An Inspired Production

As the Ammon area grows, so does a growing need for the community to express itself through the arts. Inspired by the support of her principal and the enthusiasm of locals, Thunder Ridge High School theater teacher Jorden Cammack headed up the Ammon Arts Community Theatre in November of 2019. 

The Ammon Arts Community Theatre is a branch of the Ammon Arts Organization, an organization that has been operating for two years now. Public board meetings occur every third Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Getting Started

Cammack attends The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where her stake runs a church production. The production, directed by Rachel Keppner, drew like-minded individuals, such as Cammack who served as the technical director, together. Over time, the group that had formed during the church production decided it was worth seeking further growth. 

“I reached out to everybody to let them know I just needed more. I needed more hands. I needed more people,” said Cammack. 

After deciding to move forward with the project, it became a game of logistics—getting more adults involved in the program, choosing board members, finding someone to run the treasury and more, until the theatre group was well on its way to becoming an official organization and a staple to the Ammon arts community. 

Growing Steadily

Despite some local misgivings, the community theatre group has grown quickly, proving there is a hunger for the arts outside of the Idaho Falls epicenter. 

“New people keep showing up at our board meetings,” shared Jorden. “People have said to me multiple times, ‘This is a saturated market. You're not going to get anywhere with this.’ But people keep showing me that's not the case. It just keeps building.”

An Eye on 2021

Some adjustments were required to the theatre’s schedule as everyone dealt with the impact of COVID-19, including pushing their show back a few weeks and limiting capacity, but the group was able to soldier forward to accomplish the goals they originally set out to achieve. After a successful year of performances in 2020, locals can look forward to shows in 2021 that will continue to prove the importance of creating room for a growing arts community.

For More Information

Jorden Cammack, President

208-557-1258

ammonartscommunitytheatre@gmail.com 

Click here to read the February issue of Idaho Falls Magazine.