separate
shows.
The scorpion’s presence attracted notice
in The Wall Street Journal, but far less than
Andy Warhol’s allotted 15 minutes of
fame locally.
And, during a performance of Agatha
Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” shortly
before the murderer’s identity was to be
revealed, a duck left a nearby pond and
waddled across the stage.
“Fabian Marquez (playing Giles
Ralston) never broke character,” recalled
Dr. George Bradley, retired Sul Ross
professor of Communication and
Theatre, who directed the play. “He
grabbed the duck, turned to his on-stage
wife (Mollie, played by Kathleen Bowe),
and said, ‘A duck! What’s a duck doing
here? I told you to lock the gate!’ then
tossed the duck through the gate.”
Climate and terrain also has human
audience appeal. “I really feel the best
thing we have going is our topography,”
said Roman. “On many performance
nights, you need a sweater, and here it is
July. One year, we used this as our adver-
tising theme – ‘The coolest place in
Texas; bring a sweater.’”
Theatre in Alpine traces its roots to
1921 with the opening of Sul Ross. In
1934, Kokernot Lodge, a WPA-con-
structed amphitheater, and the surround-
ing 35 acres (donated by Herbert L.
Kokernot, Sr.), were dedicated for the
recreational use of Sul Ross students and
faculty. Shakespearean plays were fre-
quently staged at the amphitheater dur-
ing the academic years.
Featured Sul Ross performers over the
years included Allen Ludden, who would
gain fame as the host of “Password,” and
Dan Blocker, who portrayed Hoss
Cartwright on the long-running TV
series “Bonanza.”
In the fall of 1965, E. Clayton
McCarty joined the Sul Ross Speech and
Drama Department, and with the urging
of President Norman McNeil, organized
the Theatre of the Big Bend with a reper-
tory schedule the following summer.
Financial support was shared by Sul Ross
and the Alpine Chamber of Commerce,
and the City of Alpine has been an
investor ever since.
Plays were performed in the old
amphitheater until 1970, when the
present Kokernot Outdoor Theater was
constructed.
Attendance increased steadily from 800
persons the initial summer to more than
10,000 annually from 1970-72. By 1970,
the theatre rotated eight plays throughout
the summer, playing four nights weekly
from mid-June to the end of August.
continued from page 4
26
Cenizo
Bradley joined the Sul Ross faculty in
1975 and was heavily involved in the
summer theatre program for about 20
years, including serving as managing
director for a number of years. He actu-
ally agreed to start work at Sul Ross in
late May instead of September, and in
the process, likely kept the Theatre of the
Big Bend afloat, filling the vacant direc-
tor’s position.
Bradley praised the community’s
involvement. Collaboration of community and univer-
sity propelled the growth of both summer
theatre and the Sul Ross theatre pro-
gram, Bradley said.
“They helped us and we helped them.
If it hadn’t been for community partici-
pation, we wouldn’t have a theatre pro-
gram.”
Retired Sul Ross music professors Dr.
Rex Wilson and Ellen Boyd spent many
years in charge of musical direction, from
piano accompaniment to leading the
“It’s what kept summer theatre alive,”
he said. “Everybody in the cast pitched in
with painting the sets, striking the sets,
setting up what lighting we had and
doing what they had to do to get it done.
“In those early years, we strived to do
shows that people liked,” Bradley said.
“We had a hard time generating interest
and getting enough people, so often we
did plays that required just a few cast
members.”
Interest grew, though, and by 1978,
ToBB began performing larger-cast
musicals, including “Godspell” and
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” orchestra to working with soloists and
ensembles.
Bill Brooks, who has performed in
numerous summer productions during
his extensive acting avocation, first got
involved with Theatre of the Big Bend in
the late 1970s as a trombone player in the
pit orchestra.
“Rex and Ellen have been truly signif-
icant in my summer career,” said Brooks,
who first performed on stage in the 1990
performance of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
“They worked extremely hard in
numerous capacities to make the theatre
a success, and it was wonderful working
Second Quarter 2015
with them.”
“It’s something I thoroughly enjoy,
and I have especially enjoyed this venue,
the intimate setting with the audience
and the interaction with the students,”
said Brooks, who is a retired newspaper
editor and most recently, media officer
for the U.S. Border Patrol.
Brooks most recently performed in
2009 in “Will Rogers’ Follies,” portraying
the renowned humorist’s father, and has
thoroughly enjoyed his long-standing
association.
“I am a big fan of George Bradley,
who is a wonderful theater person and an
outstanding leader. I have equally
enjoyed working with Greg, Dona and
Kendall Craig (who played the lead in
“Will Rogers’ Follies”).
Through the life of the Theatre of the
Big Bend, steady evolution has occurred,
ranging from improved technology and
guest artists programs, to budget con-
straints reducing the number of produc-
tions, to the demographics of cast compo-
sition. Yet, the focus of maintaining the
traditional smell of the greasepaint and
the roar of the crowd has never wavered.
Over the years, ToBB has performed
numerous Shakespearean plays, most of
the ever-popular musicals and works by
both globally-acclaimed and lesser-
known playwrights.
“The Theatre of the Big Bend mor-
phed from four to five shows a summer in
the mid-1980s to two shows for years and
years,” said Schwab, Sul Ross professor
of Theatre and an active participant in
ToBB for a quarter-century.
“When Greg came in, he did things
the students needed (to further their edu-
cational and theatrical experiences),”
Bradley said. “Thanks to Greg and
Dona, the quality of productions has
improved a lot.”
Presently, the Theatre of the Big Bend
produces one major show.
“Due to budget, we have gone to
fewer, but bigger shows,” Schwab said.
“However, the talent pool has increased,
and the quality, for the budget, is by far
the best theatre you are going to see.”
Summer internships and the ToBB
guest artist program were established in
2006 with the theatre's unique rodeo
version of “Annie Get Your Gun,”
performed at the San Antonio Live-
stock Exposition Arena at Sul Ross’
Turner Range Animal Science Center.
“Annie Get Your Gun” was the only
offering for the 2006 season and allowed
the summer theatre to focus all resources
onto one blockbuster production.
Attendance at the performances broke all
previous records.