Community theatre has found hidden gem in historic building

After more than a year of sharing venues and basing their productions and activities on the availability of other areas, The Community Theatre of East Texas has found a home to call its own. After its inception in March of 2015, CTET used whatever space it could
find for rehearsals and performances. This meant the group would use the Hughes Springs High School auditorium for rehearsals, and then use another venue, such as The Legacy, for performances. Using different venues for rehearsal and performances meant moving sets, and sometimes rearranging scenes the last week of rehearsal, due to the difference in the venues.
All of those troubles are a thing of the past for CTET, however, as they recently moved into one half of the Teel & Company building in downtown Hughes Springs. Now, the group is able to set their stage the way they will perform, and rehearse with it that way, without moving scenery or setting back and forth. When the group first moved into the building, it had been an Italian restau
rant and felt more like an empty warehouse than a theatre. There were murals on the wall, and the walls were bare. That did not deter founders Mandy Gammill and Matthew Nichols. They gathered anyone who was willing to help, and began transforming the space into a suitable theatre. With the Hughes Springs school having remodeled their auditorium, CTET was blessed with the old curtains and lighting setups. Gammill, Nichols, and many others spent countless hours piecing the curtains together to cover a major portion of the walls. Now, just a few weeks prior to the opening of their newest production, Way Out West in A Dress, anyone who walks into the building would have no doubt of its theatrical usage. With their new home, CTET will now be able to do so much more. According to Gammill, “It is not just about productions. We teach selfesteem, we love regardless, and we accept you
for who you are.” With new offerings, the company will be able to include and involve even more artists, musicians, and actors. Beginning in September, CTET will offer acting lessons for ages 5 through adult, as well as dance classes. Both of these will give Gammill more choices when doing the big productions each year, of which there will be four. The company also plans to begin doing eight smaller productions a year, as well as bimonthly Vaudevillestyle shows. The location on First Street will also give the company a place for Holiday on First Street where visitors can come visit. The company will also begin offering in
home entertainment. CTET’s next production of “Way out West, in a Dress,” is set to open at the new location on August 8. Be sure to
come visit the theatre, and see if you are able to find the correlation between this production and the company’s new home.