For my documentary project, I will be photographing and interviewing small theaters in Austin, Texas. Each of these unique and historical venues have been an interest to me because of how, like many small businesses in Austin recently, are facing foreclosure due to gentrification.
I met with two small Austin theaters, Hyde Park Theater and Salvage Vanguard Theater, and interviewed the current owners to discuss the history of the theaters, how they have personally impacted the owners, and how gentrification affected their businesses. By learning the past and present of each theater, I believe I can shed some light onto the reality of Austin’s theater companies through these interviews and photographs of the location and people who are a part of these venues. Each theater has it’s own struggles and strengths when faced with the ever changing Austin population, but both share something in common; they both have seen the impacts that gentrification and population growth can have on Austin’s businesses.
Because of the unsure future of local Austin theaters, I feel that it is a valuable addition to the City of Austin archives. Although one can hope these theaters can remain popular desitnation for thespians and theater lovers alike for years to come, the future is unclear if Austin continues to grow at its current rate.
The following photographs and captions are from my interviews with Hyde Park Theater’s executive producer Ken Webster and Salvage Vanguard Theaters co-artistic director Diana Small.
-
The front of Hyde Park Theater2019-02-05
Hyde Park Theater has a rich history of different titles and uses since it was built. It was built in 1947 as the Hyde Park Post Office. a few years later, a well known Austin thespian named Linalice Carrey changed the building from a post office into a theater in 1982. She used the space for puppet shows, rental venues, and adult theater on the weekends. The name of the Building became Hyde Park Showplace. When Linalice Carrey left, another legendary thespian named Ken Johnson took over and changed the building’s name to Musical Stage. A few years later, a lady named Ava Evapalaheino took ownership and changed the name back to Hyde Park Theater. Ava rentd rented the space to other theater companies such as Frantera Productions which was run by the owner Vickey Boone. From 1992 to 2001, Vickey and Ava joined forces and merge the theater. In April 2001, the current owner Ken Webster took over and has been running the theater ever since.
-
An intimate experience for viewers (pt. 1)2019-02-05
An interesting part of the design of Hyde parks interior space is the intimate stage area. It is so small that if one was to sit in the very back row, they would only be 22 feet from the stage. Because the audience and the actors are so close, the plays are an intimate experience for both parties.
-
An intimate experience for viewers (pt. 2)2019-02-05
An interesting part of the design of Hyde parks interior space is the intimate stage area. It is so small that if one was to sit in the very back row, they would only be 22 feet from the stage. Because the audience and the actors are so close, the plays are an intimate experience for both parties.
-
Ken Webster watching actors audition for the play Death Tax 2019
Ken's auditioning process requires him to watch each actor try out for almost every role to see which role best suits them. For the current play he is directing, the actors needed must be able to play multiple roles at once for the play to show the proper character developments. This is a standard audition day for Ken. Over the course of the day, different groups of actors come in to audition for the same roles as the ones before.
-
Audition for Death Tax 2019-04-15
For auditions, actors come to Hyde park Theater and perform with other actors to see what role would suit them best. Here are actresses Michelle Jackson and Charlotte Gulezian auditioning for the roles of a nurse and the mother of the main character for the play Death Tax by Lucas Nahth.
-
The stage layout for the play Death Tax at Hyde Park Theater 201
Auditioning for a play in Hyde park Theater is a intimate experience. Because the room is so small, the actors don't need sound equipment or to make their voices project too much. The current set for the play Death Tax is set up to look like a mid 1900s hospital. One of the aspects of having a small stage with no curtain is that there are little to no inbetween set changes. Hyde Park Theater normally tries to rely on one set for an entire play.
-
Props for the setting of Death Tax pt. 1 2019-04-15
Because the set for Death Tax is not changeable during the play, props such as these are important to create different senses of atmosphere for different scenes.
-
Props for the setting of Death Tax pt. 2 2019-04-15
Because the set for Death Tax is not changeable during the play, props such as these are important to create different senses of atmosphere for different scenes.
-
A home for many smaller theaters 2019-02-05
Other than their own shows, Hyde Park Theater is known for renting out it’s venue to other smaller theater companies. Some of their regular renters are Capital T Theater, Street Corner Arts, and Script Works. These other companies sometimes partner with Hyde Park during the year for their productions. This is the one dressing room for the actors in the theater which is used by different companies and actors weekly.
-
Actress waiting for her audition time 2019-04-15
Liz Waters is an Austin thespian who has auditioned for plays at Hyde Park Theater before. She waited off stage for another actress to finish auditioning for the role she is hoping to get as one of the four main characters in the play Death Tax. Unlike larger auditions for plays, the actors sit to the side while they watch others audition as well instead of in another room.
-
Ken Webster, the current owner and operator of Hyde Park Theater
When Ken was younger, he explains that he always wanted to run a theater and always was acting. Before owning Hyde Park Theater, Ken made a living by doing children’s theater at the Zach Scott Theater. Because most thespians in Austin have to have day jobs, Ken is grateful he can dedicate his full attention to Hyde Park Theater.
-
Ken Webster, the current owner and operator of Hyde Park Theater
Ken Webster is at the theater 7 days a week. He says handling the theater’s many responsibilities has changed his life in a good way. There are two parts of his job as the producing artistic director of Hyde Park. Those two parts are being the executive and artistic director, but as Ken states, he “gets paid for only one of those jobs”.
