Actor Jordan Tomenga plays Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol, the Musical”. (Courtesy Repertory Company Theater)
For more than three decades, the Repertory Company Theater has brought musicals and drama education to the city of Richardson. The troop-driven, non-profit operation hosts annual productions ranging from classics to new Broadway hits.
Executive Artistic Director Debra Carter and two other residents, Sharon Lipshie and Kitty Beletic, founded the nonprofit as a children’s theater program in 1986. As the kids in the ward got older, Carter saw the need for an adult component and started a theater company.
After a decade touring locally and in Colorado, Carter opened a theater in the Promenade Shopping Center. The company had shows at the Courtyard Theater in Plano, the University of Texas in Dallas or the Eisemann Center, which made it difficult to identify, Carter said.
In 2017, Repertory renovated and opened its current 165-seat theater in a former Dollar General on Coit Road.
“We learned that on tour … you don’t have a very strong brand,” she said. “Everyone thinks you are [associated with] where you [perform]. “
What sets Repertory apart from other theaters in the area is that it has a permanent cast of actors. Rather than auditioning for a specific play, repertory actors take on to appear in an entire season’s productions, which isn’t very common in the south, Carter said.
“[Other theaters may] have the same pool of actors, but it’s not a really formalized business like a soccer or a baseball team, “Carter said.
This year the company consists of 74 actors. By the end of the season, the troupe will have put together nine main stage productions and three special presentations. The children’s program, which is open from 8 to 18 years of age, includes theater lessons twice a week every six weeks, culminating in performances.
Over the years, Repertory has built a loyal audience, Carter said. Before COVID-19, there were 250 season ticket holders. That number took a hit when the cinemas closed; However, it is starting to grow back to pre-pandemic levels, Carter said.
Carter runs the theater with her daughters Laura Alley and Michelle Levall, who both direct the main stage productions. Alley also acts – she recently played Morticia Addams in Repertory’s production of “The Addams Family” – and is the educational director of the children’s program.
“My girls grew up in the theater,” Carter said. “They know the professionalism and work ethic that are essential for this.”
Repertoire Company Theater
770 N. Coit Road, Ste. 2405, Richardson
972-690-5029
www.rcttheatre.com
Office hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
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