BREATHLESS BRAITHWAITE!
by Marvin S. Mayer
Live theatre is nothing new. In fact, it can be traced at least as far back as the glory days of the ancient Greek civilizations. But, let's escape "ancient" times. Still a long time ago, but as recently as the late 16th and early 17th centuries, The Bard of Avalon captivated theater audiences in Europe with his renowned plays; plays that today are considered classics. He is credited with coining the phrase, "All the World is a stage…" Although this is an article about "historical" events in Smith County, TX, we still don't want to go that far back. Instead, let's take a look at live theatre in Tyler as recently as the 20th century.
As for the citizens of Smith County, Texas, and the communities surrounding Tyler, it seems to have been "born" during the roaring 20s. Tyler Little Theater was organized in 1927. Once organized, the theatre group thrived; producing shows even while the world and the nation struggled to survive the great economic depression. Although able to survive the great depression, the Tyler Little Theatre fell victim to the distractions of World War II. When the war broke out, the theatre closed its doors. As though signaling the finality of that decision, the theatre building was sold and converted into a house of worship.
Never underestimate the determination of those involved in live theatre. After "settling accounts" with Germany and Japan, interest in reopening the theatre in post-war Tyler was rekindled. Great idea, but where to perform? Resourceful minds find ways to reach goals, and this relatively "minor" challenge - where to perform - simply evaporated when those creative people sought and found other, perhaps "unusual" venues. For example, to inaugurate the 1949-1950 season, the show, George and Margaret, was presented in room 115 at Tyler High School.
Performing live theatre in a high school class room filled a need … temporarily. It also underscored the need for a more permanent home. Accordingly, the Tyler Civic Theatre applied to obtain a pavilion located on the city fair grounds with plans to enclose the pavilion for their productions. That proposal was rejected as the park's governing board opted to create a rose garden in that same area.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, and often, that's because lack of money. Such was the issue for the theatre group. But the group didn't let that stand in its way. They proposed to construct the building on land they rented from the city. Perhaps surprisingly, the city agreed! On November 1, 1951 the theatre was completed with the distinction of being the first theatre constructed in the U.S. specifically for theatre-in-the-round productions. To this day, it is recognized as the longest operating theater-in-the-round in America.
Dorothy and her friends may have danced along a cheery, smooth "yellow brick road" on their way to Oz, but the path for the developers of Tyler's theatres has been anything but smooth. In 1981, the theatre building was destroyed by a lightning-induced fire. Perhaps actors are called "troopers" because they rise to any challenge, and the citizen-actors of Tyler's ill-fated theatre were no exception. Embracing the age-old saying, "The Show Must Go On," another "temporary" facility provided the "stage" while the storm-damaged performance hall was forced to close for the season. That temporary facility, the lobby of what previously was a bank building, needed lots of T.L.C. so the actors, producers, directors, etc. rolled up their collective sleeves and built a stage, dressing rooms, sound and lighting booths, and installed equipment. Oh, and they also created space for the audience!
The 1982-83 season opened in their newly refurbished theatre; a venue they continued to use until a new complex was built in 2000. At that time, the original theatre building was converted to the Rogers Children's Theatre while the newer, adjacent, larger theatre became home to the Tyler Civic Theatre and is known as the Braithwaite stage.
So, despite a series of challenges, setbacks, and emotional hurdles, Tyler now has the best of all possible worlds: a world class municipal rose garden, a children's theater, and the nation's first and longest running theatre-in-the-round; breathless Braithwaite.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Daye Collins for providing the data contained in this article; data she compiled for a presentation to the Smith County Historical Society's members at their November 2016 regular monthly meeting.