Cutter Theatre

The Cutter Theatre is a non-profit performing arts center that for twenty-one years has brought quality visual and performing arts to the Inland Northwest.  On the National Register of Historic Places, the 1912 building was originally designed by architect Kirtland Cutter as The Metaline Falls School. It served in that capacity until 1972, then as the Selkirk School District office. After being retired from use the building remained unheated for well-more than a decade suffering catastrophic decline as a result.

In 1990 Eva Gayle and Al Six of Ione, Van Whysong, Erin Kinney, Dave Daniel and a host of other educators, their partners, children and volunteers from Metaline Falls and the surrounding region championed the building's return to glory. These individuals, organized since 1987 as a nonprofit performing arts group, went about the task of purchasing the building. In the first year of restoration over 14,000 hours, most by volunteers were tallied. The theatre company and the former gymnasium within the school were officially named The Cutter Theatre in 1991. It was truly by community Will that the Cutter Theatre was born.

In the twenty-one years since the first performance the community has continued to sustain the Cutter Theatre by lending considerable time and energies volunteering and supporting programs financially. We're humbled by the generosity of Cutter Theatre patrons and the Cast of Volunteers who see to it everything runs smoothly.

By operational efficiency and retaining the excellent volunteers and staff we now enjoy, we will continue to bring visual and performing arts to the region; even in this dire economy. This is how we both honor and further the work of those who came before.

(Building photos by Ted Hawk)