out and the COVID crisis seemingly trending toward an end, Sixth Street is looking into the potential for a summer run of shows, as long as the funding is available, but they are guaranteeing a winter season.

“We are planning on performances in November, Christmas and March 2022 for certain,” Douglas said. “All of those shows are being written by board members. We hope to have a summer season of some sort, but we won't know until June what that will be. Any funds will help keep the lights on until we can be back to a more normal season. We have cut costs where we can, including temporarily disconnecting our phone and internet. We will do whatever it takes to keep our local theater open.”

In the interim, the theater has been available for rent for personal events, including showing movies on the big screen, which has brought in some money – including donations from the guests who attend the events being held.

If you would like to help the Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater, you can reach out to them directly through their Facebook page, or by contacting Team Wallace organizer Marcy Hayman at 208-752-1019 or by email at marcyhayman@gmail.com.