A NEW VENUE BLOOMS IN A HEIGHTS BACKYARD. 10
EDGAR GUAJARDO, FROM LEFT, THOMAS HELTON AND PIN LIM CO- FOUNDED THE P. E . T. OUTDOOR THEATER.
As stage lights illuminated the intimate space, vibrant sounds of jazz filled the air, and for a brief moment on a Sunday evening in late October, the reality of the ongoing pandemic seemed a distant memory.
Of course, mask and social-distancing mandates kept the small audience in check, but the music was live, not livestreamed, and that felt nothing short of magical.
The heartening evening at Houston’s new P.E.T. Outdoor Theater, located in the backyard of musician Thomas Helton’s Heights property, was a melodic reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the determination that radiates through the city’s tightknit arts community. The “Mini Jazz Fest,” which featured the Houston Ensemble and the Jalen Baker Group, was the fourth event at the venue since it opened to a strictly limited number of ticket holders earlier in October.
“I’ve never been a big production person,” said Helton, an acclaimed bassist, composer and frequent presenter, who established and operates the grassroots venture with fellow creatives Pin Lim and Edgar Guajardo. “I’m not trying to put on some grandiose, over-the-top thing. I just always envisioned having some sort of a stage where I could allow my peers and other artists an opportunity to perform.”
The chance to fulfill this longtime dream finally came about during more recent months of semi-isolation, as such opportunities to perform remain scarce and very much needed.
The co-founders had already developed friendships, having been introduced to each other through different artistic avenues. About two decades ago, Lim, the owner of Forest Photography, took on a creative photo project highlighting local jazz musicians, and Helton became his first subject.
Throughout the years, Lim has continued to document the city’s arts scene, regularly photographing performances for companies like Opera in the Heights, where Guajardo has served as technical director since 2018. The twomen had met prior to this however, while Guajardo, now a lighting and scenic designer, was a student at the University of Houston, and they started working together four years ago at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston, where Helton has played several times alongside other area musicians and bands.
After having separate conversations with both Helton and Guajardo about their individual projects, it occurred to Lim that the trio should connect and explore possibilities that their combined talents could offer. Coincidentally, Guajardo had accumulated scraps of plywood while producing sets for Opera in the Heights, with which he too was interested in building an outdoor stage. He already owned the necessary lighting and software, and Helton’s residence, where the musician hosted intimate house concerts pre-pandemic, boasts a large yard that proved perfectly suitable.
So, they stepped up to the plate, and the P.E.T. Outdoor Theater — an acronym based on the founders’ first names — was born in a single August afternoon.
“What we’re doing is terribly important,” Helton said. “There was music during the Black Death. There was music during World War I and World War II. The beginning of jazz, the beginning of popular music happened during a war. This is the time. There is no downtime for us. We shine bright lights on the beautiful things and the ugly things. We don’t get a break, and I think, if anything, we need to work harder.”