300 performances later, Temple Civic Theatre still deserves a standing ovation
By Janna Zepp | Photos by Becky Stinehour and courtesy of the Temple Civic Theatre
Three hundred live theatrical performances in the span of 56 years is no small feat for American civic theatres, and Temple Civic Theatre recently hit that milestone.
In July 2021, the city of Temple honored TCT with a historical marker unveiling lauding the theatre for contributing to the arts in Central Texas. After the unveiling, an original play written by Dr. Gary Gosney entitled, The Other Side of Nothing, was performed. The work was a collaboration with the late Marjie Rynearson who died before it could be finished.
The theatre then commemorated its 300th performance on Sept. 10 by opening the 2021-22 season with Neil Simon’s musical, They’re Playing Our Song, based on the real-life romance of songwriters Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager.
“Temple Civic Theatre is an incredibly special place, and not just because of its contribution to the arts scene here,” says Ruby Jett, president of the TCT Board of Directors. “It literally saved my life.”
Jett says that her late husband, Jerry, loved to take her to see shows at TCT. He even took her to audition for a production, and though she did not get the part, she loved being in and around the theatre. In 2017, her husband became ill, and when it was clear he didn’t have much time left, he asked friends to promise to encourage his wife to audition for a part in the upcoming show, Southern Fried Funeral. The friends made good on the promise and Jett was cast as Martha Ann in the play. From then on, she was fully hooked on performing and has been involved ever since. It was during her deepest grief that she found new friends and a whole new world at the theatre to help her get through it.
“Theatre is the simplest form of escape. As an actor, you enter a darkened stage and suddenly you take on the life of the character you portray,” Jett says. “And being in the audience is like having a really good book in your hands. For the length of the play, no other world exists. It helped me bear the pain of losing my husband.”
Jett also encourages people to come out of the audience and onto the stage when inspiration to do so strikes.
“Close your eyes, grit your teeth and give it a shot because it opens up a whole new world of friendships,” she says.
History of TCT
Way back in 1965, a group of theatre buffs in Temple formed the Temple Civic Theatre Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The first play produced and performed by TCT was the 1936 Broadway classic, You Can’t Take It With You, a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Operating with its own board of governors and incorporated as a nonprofit arts organization in November 1968, TCT operated under the Cultural Activities Center as a member organization. In 1974, because of its growth and success, TCT moved and now, the theatre and the CAC operate cooperatively from separate spaces, both built in 1977. The first production, on April 15, 1977, in the theatre’s new building was My Fair Lady, a musical based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.
In the first year of the theatre’s incorporation, it put on three plays. Now, the Main Series run six shows, with as many as three other shows being produced as “Spotlight Productions.”
The Theatre Venue
The current 11,000-square-foot theatre includes a 228-seat thrust stage auditorium, two large dressing rooms, offices, classrooms, a kitchen, restrooms, a large scene shop and a costume shop. In 1989, TCT added a paved, curbed, lighted parking, with landscaping and better signage.
In 1992, more renovation work brought the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA-compliant restroom facilities, accessible seating and parking, and wireless listening devices were added.
Supported by local donations, the facility is valued at more than $400,000.
Staff growth evolved from volunteers to part-time management to its current full-time managing and artistic director and full-time technical director, with an assistant to the managing and artistic director, and contracted youth theatre teachers.
The managing director, along with a 12-member Board of Governors and volunteer committee chairmen, coordinate theatre operations. New volunteers are accepted and trained throughout the year. Main-series shows are cast from open auditions with a goal of 50% experienced actors and 50% new participants, to stabilize performance quality while encouraging growth. More than 300 volunteers work each season to entertain about 1,300 season ticket holders.
The Productions
Selected by a process beginning with a play reading committee chosen from volunteers and regular audience members, the Main Series presents an overview of theatre literature, featuring musicals, classics and recently released titles. The TCT runs special productions designed for smaller interest groups on limited-time-only schedules. Those include original plays, one-man shows, concerts by local musicians, and plays of a more serious or intellectual theme than the average audience member might wish to attend.
Children’s activities include children and youth into the overall TCT program. In the theatre’s early years, each summer offered a children’s theatrical day camp with a production group of adolescents added later. In recent years, TCT provided formal classes in creative drama, a traveling play for public schools using adult actors, and a youth production workshop in the summer.
A World-Wide Audience
The world recently witnessed Temple Civic Theatre participating with 2,500 theatrical organizations from 50 states and more than 40 counties in producing their own production of Music Theatre International’s All Together Now. Music Theatre International created the live virtual show as a fundraiser for local theater groups and it was performed over the weekend of Nov. 12-14 in auditoriums around the globe.
To learn more about TCT, visit templecivictheatre.com.
Upcoming performances
Disney’s Aladdin Jr.: Dec. 10-12 & 16-19
The Last of the Red Hot Lovers: Feb. 4-6 & 10-13
Inherit the Wind: April 1-5 & 7-10
Steel Magnolias: May 6-8 & 12-15
Guys and Dolls: July 22-24, 28-31, & Aug. 4-7
