The background
A month after its opening, the theater closed its doors after the declaration of World War II and reopened for the community to watch news reels.
“From the very beginning, the theater has always been about, ‘What does the community need?’” Executive Director Cheryl Fisher said. “And at that time, the community needed support in the war, entertainment during the war, information and news about the war.”
In 1999, the theater closed again and was purchased by a group of citizens who formed The Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Association before undergoing a series of renovations.
A closer look
The Brauntex puts on a number of live musical, ballet and comedic performances; movie screenings; and plays every year.
Through a partnership with the city of New Braunfels and the New Braunfels Economic Development Corp., in August 2020, $3.1 million was dedicated to theater technology improvements including a new lighting and sound system and a state of the art video wall system.
Aside from technology improvements, the theater renovated its lobby, built a new box office and built bathrooms on the first floor. Fisher noted the theater also renovated the slant of the seating and replaced all 600 seats. The theater also reconstructed its ceiling and roof in recent years.
Fisher describes the board’s role as a “three-legged stool.” The first leg is the theater’s production, and the second is what it does to preserve the building—the Texas Historical Commission placed The Brauntex on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The third leg is the art outreach and nonprofit side of things.
Fisher said The Brauntex’s next priority is to add a concession area, bathrooms and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility to the second floor along with the ticket booth.
Quote of note
“We’re always trying to put our finger on the pulse of what the community is needing,” Fisher said.
- 290 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
- www.brauntex.org
