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FT.$2.995M22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 Young performers rehearse a musical number at Standing Ovation Theatre in Webster. The theater opened a purpose-built building less than a year ago. PHOTO: ST u ART VILLAN u EVA COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 23 FEATURE CURTAIN CALL Community theaters give performers a chance to shine story by SHANNON CALDWELL T here’s nothing like live theater to make you laugh or cry — sometimes in the same show. Texas Gulf Coast theaters present Broad- way musicals, laugh-out-loud comedies and thrilling dramas on local stages. More importantly, they give locals the opportunity to step out center stage and find their own spotlight. From downtown Galveston to the Clear Lake-area suburbs, there are six theaters of note presenting annual seasons. The Grand 1894 Opera House is the granddaddy of them all, bringing touring Broadway shows and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas to town while also giving local performers their chance to shine. Also based in downtown Galveston is Island ETC, a repertory company presenting six entertaining and eclectic shows each year and two youth theater shows. Executive Director Kim Mytelka is surprised when people tell her they didn’t know the theater, in its 23rd year, existed. Mytelka encourages people to see a show for themselves at the theater known for its musicals and comedies. “One woman told me she thought theater was too intellectual for her,” Mytelka said. “I thought now that’s not true, especially when we were showing ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ at the time.” The College of the Mainland Theatre markets itself as “the biggest lil’ theatre in Texas” and has a reputation for high-quality shows featuring both professional actors and local newcomers. It has won many Kennedy Center awards for college theater and often presents interesting plays in a regional premiere. Clear Creek Community Theatre has been entertaining audiences for 60 years. An amateur company, this volun- teer nonprofit has a reputation for presenting quality musi- cals, mysteries and comedies. Board of Directors President 24 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 FEATURE PHOTOS: ST u ART VILLAN u EVA COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 25 Aprille Meek attributes the group’s longevity to its community focus and the camaraderie cast and crew share when making a show. “One rehearsal, I heard an actress sigh as the front door closed behind her,” Meek said. “I asked if she was all right and she said ‘I am now. I’m home, no one can bother me here. I can just enjoy myself and focus on my craft.’” Launched by local thespians, including Joan Aldrin, the wife of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Clear Creek Community Theatre originally was based in League City’s historic movie-house The Rose Theatre until hurricane damage left it without a permanent home for many years. Then the theater spent years in a strip mall in Nas- sau Bay, but another organization bought the commercial center for its expansion and it has been without a home base for five years. Clear Creek Community Theatre has launched a fundraising campaign for a permanent base. The theater is grateful for its loyal audience, which has followed them from venue to venue. “We are the theater that the communi- ty wouldn’t let the curtain go down on,” Meek said. Standing Ovation Theatre is the new kid on the block, opening in a purpose-built building in Webster less than a year ago. The theater was made possible by an anonymous donor who wanted his community to have access to affordable and accessible theater shows, Board President Bonnie Reichel said. “We managed to build it in three years so he was able to see a show here before he passed,” Reichel said. “His legacy is going to touch so many people.” Standing Ovation has a theater auditorium PHOTOS: CO u RTESY CLEAR CREEK COMM u NITY THEATRE PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDS (Above) Aprille Meek is president of the Clear Creek Community Theatre, which is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary. (Below, from left) Joan Aldrin in a performance of “Look Homeward, Angel.” Aldrin was a founding member of the Clear Creek Community Theatre; cast members for “A Murder is Announced” wear face masks in their return to the stage in 2021 following Covid. (Opposite, from top) Jadan Zamora and other cast members of the Island ETC’s performance of “Beetlejuice” rehearse at the theater in Galveston; Standing Ovation Theatre board president Bonnie Reichel watches young performers rehearse at the theater in Webster; Kiah Abshire helps a fellow “Beetlejuice” cast member with wardrobe at Island ETC in Galveston. “We are the theater that the community wouldn’t let the curtain go down on.” APRILLE MEEK that seats 100 with brand new leather chairs, and patrons are welcome to take food and drink inside, Reichel said. The facility includes an event center, large lobby and kitchenette and it’s avail- able to hire. The Purple Box Theater in Friendswood is a community theater and arts academy with a loyal audience that appreciates its award-winning youth shows and commit- ment to being “a stage for everybody.” High schools in the Galveston, Dickinson, Texas City, Friendswood and Clear Creek school districts are another great way to see live theater with many presenting a musical and a drama each school year. We never get tired of this view from Diamond Beach Condos! At The Design Firm, we specialize in interior design, remodels, and new construction selections for residential and commercial spaces, creating interiors as stunning as the scenery with comfort, functionality, and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs. A perfect blend of luxury and comfort! www.thedesignfirm.com 281-494-4433 13013 Southwest Freeway, Stafford, Texas 77477 28 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 FEATURE CLASS ACT Through connections and reputation, a small island theater secures big performers story by SAGE SCOTT W illie Nelson played there on more than one occasion. Anna Pavlova pirouetted across its glossy wood- en stage. George Carlin erupted the 1,000 seats into laughter. A production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer brought the whole family out. And it was where singer Tony Bennett celebrated his 89th birth- day on a performance tour. Despite its name, The Grand 1894 Opera House in downtown Galveston is a place for every type of act, Executive Director Maureen Patton said. Patton has been at The Grand for almost 44 years, bringing some of the biggest acts the venue has seen. In that time, she has built an extensive network of artists, agents and talent coordinators who help her get the ear of well-known and sought-after performers. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to book singer Johnny Mathis, Patton called up a friend at the Houston Symphony Pops and got backstage after his show there. That, and the promise of a good audience and a great venue, was all she needed. Mathis performed at The Grand, 2020 Postoffice St., the following season. Patton has secured many performers for The Grand in part because of her professional connections. “It’s a very, very, very large network,” Patton said. “If somebody has a good time here, they’re going to talk (Right) Maureen Patton, longtime executive director at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, continues to bring big names and top shows to the island theater. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 29 PHOTO: JENNIFER REYNOLDSNext >