Name to a Face: Colton Anderson

Colton Anderson is the man behind the scenes, quite literally. While you may not know his face, you've enjoyed his work. As the owner of the Star Theatre, Anderson works to bring in the latest in entertainment to the big screen, as well as helps behind the scenes of many Whitehall events, including Beats & Eats, Shakespeare in the Park, and Screams Come True.

Anderson moved to Whitehall in 2005, becoming part of the Sacry family when his mother married Steve Sacry. In 2007, he found a job at the Star Theatre, then owned by Kerry Sacry, while attending Whitehall High School. After graduating in 2009 he first took his acting skills to an acting school in Los Angeles, before heading to Montana State University, where he earned a B.A. in Neuroscience and Cell Biology.

While his love of medicine and science was strong, his passion for theatre, prop-building and cinematography was stronger. In 2016, shortly after graduating from MSU, Anderson took over the Star Theatre from Sacry and set to work, updating The Star Theatre to what it is today.

In 2019 Anderson was named one of the Montana Standard's Top 20 under 40. His work with friend and "partner-in-crime" Bill Pullman was noted, as well as his desire to give back to the community of Whitehall.

"I have always had the ideal that a business should give back to the community that gives its time and money to it, so I've used that ideology in running my theater," Anderson told the Standard.

In his spare time, which he has little of with almost four-year-old Huck and nine month old Luke - his children with wife Kayla - Anderson is the treasurer of Gold Junction Presents. GJP, a Whitehall non-profit, works to bring arts and cultural events to the area. Over the summer GJP, along with generous sponsors, brought in the free Kids Adventure Movie Series, as well as the Made in Montana Movie series. He is also the groundskeeper for the Main Street Green, Whitehall's event park at the corner of Legion Avenue and Main Street, which is run by Gold Junction Presents. In the winter months he also assists with Toys For Tots, with the Star Theatre acting as drop off location for gifts.

Colton loves the small-town feel that Whitehall has and finds it very unique Whitehall is prosperous with only one side to the "downtown" area, where as most towns are two-sided streets filled with shops. He does want to see more liveliness in town with more businesses, and believes that involving the youth of the town more will keep them here, as well as get them interested in leadership within the town, which will assist it in growing, while keeping the small-town feel.