The Show Goes On

At the Oldest Continually Operating Theater in Texas

Who: Lake Country Playhouse and Select Theater

What: Live Community Theater, an area orchestra, and the oldest continually operating movie theater

in Texas.

Where: Mineola, TX

History: The Select Theater traces back to 1920, when Mattie and R.T. Hooks of Mineola leased a building on North Johnson Street in downtown Mineola for the purpose of opening a movie house.  After the death of her husband, Mrs. Hooks remodeled the building in the then popular art-deco style, adding a striking neon tower that crowns the building to this day.  Members of the Hooks family operated the theater as a movie house until 1961, when they sold their interest to former Mr. James Dear and Mr. Truman Thomas, both former theater employees.

Meanwhile in 1978, a group of local actors saw the need for live Community Theater in Wood County.  In a small rented space on Broad Street in Mineola, they formed the Lake Country Playhouse.  Despite cramped quarters, their community theater thrived.  In 1990 the paths of the Select Theater and Lake Country Playhouse intertwined: the playhouse took ownership of the theater and its movie business, guaranteeing that live theatrical and musical productions would always have a home in Wood County.

What Inspires Us: According to Executive Director J. Tom Graham, Community Theater is “a team sport if there ever was one.  Our shows literally must go on, no matter what the obstacles may be.”

At the Select Theatre, the show definitely does go on. Lake Country Playhouse schedules four major productions each year; in fact, Playhouse actors performed “The Sound of Music” in Summer 2006 to sell-out crowds every night.  In addition, the Theater screens first-run family movies approximately 40 weekends per year.  “We focus on showing movies that families can feel comfortable bringing their kids to see,” says Mr. Graham.  Finally, the Lake Country Orchestra performs in the Select Theater four times each year.

The Select Theater is also a “terrific asset to the community,” said Mr. Graham.  “People feel comfortable moving to a place where they can go to the movies on a Friday night or attend an orchestra performance.” 

Proceeds from the Movie, Theater, and Orchestra performances make up approximately 80% of the organization’s $250,000 operating budget each year.  (The remaining funds come from fundraisers and grants.)  “The fact that the Theater is financially self-sustaining says so much about the quality of its productions,” said Betty Carr, BankTexas business development officer and a director of the Select Theater.

Blast From the Past: The Theater maintains several links to its historic past, like its concession stand, which Mr. Graham calls “one of the last places on earth where you can still buy popcorn for one dollar.”

Interesting Note: Singer-Songwriter and Mineola native Kacey Musgraves started her performance career in the Lake Country Opera. Today, she is an emerging star in the Texas music scene, having appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and in the 2002 Winter Olympics. 

Coming Up: Tickets go on sale soon for Lake Country Playhouse’s 2007 season.  Performances will include “Ghost of a Chance,” “Our Town,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Ten Little Indians.” 

More information: To learn more about any of the organizations discussed above – or for information about purchasing season tickets – visit www.lakecountryplayhouse.org.