Download the form below, call us at 605-584-2067 or email at info@homestakeoperahouse.org. Please return the form to the following address:
Homestake Opera House
PO Box 412
Lead, SD 57754
Volunteer Application
The full season is available on our events page. You can also download the full schedule here.
Parking is available at different areas around the opera house. Please see the map above for parking details. (The blue areas represent parking lots.)
We love to show off this magnificent Jewel of the Black Hills. There are several times throughout the year when we hold open-house type events to welcome the public to view the building. Becoming a member of the Opera House will guarantee that you are invited to such events and more! Otherwise, we offer scheduled tours throughout the year. These tours must be scheduled in advance and cost about $10 per person. Please remember that we are a non-profit and a performing arts venue. We cannot afford the “quick peek” and still pay the bills. When we are preparing for a show, we cannot allow access to the public.
Most importantly, we guarantee you that a “quick peek” will not do this place justice. We encourage you to support us financially and let one of our passionate staff members or volunteers walk you through the captivating story of the Homestake Opera House. You won’t be sorry. Book a tour today!
The short answer is yes, absolutely you can! We produce several community theatre productions each year for all ages. We can’t guarantee that you will be cast in a role, but whenever possible we encourage wide participation and large casts. The more you audition the more likely you are to get on stage. We encourage interested actors, actresses, singers, and dancers of all experience levels to participate. We are dedicated to arts education at every level and would love to get you involved. Audition announcements can be found on our Facebook page and are sent out through our email list. Sign up now to be in the know!
This is where it gets more complicated. There are many factors that go into our decisions regarding which artists to book each season. Marketability, technical needs, contract fees, similarity to other offerings, local accessibility, and many other factors all play into whether we feel a show will be financially viable for us. It gets complicated and as much as we hate to tell talented people “No” sometimes that is just the unfortunate reality of trying to make responsible choices and keep the lights on.
That said, we are always looking for artists who will excite our audiences and our Executive Director likes to book shows well in advance. So we do encourage you to contact us if you feel you are a great fit for audiences in the Black Hills.
If we do not offer you a booking, we encourage you to check out options for renting the venue for your show. We offer a variety of rental packages with varied levels of staff support. This option puts the responsibility on you to fill the seats, but also gives you the chance to keep all the ticket sales. Check out our venue rental page for more info!
For events throughout the year we work directly with the artists we contract or with their agents. If you want to see an artist on our stage and happen to know them personally or know their representatives, feel free to pass our information along and have them give us a call. You are welcome to forward suggestions to Opera House staff, but please know that we field many of these types of requests and we are much more likely to book a performer after speaking to them or their authorized representative.
For community theatre, we take proposals on an ongoing basis and choose our season of productions in the spring. Proposals consist of a simple form explaining the play you wish to see produced and why you think it is a good fit for the Homestake Opera House. The number one thing you can do to make your proposal stand out is to offer to direct it! Don’t know how to direct? Contact staff for arts education opportunities—we are happy to help!
We have had productive conversations over the years with members of both the Hearst Foundation and the Hearst Corporation. At this time, we do not qualify for support from the foundation. It is important to remember that the impact of George and Phoebe stretched across the country. We are one of thousands of organizations vying for attention and support. We will continue our conversations with them and continue to honor the memory of these historical giants who helped make Lead great.
The Homestake Opera House does not own any of the shows or properties that it produces. All performances are contracted based on a mutual agreement between the performers and the venue. The amazing artists who own and perform this Christmas favorite made the choice in 2020 to branch out, taking their show to other venues. We only wish them the greatest success and would welcome them back to our stage any time.
