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Gulfport theater to open Dec. 10
By AMY WIMMER © St. Petersburg Times, published November 26, 2000 GULFPORT -- It's been a long time coming, but the newest addition to the city's arts scene will make its debut next month. The Catherine A. Hickman Theater of Gulfport, a 181-seat theater expected to host plays, recitals, lectures, films and other performances, will open to the public in a Dec. 10 celebration aptly dubbed A Dream Come True. The theater, 5501 27th Ave. S, is attached to the city's senior center, which also received a face lift during construction. The $970,000 theater and $110,000 senior center, helped along with $280,000 worth of state grants, are the biggest construction projects in Gulfport since the new city hall opened in 1994. "It's an outreach of the heart of the city of Gulfport to bring more culture and more entertainment to the city," said Michael Yakes, Gulfport's mayor. The theater has been planned for Gulfport since 1992, when the city began its waterfront redevelopment strategy. City officials hope the theater reinforces Gulfport's growing reputation for encouraging the arts. "Opening night will be like, "Oh, this is wonderful,' " said Paul Williams, Gulfport's director of public services, who helped coordinate the project. Williams split the theater-supervising duties with Community Services director Paula Cohen. The city broke ground on the project last year, with St. Petersburg-based Hennessy Construction Services Corp. as the contractor and Hoyt Architects of Sarasota as the architect. The first performance at the theater will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 10, when the red curtain opens to a stream of local actors, singers and musicians. Tickets for the performance, which cost $10, may be purchased at the Gulfport City Hall customer service desk. With only 181 seats available, a six-tickets-per-person limit is enforced. Before the show, anyone can stop by for the 5 p.m. free open house, which will kick off with the national anthem and a ribbon cutting. Tours of the theater and renovated senior center will be available, and a violinist, a magician, street theater performers and costumed historians will perform throughout the open house. Cake, punch and coffee also will be served at the senior center dining room during the open house. Trolley service will run between the theater, the casino and Town Shores. The 8 p.m. show will feature a lineup of local talent, including opera singers Ralph and Catherine Bassett, a local dance troupe and a one-act play performed by the Gulfport Community Players. The thespian group was founded by Catherine Hickman, the namesake of the city's new theater. City Council member Lynne Brown, who will be the master of ceremonies for the performance, said she plans to link the evening's celebration to Gulfport's history of finding fun close to home. "One thing I do want to talk about is the tradition in Gulfport of entertaining ourselves," Brown said. Tuesday night, the Gulfport City Council voted to finalize its fee structure for leasing the theater, as well as the Gulfport Casino, to outside groups. The city plans to hire a full-time employee to oversee the two facilities, as well as a part-time person to handle the theater's audio/visual equipment. City officials are unsure what specific performances can be expected at the theater, but they are eager to see what uses local groups and businesses find for the facility. "Whenever you've got a facility that's first-rate, you build it and they will come," Olsen said. Prices for renting the theater generally would range from $30 to $75 an hour, depending on the day of week and the time of day. Rental fees for Saturday or Sunday afternoons would be $225, and the fee for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening would be $300 to $450. The rate structure does allow breaks for non-profit organizations, including the Community Players and the Gulfport Arts Council. "The challenge was to provide a balance between coming up with sufficient revenue and still coming up with fair and consistent rates," City Manager Bob Lee said. Some have pointed out that the fees for the theater, even with the reduction allowed for non-profit groups, will be difficult for low-budget groups to afford. Tuesday night, the city urged those groups to continue to take advantage of the Gulfport Casino, where rates are significantly lower. "Where else can you have a casino such as we have on the water with a view, and then a brand-new theater?" Yakes asked.
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