TEXARKANA, Texas - With a citizen advisory committee recommending the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra as the future Perot Theatre manager, the organization's director shared plans the TSO has for the historic theater's future.
If approved by the Texarkana, Texas, City Council, the TSO would manage the city-owned Perot, overseeing its care and organizing the programming at the theater, which began as the Saenger in 1924 and has provided Texarkana with entertainment, from Broadway shows to concerts and movies and more, in the 97 years since.
"The symphony is very excited to have been given this opportunity by the community committee, and we feel like orchestras like us all over the country manage theaters like the Perot all the time, and so we're very excited to be able to bring a little bit of that expertise and the connections that I have and that (TSO Conductor) Philip Mann has and that we've garnered here in Texarkana over the last 15 years of the symphony with the larger performing arts world," said TSO Executive Director Andrew Clark.
People should know that's it not just symphony programming that will happen at the Perot, he said. He anticipates multiple series at the Perot, not just one.
"We intend to have all genres, from Broadway to rock to stage plays, everything in there. We also have a huge commitment to opening it up more for the community, re-establishing some partnerships and relationships there so that it's used more, not only by the community, as well," Clark said.
They aim to reach out to presenters that bring shows through this area to get them back to the theater.
Planned upgrades
"We're also very committed to working with the city on some items that are critical and needed," Clark also said about renovations.
They will strategize and work on a plan to approach the Perot family and foundation and also explore other directions to secure funding, he said.
"So that those very desperately needed renovations can occur, so that the theater is best positioned for what the 21st century has to offer in live theater," Clark said.
Much of that involves front-of-house renovations with groundwork done between Perot staff and the city three years ago, he said. A new box office and new concessions area would be included, as would dressing room upgrades. This could be several years from fruition but they want to get funding ready.
"Then the biggest priority for us is making sure that we have the input of the entire community into the programming," Clark said, noting the TSO's Perot Theatre exploratory committee will now become the transition committee.
"One of the big commitments we have is opening up dialogue with many sectors of our community about what they would like to see in the theater and what they would come to if it was in the theater," Clark said.
Look for a committee likely representing all demographics and age groups, he said, so they can find out what Texarkana residents want to see.
"There are a lot of young people out there that would come to the Perot more, we believe, if given more input into what's there, so a definite reach out to the younger sector, whether that's young professionals or young families. And also reaching out to diverse ethnicities," Clark said.
This next part of the process involves negotiations between the city and TSO about a management fee. They've met twice and anticipate more in the upcoming weeks, said the TSO director.
"I think both sides, both the city and TSO, are hopeful this can be in front of the city council by May and so that is taken care of," Clark said. Actual TSO management of the Perot wouldn't start until Oct. 1.
Transition coming
In the interim, there's a transition, which the city would partly navigate, Clark said, between the TSO and the current managers, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council and its Perot Theatre Management Company.
"Every effort will be made for it to be seamless," Clark said. "There will be some engagements that the current management has already engaged for next season, and some that we will probably begin to put in place."
As far as day-to-day operations transitioning, he said this will begin as soon as a contract is approved.
"TSO will be extending an offer to certain current employees at the Perot to come and work for us. We feel like there's a brain trust there and lots of institutional knowledge, and we would love to have some of those employees come and join TSO," Clark said. "We also have some plans and some ideas how things will work past that first year."
Eventually, someone will head the TSO's theater operations, he said.
"We want to make sure the Perot gets all that it needs in staffing, and so we'll be looking for that," Clark said.
In a TRAHC social media post made Tuesday, TRAHC's Brian Goesl, executive director, remarked upon the organization's four-decade partnership with the city in overseeing the theater.
"TRAHC has certainly had an exciting 41-year run of managing the Perot Theatre for the City of Texarkana, Texas," Goesl said. "It has been an excellent partnership we've enjoyed throughout the years with multiple City Administrations since 1980."
Goesl also spoke to the aims the city and TRAHC shared.
"Our goals of working together were never just to maintain the visual beauty of this magnificent facility; they always included providing the best cultural entertainment possibilities at affordable prices for our local community and reaching out beyond our local borders," Goesl said. "All the while improving this last of Texarkana's historic theatres technically, always with the safety of our patrons and staff in mind. We have consistently worked with the City to engage and enhance the theatrical experience for all audiences."
TRAHC's director said they appreciate the opportunity, including the chance to be "directly involved with the economic development and rediscovery of Downtown Texarkana throughout these many years."
Goesl also said TRAHC wishes the TSO future success.
"We look forward to working with the City and the TSO to make this transition as seamless and easy as possible," he said.
The TRAHC touch
Among the many physical improvements made to the Perot during the organization's tenure are iron handrails in the balcony section, aisle lighting, wheelchair-accessible seating, new carpeting and repainting the mezzanine, some of which were funded by an enhancement fee.
Tiffani Whitehead, TRAHC's marketing coordinator, said TRAHC intends to continue a "TRAHC Presents " Perot Theatre series and the Theatre for Young Audiences program, which brings theatrical shows to the Perot for local students.
TRAHC will still rent the theater, she said, as it always has, even as the management company.
"One of the most important aspects of TRAHC's history with the Perot Theatre is the enhancement fees that were established a few years ago with the city of Texarkana. TRAHC as the management company realized the need for some major enhancements that would help our audience members," Whitehead said.
The in-house TV system with screens at various locations across the theater was another improvement. "So if you're backstage you can see what's on stage," Whitehead said.
While new carpeting was not part of the enhancement-funded projects, it was one job TRAHC is proud of accomplishing - "to bring the theater back up to standards the way she should look," Whitehead said, noting they already have sponsors for Theatre for Young Audiences when it goes back live.
Arts and cultural development is part of TRAHC's mission. "And we want to continue that," Whitehead said.
As to the institutional knowledge with current Perot staff, Clark said, "There's history. The staff at the Perot right now has been there for a long time. There are vested interests in the cultural gem that it is and have a lot of knowledge and expertise in that past, and we don't want to lose that."
In the quest to meet the theater's needed capital improvements, that institutional knowledge is valuable, he said, which is why they want to extend offers to some staff.
Expanded programming
And as to the future of a series that the TSO presents at the Perot, Clark said they've done much experimentation with their own TSO programming with niche audiences in mind. You have to make sure you meet their needs, he believes.
"We envision actually multiple series, not just one series that has a lot of collections of stuff, but several series that meet particular niche audience needs, whether it be Broadway, whether it be stage plays, whether it be a great speaker series," Clark said. Town hall meetings might be another option.
"There are just lots of ideas that we have that we think we can get more people back in the theater with," Clark said, admitting that with COVID-19 there has been a shift in how we consume entertainment.
"But we feel like that one of the reasons tickets sell is because there's word of mouth and word of mouth happens because they're excited, and people are excited when they've had input in what's going to be on stage," Clark said. "So that's what we're after."
Look for the Perot to be marketed in many respects, making use of the whole building, not just as an evening out at the theater, Clark said. He also wants TRAHC to continue its use of the Perot. In a way, their roles will reverse now, he said.
"TSO is all about making sure our community uses this, and we want TRAHC to continue to use it as much as they would like," Clark said, noting in particular they'd be excited for TRAHC to bring its student shows back.
"There's no exclusions to be made with us managing," the TSO director said.