Community theater group in Leander to move playhouse

By Joseph M. de Leon Thursday, 25 February 2010

LEANDER — The Way Off Broadway Community Players officials announced Feb. 24 the theater group has signed a 10-year lease and plans to move its playhouse to a new location later this year.

The all-volunteer theater group will complete its current season in June at its old location in the Crystal Falls Playhouse, 10960 Crystal Falls Parkway. Volunteers plan to move the playhouse in July and present the first production at the new theater in August.

Phil Duprey, president of WOBCP, said the new theater will be built in the Business Park 2243 located at 11880 FM 2243 in Leander at the former Aquatics Industries campus.

“We’re very excited to get this move underway,” he said. “It’s going to be bigger and better than ever and we’ll be able to do productions that we weren’t able to do in the past.”

A production of “Noises Off,” originally planned to run June 11–26, will be rescheduled for the 2010–2011 season to take advantage of the new theater, he said. The theater group has not decided what show will take its place.

The new theater will feature a larger stage, stepped seating, a lobby designed to display local art, and spaces for use by other civic and performance groups, Duprey said. For the past 13 years, the group has performed at several locations and maintained a month-to-month agreement at its current location to keep costs down.

“This is going to be a wonderful thing for the City of Leander,” he said. “The dream to find a long-term home has now been realized thanks to support from all the fans of the theater.”

Duprey hopes volunteers will step forward with tax-deductible donations, construction materials or offers of manpower. For details, visit www.wobcp.org.