RAPID CITY - It was a bittersweet afternoon Sunday at the Dahl Art Center, as the Black Hills Community Theatre finished 28 years of performances there.

With the Dahl building set to close for its expansion-renovation project, the community theater group must move to the Hotel Alex Johnson for its coming productions, pending eventual construction of a new performing arts center.

"It's a combination of emotions," BHCT Executive Director Patrick O'Leary said prior to the performance. "There's nostalgia, of course. It's an historic move. And there's also a great deal of energy and excitement about the Alex Johnson move."

O'Leary said this transition period made the appropriate backdrop for the final theater production in the Dahl: "Into the Woods," with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The musical about life's transitions and community connections made for the perfect conclusion to the community theater's stay in the Dahl, O'Leary said. That part brought some melancholy to long-time theater follower Phyllis Britton of Rapid City, but she agreed with O'Leary that looking ahead is exciting.

"It's kind of sad today," Britton said. "But we'll see them soon over at the Alex."

Wayne Gilbert of Rapid City turned out to enjoy the final show and also bid farewell to the Dahl theater stage, where he and his wife, Kristi Thielen, were married almost 27 years ago.

"We rented it, and had a string quartet. It was very nice," Gilbert said. "But it's time for Rapid City to have three performing venues: the civic center theater, a mid-size venue of something like 500 seats and a smaller venue, like this."

That should all happen, if the Dahl includes a small theater in its improvement project and the theater group's performing arts center is built, he said.

Whatever the final make-up of performing venues in Rapid City, it is time for the Dahl theater to be improved, Rapid City arts advocate Polly Donaldson said.

"I think they're so in need of a theater," she said. "I'm so pleased they'll be able to have something bigger, and better."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com