Historic Texarkana Theater Earns Second Act
For 28 years, I’ve been touring most theaters of any note – and some theaters of no note – in 48 states, and never have I seen a theater as beautifully restored as this one.”
Those are the words of renowned stage and screen actor Hal Holbrook in praise of Texarkana’s Perot Theatre, constructed in 1924 and the object of a $2.4 million restoration in 1979-80.
The restoration was funded in part by native Texarkanans H. Ross Perot and his sister, Bette, in memory of their parents.
The Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council manages the city-owned Perot, which was built by the Saenger Amusement Co. and acquired by Paramount in 1930. The theater was one of many performance and musical venues in pre-World War II Texarkana.
“At one time, Texarkana actually had 11 opera houses and theater spaces,” says Brian Goesl, the council’s executive director. “Quite honestly, the Perot was not one of the most opulent. It was very pretty, but we had several other houses at that time here in downtown that were even fancier and considered opera houses. This was a road house.”
Today, the Perot is the only one left, and it is a Texarkana cultural centerpiece, hosting Broadway touring company productions, ballets, symphonies and big-name musical acts. The Perot also hosts the Theatre for Young Audiences, first-rate productions for students during the school day to enhance their artistic appreciation.
Most of the Italian Renaissance theater’s restoration was inside, with the goal of preserving as much as possible and recreating what couldn’t be salvaged. The restorers, Goesl says, “didn’t add anything to it. They highlighted the fresco plasterwork that was there with 23-karat gold leaf. All of the detail in the original building remains. All but one of the light fixtures are original, and they’re beautiful stained glass.”
The Perot still has a movie screen, and enthusiasts hope someday to offer silent movies with live organ accompaniment. That means a fund-raising campaign is in the offing to restore and reinstall the theater’s original pipe organ.
“The wonderful part of it is that it’s an actual theater organ, which means it also has a trap set as part of it. That’s very rare now,” Goesl says.
Trap sets allow the organist to activate the sounds of other musical instruments such as percussion, piano, bells, chimes and even sound effects like train whistles.
The Perot is known for its acoustics. “You can stand on the stage and be heard all the way at the top of the house, and the house holds 1,608 seats,” Goesl says. “You can almost whisper and be heard. The acoustics are that good.”
