The Organization

The Port Arthur Little Theatre is a non-profit organization created more than 50 years ago to promote an interest in the performing arts, encourage local talent and improve the standard of public taste in drama. A 14-member board of directors sets goals for PALT, selects the slate of plays for each season, sets performance dates and organizes membership and fund-raising drives. The theater is staffed entirely by volunteers and all funds go toward the production of plays, theater maintenance and operation and long-term improvement projects.

A Brief History

The Port Arthur Little Theatre traces its roots as far back as the Great Depression, but it wasn't until just after World War II, when men were again available to fill roles, that a loosely-knit group of theater enthusiasts in Port Arthur created the organization.

Much of PALT's history centers on the search for a permanent home. In the early days there were no permanent headquarters, and meetings and rehearsals were held in church buildings, YMCA rooms, a fire station or the homes of members. Stage sets were built and painted in individual garages or in back yards. Productions were given two nights in school auditoriums at the regular rental fees.

In 1948 Mrs. Leonard Abshire offered free use the barn on her estate. PALT shared the barn with a cow called Mona, who interrupted rehearsals one night when she proudly produced a little red heifer. Kerosene lanterns and stoves were used for light and heat in the barn.

When the Abshire property was sold in 1950, the theater found a more comfortable home in the former Westminster Presbyterian Church building at 520 Richmond Ave. Generous donations from area merchants helped the group make a down payment, and the 1950-51 season opened in the building's newly-remodeled, 150-seat auditorium with a production of Goodbye My Fancy.

Then tragedy struck; fire gutted the building on July 14, 1956. Undaunted, members voted to begin a drive to raise money for a new building. In the meantime they were back to using any facility that became available, including the KC hall and local school auditoriums.

Again with the help of local businesses, the new 180-seat Playhouse at Fifth Street and Vicksburg Avenue became a reality, and PALT opened its new season on Nov. 25, 1957, with Witness for the Prosecution. The larger stage and backstage space made possible the realization of another dream: the production of musicals, which have proved to be the organizations most popular shows.

By 1970 the theater had outgrown its building, and membership was declining. After years of exploring options, the group in 1983 found a new location: another former church building at Jimmy Johnson Boulevard and Colorado Avenue. But plans to renovate the property had to be put on hold as the entire region passed through the worst economic slump in 50 years. PALT limited its productions to simple plays that would fit within the limited space.

Enter Lamar State College-Port Arthur (then Lamar University-Port Arthur). The college needed a theater facility, but state law at the time prevented it from constructing a new building. The college, could, however, acquire and renovate an existing one. PALT's members voted to give its Fifth Street Playhouse and property to the college in return for an agreement that would allow the organization to use the facility twice a year once remodeling was complete. The college took the old Playhouse apart, moved the structure to 1600 Lakeshore Drive, and put the framework back together with extensive enhancements. The old Fifth Avenue site is now home to a new LSC-PA building.

The college's generous assistance led to a new new project: the joint summer musical production in which people could enroll for college credit or participate for fun. The first "Town and Gown" production was Man of La Mancha in 1995, and audiences continued to grow in succeeding years.

PALT finally broke ground on its own Playhouse renovations, a $115,000 project, in the summer of 1996. The project added a new stage area, wings and dressing rooms and allowed the old stage area to be converted into more room for the audience. Seating was increased from 75 to 125. Chairs donated by the old Park Plaza Cinema were painted, covered and installed to replace the old church pews.

At the same time, the Hebert Foundation granted the theater $50,000 to improve the house and lobby, and the Southeast Texas Arts Council provided two grants totaling $15,500 toward a new lighting system. A light booth was constructed, new carpeting was laid down and the kitchen and restrooms got new fixtures.

The Playhouse reopened Dec. 3, 1997, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and The Foreigner opened the next evening. During the ceremony, the newly-remodeled lobby was dedicated in the name of a longtime volunteer, the late Irving Lefkowitz, and his wife Ursula cut the ribbon.

The improvements have continued since that time. Another $25,000 grant from the Hebert Foundation provided restroom and auditorium access for the handicapped. PALT also made another dream come true: for the first time since members left the Fifth Street Playhouse, the main stage had a curtain.

Memberships and Awards

The Port Arthur Little Theatre is a member of the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of Community Theatre.

SETAC Awards

Other Awards