Yucca Theater (Midland, Texas) facts for kids
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| Address | 208 N Colorado St. |
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| Location | Midland, Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°59′56″N 102°04′35″W / 31.9988955°N 102.0765014°W |
| Capacity | 550 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Renovated | 1981 |
| Architect | H.B. Layman |
The Yucca Theater is a cool theater located in Midland, Texas. Back in 1927, a wealthy oilman and former politician named Thomas S. Hogan decided to build this theater. He wanted it to be a great addition to the nearby Petroleum Building. The Yucca Theater first opened its doors in 1929. It showed movies and hosted live variety shows called vaudeville.
Today, the Yucca Theater is a special Texas historic landmark. Every summer, a fun show called the Summer Mummers takes place here. It runs on Friday and Saturday nights from early June until Labor Day weekend. There are usually about 30 shows each summer. The performance includes a funny play called a melodrama and then a musical variety show called an olio.
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Discovering the Yucca Theater's Style
The Yucca Theater was designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick. He used big cut sandstone blocks, fancy marble, and tall columns. The building's style looks like ancient Assyrian architecture. Inside, H.B. Layman designed it with golden bulls and lotus flower lamps. This old Middle Eastern style was popular in the late 1920s. People were very interested in ancient Egypt after King Tut's tomb was found.
The theater opened on December 5, 1929. It showed vaudeville acts and movies. Over the years, it mostly became a movie theater. The original Yucca Theater closed in 1974.
Bringing the Yucca Theater Back to Life
In 1981, a group of volunteers worked hard to save the Yucca Theater. They restored it to look like it did when it first opened. This saved the building from being torn down. They kept the original style with its golden bulls and winged lions.
One big change was replacing the old seats with tables and chairs. This made it more like a cabaret. Special crews also added a tiered floor for the new seating. They also updated the technology inside. The theater can now hold over 1600 people. After this big restoration, the Yucca became the permanent home for the yearly Summer Mummers show. Other performances, like Broadway in the Basin, also use the theater. In 2008, a brand new sound system was put in.
The Summer Mummers Show
The Summer Mummers is a very popular show at the Yucca Theater.
How the Summer Mummers Started
In the 1800s, street performers were sometimes called "mummers." The Midland Community Theatre (MCT) decided to put on a show in the summer. That's how the name "Summer Mummers" came to be! Their first show was in 1949 and was called "The Drunkard." Art Cole, the director of MCT, even starred in it.
In the early years, the shows were held in different places. These included VFW halls and the old theatre center. After the Yucca Theater was restored in 1981, it became the new home for Summer Mummers. They still perform only at the Yucca today. The money made from Summer Mummers helps support MCT. The Yucca Theater is recognized as a Historic Texas Landmark.
What Happens in the Show
The Melodrama Play
The first part of the show is a funny play called a melodrama. It's done in a Vaudeville style. A new play is written almost every year, but sometimes old ones are repeated. Each play has a general "theme," like superheroes or zombies.
The story usually follows a simple pattern. A good female character, the heroine, and her friend get into trouble. A bad guy, the villain, and his friend try to take advantage of them. They want money and the heroine's love. Then, a hero and his friend show up to help. There's a struggle, and the hero always wins! The villains are defeated, the hero and heroine fall in love, and their friends also find some fun admiration.
- The Characters You'll Meet
The names of the characters change each year. However, the same types of characters are always in the play:
- The Hero – This character is always shown as being good and honest. The play always mentions that the hero went to Texas A&M University.
- The Hero's Sidekick – This is the hero's loyal friend. He might seem a bit silly, but he's often quite clever.
- The Heroine – Like the Hero, she is kind and believes in doing what's right.
- The Heroine's Sidekick – She is the Heroine's best friend. She always looks out for her friend.
- The Villain – This character is very greedy. The Villain is always looking for ways to make money. In every play, the Villain tries to capture the Heroine.
- The Villain's Sidekick – This character is easily convinced to do bad things. He helps the Villain with evil plans, hoping to get money.
The Moviola Film
The moviola is a short, silent film. It's sped up a lot and filmed in black and white. A small team makes it each year. The film shows the characters continuing the story in different parts of Midland. The moviola uses funny visual jokes and appearances from local famous people. It uses title cards to show what characters are saying and to announce intermission.
During the melodrama, a movie screen comes down. It shows parts of the moviola to help the story move forward. This also gives the actors a chance to rest. Now, with modern video, the moviola editor can add special digital effects.
The Olio Variety Show
After the melodrama finishes, the olio begins. It has about 20 short "acts." You can think of the olio as a funny musical variety show. All the acts are set to music and usually last about 90 seconds or less.