-
Ken Webster pointing out the plays he has acted in at Hyde Park
Besides being the executive director, Ken is very involved in the theater’s productions. He selects the plays, casts the shows, directs most of the plays the theater shows, and even acts in a lot of them as well. Ken also does voice acting and video production outside of the theater, but since he manages Hyde Park, it is harder for him to dedicate time outside of his full time job.
-
Posters for different plays that Hyde Park Theater has done over
Hyde Park Theater tries not to do too many classical plays, but instead focuses on playwrites that are up and coming. They have performed works by playwrights like Annie Baker, Martin McGona, Connor McPherson, Will Eno and many off broadway productions. Ken believes this is one way to keep customers coming through their doors.
-
The tip jar on the front desk of Hyde Park Theater 2019-02-05
Despite many small businesses in Austin right now, Hyde Park Theater audiences are better than ever. Starting in 2007, the theater has grown in popularity. One reason why is their reasonable ticket sales. Ken is committed to people being able to see theater who don’t have a lot of money, so the show gives about 150 tickets away each year.
-
A piece of Austin history (pt. 1)
Because of the growing population in Austin, the theater’s rent has drastically changed since it started in 1982. Within the span of 20+ years, the price for Hyde Park to stay in the same location has gone from $250 to $4500 a month and will continue to increase over time. However, the population growth has a positive side because of the growing number of customers with the amount of returning ones. Customers come to see plays at the Hyde Park from out of the city, state, and even the country.
-
A piece of Austin history (pt. 2)2019-02-05
According to owner Ken Webster, preserving Hyde Park Theater for generations to come would be a responsibility of many different groups of people. One way is by the politicians of Austin is to leave the Texas Commission of the Arts alone so smaller theaters like Hyde Park can continue to receive grants from the city of Austin. Another way is by Hyde Park to continue selecting interesting works by new playwrights. Finally, because Austin has a great pool of actors, to keep the same ring of skilled actors will help the theater’s popularity. If these needs are met, then Ken believes theater life will continue to thrive.
-
Diana talking outside of the Semonary building with an actor bef
25 years ago, a experimental theater director named Jason Newlander founded the company. The theater became a official nonprofit and started renting out a warehouse on Manor Street in East Austin for their rehearsals and for other small theater companies. For 13 years, Salvage Vanguard Theater was the central theater space in East Austin, until it was taken down in 2016. Due to rent rises, the theater was left without a permanent venue. Although they do have spaces to rehearse such as the Austin Seminary and the Adority Art Center, they are still looking for a permanent home.
-
Salvage Vanguard Theater's co-producing artisic director Diana S
Diana Small moved to Austin in 2012 for graduate school for playwriting at UT. Getting to co-run Salvage Vanguard has taught her a lot about the professional theater making experience and how to navigate the world professionally. She has been working part time at the theater with her co-artistic director Jenny Larson for 2 years now. Since 2016, the Salvage Vanguard Theater group gave up their old theater space because of the rent rise. Because Diana is currently a graduate student at the UT Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, she is allowed to use the space for the theater’s rehearsals. Salvage Vanguard rehearsals take place in one of the empty housing areas in the back of the Seminary.
-
Salvage Vanguard actors setting up the rehersal space
Because the theater has no permanent space, they have connections with unique preforming spaces such as the Blanton Museum of Art. They're leaning towards sight-specific work, making scarcity an oppertunity, and forging new relationships with different venues.
-
Actress setting up sound equipment 2019-03-07
Because Salvage Vanguard cannot afford a rental space with a sound booth, they set up their sound equipment in a corner of the room in the seminary space. It takes about 30 minutes to set up the equipment and takes multiple people to help. To save on the cost of more materials, the actors try to use what they have.
-
Actor reading over his lines 2019-03-07
Before the rehearsal starts, actors show up early to read over their lines, catch up on each others lives, and eat food that some members bring for everyone. This scene shows the intimacy of the space and close relationships that the actors have with each other. While rehearsing, if some actors aren't needed for their role yet, they grab a chair in the corner of the room and read over thier lines and work on other activites.
-
Storage in the semenary space 2019-03-07
Not only is the semanary housing used as a rhersal space, but it is also used as an office for Diana. With her co-artistic director Jenny Larson, they work off of thier laptops in the small spaces such as the semanary room and in local coffee shops.
-
Costumes for the Salvage Vanguard rehersals 2019-03-07
The theater uses minimal props and costuming for their plays. There is no space for a seperate dressing room, so the actors and actresses change in the bathroom.
-
Actress rehersing her role 2019-03-07
Salvage Vanguard’s mission is to create experimental theater with new work by underrepresented voices such as work by women, minorities, and LGBTQ playwrights. They make sure that everyone feels welcome in their company.
-
A community for the community 2019-03-07
Salvage Vanguard actors are always looking for a permanent venue space because they enjoy the community that operating a venue brings. Renting a venue to other companies makes connections and becomes a home for many local artists.
-
Diana directing 2019-03-07
Diana states that the irony about gentrification in East Austin is that art spaces like SVT make a neighborhood look more appealing, but the population increase makes it harder to live there. When asked about how she thinks the theater can be preserved, Diana answers “you keep making it”. She states that in order for Salvage Vanguard to continue, they must make connections with the tech community of Austin, stay creative, and create a community where they are. “When things get hard, you must know what you really want”.
