A group of concerned citizens recognized that the Theater located in the heart of historical downtown could fulfill the need for a performing arts theater for the growing community of New Braunfels.  Key community leaders, including representatives of various arts groups, first met in September 1998.

By May 1999, a facilitator had led a brainstorming session with 36 diverse participants such as city and county government officials, bankers, an attorney, engineers, local artists, a performing arts technician, local business owners, the Main Street Director, and other interested citizens.  This group identified the cultural and educational needs which the Theater could meet, its possible uses, and the challenges to success.

After a short delay, caused by the great flood of 1998, corporate non-profit status was acquired in July 1999.  The Performing Arts Theatre Association elected officers and directors and contracted a grant writer and management consultant. On August 31, 1999, an earnest money contract was signed, and by December 10, 1999 the Association became the proud owners of the Theater building.

Upon possession of the building, teams immediately began planning the reconstruction.  Money was raised, drawings were completed, and work was begun. One of the first tasks to be accomplished was the enlargement of the stage.  Also, the old upstairs balcony had to be restored because the last owner had closed it off to make room for a second theater. The screen and walls were removed to restore the view of the stage from all areas of the theater.

Before we knew it we were having our first performance. We could not believe our good fortune in having the San Antonio Symphony grace the stage for the first Performing Arts Theatre Association event. The Symphony was conducted by Edward Cumming and featured solo flutist Tallon Sterling Perkes. The performance was a complete sell-out and a huge success for the .

The Association's purpose is to maintain

• the facility with the focus on the needs of the patrons,
• a commitment to artistic quality,
• a high level of professional support for Theatre users, and
• a careful balance among the community service, creative and financial goals of the project.

The principal financial goal of the Performing Arts Theatre is to provide the maximum cultural benefit possible for the community in a fiscally responsible manner by

• providing a professional-quality venue for presentation, entertainment, fundraising, and community events of local organizations, individuals, and businesses;
• operating as a cultural and performing arts center featuring creative works of internationally renowned, regional and resident artists;
• serving as a catalyst for the community's cultural growth;
• maintaining the historical ambiance of downtown New Braunfels; and
• supporting the economic vitality of the New Braunfels community by attracting visitors to downtown.

 The Theater first opened in downtown New Braunfels in January 1942. Pearl Harbor had just been bombed, and the United States was at war. Harold Ward (pictured at left) was a manager of the Theater during the 1950s. Other old-time employees included Chris Mosley, also a manager, and Florie Bush.

Mr. Ward reports that there were other theaters in operation in New Braunfels at the time, but once the state-of-the-art opened, it was the best. A major fire in one of the other downtown theaters, the Palace, either just before or just after the opened, made the new theater an even more welcome addition to the city.

During Mr. Ward's tenure as manager, the Griffith Company owned the . The Theater design was copied from an earlier Griffith theater in Chickasaw, Oklahoma -- the Washita Theater. The old theater was an important part of downtown New Braunfels for fifty years.

Mr. Ward recalls many highlights of the early movie operations such as the time that Mr. Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez appeared while filming the John Wayne classic, The Alamo. The theater was integrated during Mr. Ward's watch, but he doesn't remember any problems. "We just did it and that was that." After integration patrons could sit anywhere in the theater for 40 cents upstairs or 50 cents downstairs.

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