History
It seems that there has always been live theater in Victoria.
In the 1930's, Victori Little Theatre performed at the county fair grounds and in the Hauschild Opera House (see right). The Opera House was the focus of performing arts in Victoria in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1955, a group of volunteers founded Victoria Civic Theatre. The Civic Theatre performed at the Aloe Field theater, and later at the theater at Foster Field. During those same years, the Victoria Lyric Theatre was founded. While the Civic Theatre focused on plays, the Lyric Theatre focused on musicals.
In 1973, the University of Houston-Victoria Drama Department founded the University Civic Theatre, combining talents from the community with those of enrolled students at UHV. When the university closed its drama department, the group reformed as Victoria Community Theatre, now known as Theatre Victoria.
Another noteworthy organization was the Victoria Summer Musical Repertory Company, who carried on the tradition of the Victoria Lyric Theatre during the 1980's and 90's.
In the first years of the newly organized community theatre, plays were performed in found spaces - from the courthouse to the community center. In the 1980's, VCT settled at 207 E. Constitution, converting an old printing office to an 86 seat performing space. In 1987, we moved "across the street" to 206 E. Constitution - to the former Victoria Theatre, a closed film theater.
Today, we are resident company at the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts. Conceived orginally as a new home for the Theatre, the Welder Center expanded its vision to be a home for the arts in Victoria as well as a cornerstone in the revitalization of downtown Victoria. The Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts is owned by the Victoria Performing Arts Center Association.
