the performances. An 8-foot-
high rock fence was made of
native stone and served as a
retaining wall (and sometimes
as seating). The stage was ini-
tially constructed to be 39 feet
across by 26 feet wide. Under -
ground wiring and hidden
lights prevented equipment
from taking away the location’s
“natural beauty.” All lighting
was operated from an electrical
booth at the rear of the
amphitheater – considered to
be “one of the first to be
installed in any theater.” This
permitted the light technician
to view the play. As there was
no sound equipment, any music
was done by a band which
would play in the orchestra pit.
The placement of the the-
ater as a whole was planned
strategically. The theater runs
north and south so productions
in the daytime remained unhin-
dered by the sun. In addition,
not a single tree was touched
during construction in order to
preserve the park’s natural set-
ting. This placement was advan-
tageous in that the trees not only
provided shade for audiences,
but also served as scenic effects
for the productions as well as
places to hang lights.
In 1934, construction of the
amphitheater was complete.
On April 28, 1934, the theater
was dedicated to the pioneers of
West Texas. In an invitation to
one “pioneer,” Morelock ex -
plained that the pioneers’
“endurance, their courage, and
their faith have transformed the
desert into a flower garden and
the wilderness into communi-
ties of culture and progress.”
The tribute to the pioneers took
place during Sul Ross Home -
coming, a time when many
alumni would come back to
West Texas and when school
spirit was at a peak.
The program for the event
included a pageant written by
W.A Stigler and Mrs. Jeanie M.
Frank of El Paso and recog-
nized 48 duchesses represent-
ing towns as far away as El Paso
and San Antonio. Under the
direction of Annie Kate
Ferguson, instructor in public
speaking, primary education
and reading, 300 students from
multiple Sul Ross clubs and
Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library, Sul Ross State
University, Alpine, Texas, 1934. Inset: Photo by Chelsea Rios, 2010.
The original amphitheater had twelve levels of seating and a lighting
booth that enabled the light crew to see the stage. By 1970, a new
amphitheater was built up the hill, and the old amphitheater fell into
disrepair. Over the years, six levels of seating and the light booth have
disappeared (inset).
societies dressed in costume,
portraying the “development of
the Big Bend from the time of
its inhabitance by the Indian
basket-makers to the present.”
The show presented nine
episodes, ending with student
lines across the stage holding
placards symbolizing the
numerous organizations pres-
ent from Sul Ross College. The
orchestra pit was used for the
first time by the Sul Ross band.
Sul Ross organizations that
assisted in the production
included the Mask and Slipper
Dramatic Club, the Sul Ross
Band, the Uncas and Sachems
(separate societies), the Pioneer
Club, Los Tertulianos (Spanish
club), and the demonstrative
school’s choral and speech
classes.
Attendance at the “Historical
Pageant of the Big Bend” was
estimated to be a staggering
6,000 people, minus the locals
who were told not to come so
that travelers from out of town
would be able to view the spec-
tacle. According to the Skyline,
“Mr. Herbert Kokernot Jr., fur-
nished meat for a free barbecue
in the afternoon and more than
7,000 pounds were consumed.”
The performance received rave
reviews and an “excellent write
up” in the San Antonio Express.
The following Monday, a sec-
ond performance was given to
2,000 Alpine locals.
After the pageant, the
amphi theater thrived. Not only
did the drama department of
Sul Ross College use the facili-
ty, but so did numerous other
organizations such as the Sul
Ross band and the theater pro-
grams of local high schools.
The works of William
Shakespeare have been popu-
lar productions at the Outdoor
Theater throughout the years.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream in
1956 followed by Taming of the
Shrew in 1957 and The Tempest
in 1959 were just a few of
many plays performed. Re -
ferring to the 1956 production
of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it
was said, “the magical light of
a mountain twilight made a
charming setting for the fanta-
sy of the play.” One of the few
times a show in the amphithe-
ater was ever cancelled was in
1958, when Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night was rained out, as
rains flooded the entire park
area.
“The most interesting thing
about the outdoor theater
(amphitheater) is that it was
always packed. People came
and brought their cushions and
their blankets and sat on the
ground. The entire audience
area (was) completely filled; we
even had people sitting on the
retaining wall,” said Dr. Alice
Katherine Boyd, professor of
speech and drama from 1955
to 1975.
In 1966, the Outdoor
Summer Theatre was estab-
lished by E. Clayton McCarty,
attracting 800 people the first
season.
By 1970 a new modern the-
ater designed by McCarty was
built by Sul Ross in the vicinity
of the amphitheater. In the first
three summers of the 1970s,
“more than 10,000 playgoers –
townspeople and Big Bend
tourists alike,” showed up for
each season. As attention
became focused on the new
theater, the 35-year-old original
amphitheater fell into a state of
disrepair.
During the 40 years since
the newer theater was built,
many changes have taken place
at the amphitheater. Originally,
the number of terraced steps
was 12; there are now only six.
What happened to the other
six terraces? The stage was
originally raised 4 feet off the
ground (for the orchestra pit),
and columns were on stage left
and right. Today the stage is
even with the ground, the
orchestra pit is nowhere to be
seen, and the columns are not
as tall. The creek is now adja-
cent to the amphitheater rather
than a safer distance away. It
seems that the orchestra pit has
either been filled with dirt pur-
posefully, as were the terraces to
make them even with the stage,
or the changes have occurred
naturally due to the placement
of the amphitheater in a natu-
ral flood plain.
Can we use the theater in
the future? Dona Roman, the-
ater director and associate pro-
fessor of theater at Sul Ross has
hopes. She staged the 2010
summer production of Alicia in
Wonder Tierra at the amphithe-
ater in part to bring attention to
the need for restoration. “We
hope the community comes
together to aid in the restora-
tion of part of Alpine’s histo-
ry,” Roman said.
The costs to renovate the
amphitheater to Texas Access -
ibility Standards, including the
many aspects necessary to
bring it to full compliance, is
estimated to be around
$100,000, according to Jim
Clouse, associate vice-president
for facilities at Sul Ross.
For almost 80 years, the
lodge has been used as a recre-
ational center, a picnic and bar-
becue site and a meeting place
for local organizations, as well
as faculty and departmental
socials. It currently meets TAS
standards but is worn and
needs updating.
The Kokernot Amphi theater
may not appear the same as it
did in its prime, but the fact
remains that it is still there, just
as the lodge is. With attention
from the community as well as
assistance in funding, the amphi -
theater may return as a contin-
uously used setting for more
Sul Ross and local productions.
The cultural and historical
importance of the lodge and
amphitheater cannot be over-
looked much longer. Older
local residents and former stu-
dents will always have the
memories of nights under the
cottonwoods, a refreshing trip
to the spring, as well as the
smell of barbecue and the
sounds of fellowship at the
lodge. These experiences
should not escape Alpine’s
younger citizens and students
but should be revived tradi-
tions.
The Kokernot Lodge and
Amphitheater are treasures
from the past, to be appreciat-
ed by the students of Sul Ross
as well as thespians and the Big
Bend community for many
years to come.
You Can Help!
The Amphitheater has
been identified as a 2013 capi
tal improvement in the Sul Ross
budget pending adequate fund
ing. There is currently no fund
ing set aside, but an account has
been set up for this purpose at
www.sulross.edu/theatre or
checks can be mailed to Dona
Roman, Box C 43, SRSU,
Alpine, TX 79832.
Cenizo
Second Quarter 2011
11