Chocolate Malts & Nickel Sodas by Margaret Johnson

I was one of the lucky individuals in the world; I fell in love with theatre as a freshman in high school and was able to pursue my goal for 37 years, teaching drama at Sentinel High School in Missoula, Montana. Margaret F. was a student at the time. Johnson did more than just put on fantastic shows; she also motivated many of her students to pursue careers in the theatre. Several of her children have gone on to become well-known Broadway actors, movie stars, and backstage technicians. Two of them have appeared in Tony Award-winning shows...

Once, and then there was The Father. Kathleen McNenny, a Broadway actor who also teaches at Julliard; Scott Michael Campbell, a writer, producer, and director who has appeared in the films Brokeback Mountain, Push, and Flight of the Phoenix, as well as Showtime's Shameless; Tom Valach, an award-winning freelance designer in the Palm Springs area; and John Shaffner, an Emmy Award-winning designer for several television shows Margaret was the Montana State Thespian Director from 1972 to 1992, and together with the University of Montana's College of Visual and Performing Arts, she founded the annual state convention, which is being held today. She directed more than 190 shows, ranging from children's theatre to modern classics to Shakespeare and full-fledged musicals.