MIDLAND, Texas — The Midland Community Theatre has been undergoing construction since October 2023, but the play must go on.
Construction is expected to be complete by November 2024 and MCT Executive Director Timothy Jebsen said he is grateful for the patience of the community.
MCT raised $7 million for the project, and it was broken down into three different phases.
"The first phase was our new LED walls, which you'll see during the Wizard of OZ in Davis Theater One," Jebsen said. "The second phase was the expansion of our educational space, and our education program has grown so much that we really needed more space for that program to expand and to be able to meet the needs of the community. And the third area was to expand the lobby space and that is an area that I think will expand the opportunities of what that lobby can do to serve. The lobby in its old configuration was small and was just a transitional space when coming from the outside to the inside. This will allow us to have actual events in the lobby."
The construction has made some minor changes to the flow of the building.
Women's restrooms in Theater Two are still available and there are temporary spaces available for men outside the main theater doors. Jebsen is positive the restrooms will be ready by the fall.
Concessions are slightly moved and the number of items are limited. Cast and crew park at Midland College to give the audience the main parking lot at MCT.
Even with everything going on around the theatre, MCT has still seen average attendance with "The Sound of Music" and "The Wizard of OZ."
"Anne from Green Gables" is planned to take place in late March and early April. "The Play That Goes Wrong" is scheduled for late April and early May, and "Summer Mummers" will be held downtown at the Yucca Theater this summer.