Four Theaters Take GOAT Across the Northern Hills
On Thursday night, four community theater groups will bring four separate one-act plays to the Belle Fourche Rec Center Auditorium. On Friday, the same program moves to Lead. Saturday is Sturgis, followed by a Sunday afternoon performance in Spearfish.
The 5th Annual Getting Our Acts Together: A Night of Northern Hills One-Acts, commonly called GOAT, runs September 17–20 with productions from Belle Fourche Area Community Theater, Historic Homestake Opera House, Sturgis Community Theater and the Matthews Opera House. Each organization prepares its own one-act, and audiences at all four stops see the complete four-play program.
GOAT began in 2022 after an earlier plan for the collaboration was delayed during the COVID years. The first production included Belle Fourche Area Community Theater, the Matthews Opera House and Historic Homestake Opera House. Each theater prepared a one-act and hosted the complete program in its own community.
That first year included performances in Lead, Spearfish and Belle Fourche. BFACT’s contribution was Endings Are Hard, written by Derek Olson and Toi Lyn Flick. Belle Fourche Area Community Theater later reported selling 73 tickets for its local GOAT performance and described the collaboration as something it wanted to continue annually.
The event returned in 2023 with the same three communities. Sturgis Community Theater joined for the third annual production in 2024, expanding GOAT to four participating theater groups and four host communities. Historic Homestake Opera House records show the fourth annual event took place in 2025.
Four one-acts for 2026
This year’s program includes four different plays, each presented by one of the participating theater organizations.
- Belle Fourche Area Community Theater — Good Neighbors
Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. — Belle Fourche Rec Center Auditorium - Historic Homestake Opera House — Sure Thing by David Ives
Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. — Historic Homestake Opera House, Lead - Sturgis Community Theater — Charlie to the Checkout Please by Robert Scott
Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. — Sturgis Community Center Theater - The Matthews Opera House — Ladies of the Mop by Harris Aurand
Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. — Matthews Opera House, Spearfish
Rather than combining actors into a single production, the GOAT format keeps the four one-acts separate. Each participating community prepares its own piece, then the complete program is performed at every stop. That gives each cast four performances on four Northern Hills stages over the course of the run.
Four days, four communities
Belle Fourche Area Community Theater — Good Neighbors
Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. — Belle Fourche Rec Center Auditorium
Historic Homestake Opera House — Sure Thing by David Ives
Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. — Historic Homestake Opera House, Lead
Sturgis Community Theater — Charlie to the Checkout Please by Robert Scott
Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. — Sturgis Community Center Theater
The Matthews Opera House — Ladies of the Mop by Harris Aurand
Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. — Matthews Opera House, Spearfish
Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. Historic Homestake Opera House lists those prices for its September 18 performance, and participating organizations are handling admission for their respective stops.