MLT THEATRE NEWS

THIS IS NEWS FROM THE MOTHER LODE THEATRE  - -  JAMES DRISCOLL REPORTING  - -  FAREWELL TO GUS  - -  THE DIRECTORS OF THE BUTTE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, ALONG WITH STAFF MEMBERS AND ADVISORS OF THE MOTHER LODE AND ORPHAN GIRL THEATRES, HAVE BID A VERY RELUCTANT FAREWELL TO ONE OF THE TWO CO-CREATERS OF THIS REMARKABLE INSTITUTION ... HELEN-GUTHRIE-MILLER, KNOWN TO US ALL AS "GUS", BEGAN WORKING WITH BOB POORE EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO TO PUT TOGETHER WHAT PROUDLY BECAME SOUTHWEST MONTANA'S PREMIERE "CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS" ... THIRTEEN YEARS AGO OUR MAIN HOUSE OPENED AS THE MOTHER-LODE-THEATRE, A NAME COINED BY GUS, FOLLOWED SOON AFTER BY THE ORPHAN-GIRL-THEATRE, A JEWEL-BOX WHOSE CHILDREN'S THEATRE PROGRAMS HAVE GAINED NATIONAL RECOGNITION ... MANY PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS GREAT GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT NO ONE ON THE SCALE OF ITS TWO FOUNDERS ... BOB POORE WAS A TIRELESS CHEERLEADER AND BANKROLLER OF HIS "BABY," AND GUS HAS CONTRIBUTED A HUGE PART OF HER LIFE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES AS THE UNPAID, BEHIND-THE-CURTAIN WIZARD OF ALL THINGS OPERATIONAL ... EVEN AT MINIMUM WAGE, GUS'S UNPAID LABOR WOULD HAVE A MARKET VALUE OF AROUND A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS BY NOW, AND WE GOT-IT-ALL, HER VERY BEST, FOR A FEW DRINKS AND DINNERS, A LOT OF LAUGHS, AND HER OBVIOUS LOVE OF THE STAGE ... GUS IS NOW TAKING A NEW PATH LEADING TO CHOTEAU, MONTANA, SOMETIME HOME TO FOUR GENERATIONS OF GUTHERIES AND KNOWN TO HER SINCE CHILDHOOD ... IT IS NAMED FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST OF THE FRENCH VOYAGEURS THAT HER FATHER, A.B. GUTHRIE, JR. WROTE ABOUT, AND AS THE MOUNTAIN MEN KNEW IN HIS CLASSIC "THE BIG SKY," YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH, AND YOUR "PARDS" CAN'T CHANGE IT ... WE CAN ONLY WISH GUS OUR VERY BEST, GIVE HER OUR UNBOUNDED THANKS FOR EVERYTHING SHE GAVE, AND HOPE WE MEET AGAIN, COME MANY A RENDEZVOUS DOWN THE ROAD - - - THIS IS JAMES DRISCOLL HER GOOD FRIEND SIGNING OFF FROM BUTTE  - -

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