Live performances on horizon; symphony poised to take over Perot management
TEXARKANA, Texas —After the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council oversaw care of the Perot Theatre for decades, the historic gem will soon have a new manager: the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.
Starting Oct. 1, 2021, the TSO will take over management of the beloved downtown performing arts venue, which is owned by the city of Texarkana, Texas.
This year the city council unanimously approved a three-year contract with three one-year renewal options for $272,207. In many ways, the public may not notice a difference in day-to-day operations, but the TSO will put its stamp on how the venerable theater is run.
Andrew Clark, the TSO’s executive director, has said some of the familiar faces of Perot staff will remain at the theater, which has both a box office staff and staff who oversee maintenance and care of the venue, which started out as the Saenger Theatre in 1924, nearly a century ago.
Located at Third and Main streets in downtown Texarkana, the Perot was one of Saenger’s “Gateway to the Southwest” theaters when it opened. Over the years, the theater hosted a variety of events, such as vaudeville, touring Broadway shows, movies and live concerts, and then reopened after restoration partially funded by native son Ross Perot’s family in 1979 and 1980.
The TSO has ambitious goals to fill the Perot calendar with activity throughout the month. And as the management company, they will bring more than just their own TSO concert series to the Perot. Announcements about events other than TSO concerts are expected later this year.
“As TSO committed in our RFP, we expect and want and desire that by the end of our three-year contract that there is something happening in at least two out of every four weekends in the theater, as well as stuff during the week,” Clark told the Texarkana Gazette.
The TSO director has said as managers they intend to have all genres of shows there: Broadway, rock music, stage plays and more. “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.
Clark has also said the TSO plans to offer several show series, and the TSO welcomes other organizations to offer series and events there. They will also aim to increase momentum for theater rentals and perform upgrades to the space.
TRAHC, which will have new leadership after the planned retirement of TRAHC Executive Director Brian Goesl, has offered its Perot Theatre Series for years and will likely continue. TRAHC’s ArtsSmart wing also offers the successful Theatre for Young Audiences program, which typically packs the venue with local students who become initiated in the theater experience.
The TSO aims to bring new events to the Perot beyond the traditional play, show and symphony concert.
“We’ll be making a big push right off the bat to get people exposed to the theater in some unique and diverse ways outside of a show,” Clark said. He sees this as smart to do because some of their plans for this first year managing will be difficult because we’re coming out of COVID-19.
The TSO’s conductor, Philip Mann, says programming at the Perot will reflect the broad interests of community members.
“As part of that process of us reaching out into the community from our transition team members, that we’re going to very purposefully try to engage with constituencies from all across Texarkana to find out what is in demand, what would excite people, what people would like to see on the stage of the Perot,” Mann told the Gazette.
City officials have expressed optimism about the TSO’s role as the new Perot manager.
Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman remarked about the quality of life the TSO brings in a Gazette article this year.
“For a city our size, I think that we’re very, very fortunate to have a organization such as a local symphony that provides a venue for entertainment for our citizens. Oftentimes, we do have families who are looking at moving here from other cities, and a lot of times they’re looking at some specific things, especially pertaining to quality of life issues. And so I think that by having a symphony in our community, the work that they do and have done, is something that’s very positive and very encouraging,” Bruggeman said.
(On the Net: TexarkanaSymphony.org. More info: Call the TSO office at 870773-3401 or the Perot Theatre Box Office at 903-792-4992.)