Playmill Theatre opening new building in Island Park
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ISLAND PARK – After 57 years of business, the Playmill Theatre is moving to a new location.
Owner Roger Merrill tells EastIdahoNews.com he recently purchased the building formerly occupied by the old Mack’s Inn Dinner Theater in Island Park. Construction will begin once the old building is demolished.
Merrill was originally planning to begin construction this fall, but the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some delays in the financing process with the bank. He doesn’t know when the project will begin, but he’s hoping to have it ready for the 2022 season.
The new 22,000-square-foot building will be more than five times larger than its current 3,500-square-foot space at 29 Madison Ave. in West Yellowstone, Montana. The seating capacity will nearly double from 267 to 480.
The new location will also include a restaurant called Henry’s Fork, which will include entertainment all night.
“We will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the servers will also be performers in the theatre. There will be a small stage in the restaurant where the servers will take turns singing at the mic while waiting tables,” Merrill says.
The menu will include items like salad, burgers and steak, cooked by chef Ruben Estrada, who owns Raised Southern BBQ in Shelley.
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There will also be a gift shop called Mill Creek Mercantile with a soda fountain inside.
“The theme will be turn of the century sawmill/grist mill, which is much more evocative of the setting at Mack’s Inn (replacing the Dutch windmill theme we have in West Yellowstone),” says Merrill.
An overshot water wheel on the front of the building will be functional with a flowing creek or pond.
Merrill started looking for a new location about two and a half years ago.
“We’ve just outgrown it and there’s not anything in town to accommodate what we need so we’ve been looking at options for a long time,” he says.
Merrill purchased the business in 2005 from John Bidwell. Lynn Benson was the original owner of the Playmill, which opened in 1964.
The building in West Yellowstone was built in the 1920s and started out as a Bingo parlor, drug store and post office. It sat vacant for several years after the infamous Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959 before Benson turned it into the Playmill.
Merrill says most of Playmill’s customers come from Idaho, so being 20 minutes south of their current location will be more convenient for people.
“We can’t capitalize on the tourist traffic in town because we usually sell out in advance at our current location,” Merrill says. “We’re hoping it will be a positive step.”
The season typically begins Memorial Day weekend, but there was a delayed start this year due to COVID-19. It opened June 24 at 75% capacity.
Safety protocols have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Merrill says. Those things include wearing masks, disinfecting the theater between shows and temperature checks.
The season runs through Labor Day, and Merrill says there are still some seats available. Shows this season include “Footloose,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Tarzan.”
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“We’re excited about Mack’s Inn and to be back in Idaho. With the new development of the Marriott and everything that’s going on at Mack’s Inn…we just think it’s going to be a big move,” he says.
The new Playmill Theatre will be built above where the Marriott SpringHill Suites Hotel now sits. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit the website.