Seeing a need for a kind of theatre that spoke directly to the people of the Northwest, the Vigilante Players, Inc. was founded by John Hosking and Rhonda Smith at Western College in Dillon, MT in 1981. At the invitation of the Department of Media and Theatre Arts at Montana State University, The Vigilante Players came to Bozeman in 1983.

The Vigilante Theatre Company endeavors to bring professional performances to Montanans of all ages by creating original works written by award-winning Montana play-wrights and performed by talented Montana actors. We strive to engage communities with performances about local history and current events and refer to familiar places and characters in our performances. This is how theatre leaps off dusty shelves and into the vibrancy of our immediate experiences. The Vigilante Theatre Company marries this experience with the time honored event of a community gathering creating an inspired social event. This is imperative in our rural state which does not often receive the opportunity to experience live professional theatre. The Vigilante Theatre Company budget is small. With the help of grants, contributors, our staff and Board of Directors, and the generosity of artists with whom we work, who consistently donate more time and talent than they are rewarded financially, the Vigilante Theatre Company continues to bring live, original theatre to the state of Montana. The Vigilante Theatre Company maintains this experience is essential to the cultural lives of all Montanans.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Vigilante Theatre Company is to stimulate and promote interest in theatre, to educate both adults and children in the dramatic arts, to advance the culture of the West in drama, and to bring theatre to areas of the West which lack adequate opportunities to enjoy live performances.

The Vigilante Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by presenter fees, private donations, and funding from the Montana Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Montana Cultural Trust, Montana Shares, The Mericos Foundation and the Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts.