FORT BENTON — To be or not to be? That is the question. And the answer for Fort Benton Schools Theater Program is to be -- as the Longhorns In Theater group is back in show biz after 20 years.
Longhorns In Theater made their debut on March 18 and March 19 with one matinee and two evening shows.
The student actors hosted a production of "The Murder Mystery at the Murder Mystery" by Brian D. Taylor.
The program was in the works for 18 months after Principal Brian Miller asked the speech and drama teacher to direct.
“It was stressful and amazing all at the same time. They were just excited to get on stage and perform for the community,” said Amy Hanson, director of Longhorns In Theater.
COVID-19 postponed the organization’s entrance to the stage in 2020, now actors grades 7-to-12 have a new way to express themselves.
“The most rewarding part is being on stage and getting to be a completely different person. I know that acting has helped me kind of grow as a person and just be more outgoing in everyday life. and I think that can help a lot of younger kids,” said Josie Arganbright, a senior.
The Fort Benton community packed the house and supported Longhorns In Theater from the start.
“I was really excited to see how the community would react to it. I felt like there was a lot of expectations to live up to so that was kind of nerve-racking. But I feel like everything went really well and I’m really proud of how it turned out,” said junior Aedan Hanson.
With tickets, sponsors, and t-shirt sales, the show brought in $1,600; the cost of producing the show was $1,200.
Longhorns In Theater will use the money from the production to finance their next production in the Spring of 2022.
The organization has not decided the title of their next play but say a light story with a comedic tone is what they want to bring to their Fort Benton audience.
