The Western Montana Musician's Co-op has found a new acoustic space to suit their needs at the Entertainer Theatre in Ronan.  

The co-op was co-founded in 2019 by Keith Rennie and Doug Ruhman as a space where musicians could come and be able to use already set-up equipment. Ruhman explained the group grew fast and many musicians came from beyond the Mission Valley to join them. While COVID-19 hit shortly after their start, Ruhman said it didn’t stop the co-op's growth.  

The co-op was launched in The Red Poppy in Ronan, which was on the market at the time and was envisioned as a temporary space. It's been home to the co-op since, but now, with the building for sale again, Ruhman said they have been looking for a more permanent space.

The group approached Becky and Gary Dupuis, the CEO and COO of Polson Theatres Inc. about a year and half ago about using the Entertainer Theatre in downtown Ronan, which was closed in the wake of the pandemic. Polson Theatres has one location in Idaho and seven movie theaters across Montana, one of which is the Entertainer. 

In discussions between the co-op board and the Dupuis, Gary said they made a plan that worked financially for both parties.  

“We have discovered amazing supporters,” Ruhman said. “Becky and Gary loved what we were doing. They loved that this building could be used to advance the idea of the arts and kind of return it to its original purpose.”  

The Entertainer was built in 1917 and served as a live performance venue until it was turned into a movie theater in 1920. During COVID-19 the Dupuis’s were renovating the Polson theater, Showboat Stadium 6, and with slower numbers in Ronan they decided to close it.  

Becky said the operational cost of a one-screen theater is the same as a two -or four-screen venue, so it made sense to focus on their Polson location.  

Since the co-op has moved in, they have done some minor renovations while still keeping the integrity of the theater. Ruhman explained that they removed a couple of rows in the back of the theater to add tables and the sound board. While the screen is still attached, in front of it they added an 18-by-25-foot stage.  

“One of the features of this stage that is really special is it was built with acoustics in mind,” Ruhman said. “It wasn't slapped together in any way; the research was done on what the professional stages need to have.”  

The stage was built entirely with donated money. Ruhman explained that they used special acoustic insulation, acoustic glue and plywood to keep any sound from transmitting to the floor under the stage. He said most, if not all, of the instruments on the stage stay there constantly.

Ruhman said they have made other minor adjustments like painting the lobby and have future plans to re-do the entry.  

“We had to transform it to meet our needs as a performance venue all over again but things like the acoustics in that auditorium are phenomenal because they were designed with performance in mind,” Ruhman said. “It's been an amazing upgrade for us. And we’re so thankful to Becky and Gary for being willing to allow some changes.”  

The co-op had a soft opening for their new location in mid-July but are planning a grand opening in the future, although they haven’t set an exact date yet. Ruhman explained that the first meeting the co-op had in the Red Poppy was around mid-October in 2019.  

“We kind of thought it would be cool to have our grand opening for this building on that same date,” Ruhman said.  

The co-op currently has an open mic night every Friday and an open jam session every Saturday in their new location.  

“We're just happy to be able to support them and have the building have some life back in it,” Becky said.  

    Guitars and a drumset sit on the new stage in the Entertainer Theatre on Aug. 1. The instruments are provided by the Western Montana Musician's Co-op and are set up year round. (Emily Messer/Leader)
  

2137 - A headset sits beside the soundboard in the Entertainer Theatre on Aug 1. In this section of the theater the co-op removed some seating to make room for the soundboard. (Emily Messer/Leader)