100 YEARS OF STORYTELLING

by Kelly MacGregor, Executive Director, Waco Civic Theatre

As a senior in high school, I was in Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate. My character, Lilli Vanessi, plays the role of Kate in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in this playwithin-a-play. The brilliance of Kiss Me, Kate is that it is a masterclass in irony. Decades later, my latest role as Executive Director of Waco Civic Theatre (WCT) has taken me back to my roots, and I am again playing roles within roles in a story of remarkably ironic twists and turns.

Started by an Individual but Never About the Individual

It is tempting to attribute all the credit to Mrs. Jean Fort of Waco’s historic Fort household who, in 1925, gathered like-minded people to imagine the potential for theatrical arts to bring hope to the city as it recovered after the Great War. Thus, began the Waco Little Theatre. She was quick to recruit fellow Wacoans like Harlon Fentress of the Waco

Tribune, Flora Cameron and her family, and the children of Pat Neff – they invested their time, energy, resources, and talent in the early years of this theatre troupe. They would perform wherever they could find a stage.

Today, WCT is still not about any one individual. We have hundreds of volunteers (ages 5 to 83) who come together to put on productions. Some tread the boards and stay in the spotlight, but many are behind the scenes painting sets, greeting guests, and operating the soundboard.

Darkest Before the Dawn

The lights dimmed on Waco Little Theatre with the Great Depression and the aftermath of World War II. Yet the community still longed to hear stories. In 1948, Paul Baker, a world-renowned Professor of Theatre Arts at Baylor University, brought back Waco Little Theatre with many of the original leaders, and they rebranded it as Waco Civic Theatre. Professor Baker, partnering with James

Hull Miller and the president of the WCT Board of Directors, Hilton Howell, built our current theatre on Lake Air Drive after the old Fort Playhouse was destroyed by a fire in the 1950s.

Year after year, we continue to attract audiences by seeking out well-trained directors and leaders to empower community members to find their voice on stage. We wholeheartedly reject the notion that “community theatre” means sacrificing audience experience, and we commit to producing excellent work for our audiences every time we open our doors.

Greatest Gifts Without Expectations

One would expect that a century-old theatre organization would have clever tales of how we drew in our largest donors.

Waco Symphony, the Mayborn Museum, the Art Center, Central Texas Choral Society, Central Texas Children’s Chorus and Creative Waco are joining us in offering our city more opportunities to experience art in all its forms. This camaraderie among organizations is nothing new – it is a story worth telling and retelling in the city of Waco – a City to Believe In! We know that every story we tell is because of our community. No one could better articulate our need for community support than our Board President in 1931, Harlon Fentress. His charge for our future is just as applicable today: “The Little Theatre has reached the point where its productions are a big help in plugging the gap in the entertainment program for this community. Its plays are drawing more and more attention, are ably directed and chosen with view of suiting every taste.

Your part in them becomes not the indulgence of a whim but a service to your community…So, if you’re fed up on contract, bored with parties or wearied in your attempts to become one of the intelligentsia, here’s a new outlet for your energy. (Particularly if you’re good with a paint brush, hammer or saw.) Whatever your talents or ideas, be present at the next try-outs – they’re open to everyone!”

Waco Civic Theatre Alum, Jackson Kelly has moved on to the Big Screen! Hard Miles is a 2023 American sports drama film.

Jackson talked about his time at WCT and his transition into film and TV in LA. His advice to people aspiring to do the same: “Never give up. If you’re willing to put in the work and get the training, it could happen to anyone.” Jackson recognizes that he is extremely lucky and also extremely hardworking.

The first show he performed with WCT was Miracle on 34th Street and his favorite was Mary Poppins!