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The Courtyard Theatre served as Plano ISD\u2019s 1938 gymnasium, but was renovated into a theatre in the early aughts. Photo by Lauren Allen.<\/p>\nRepertory Company Theatre co-founder and executive artistic director Debra Carter, with Sharon Lipshie and Kitty Beletic, launched the theatre company, originally focusing on arts education before turning into a full-fledged production company with a repertory model \u2014 something Carter found lacking north of Interstate 635.<\/p>\n
\n The Courtyard Theatre served as Plano ISD\u2019s 1938 gymnasium, but was renovated into a theatre in the early aughts. Photo by Lauren Allen.<\/p>\n
On any given day in a Richardson warehouse, the work of a live theater company unfolds in layers. Paint drying on a reversible set piece. Costumes cycling through the laundry. Actors rehearsing lines. Soon, all of these will move to Plano\u2019s Courtyard Theatre for a series of performances. April was The Producers.<\/p>\n
Co-founder and executive artistic director Debra Carter describes it like Santa\u2019s workshop \u2014 a well-oiled machine after four decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been doing it since I was 12, so it\u2019s kind of a long road,\u201d Carter says. <\/p>\n
As an adult, after years of performing with others, she decided to go out on her own.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to my husband, and I said, \u2018I\u2019m frustrated because I can\u2019t do this the way I think it needs to be done,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018Well, then you should do it yourself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Carter, along with co-founders Sharon Lipshie and Kitty Beletic, launched Repertory Company Theatre<\/a>, originally focusing on arts education before turning into a full-fledged production company with a repertory model \u2014 something Carter found lacking north of Interstate 635.<\/p>\n The theatre holds auditions once a year and pulls from the group of 70 to 90 actors chosen for each of the season\u2019s productions. At the time of writing this article, that\u2019s a team of 84 working on The Producers. Soon, the same team will shift to Grease<\/a>.<\/p>\n Repertory Company Theatre is based in Richardson, sure, but its small theatre often serves as more of a warehouse for working on props, costumes and rehearsals. For decades, RCT has performed at the historic Courtyard Theatre<\/a> in Downtown Plano, and its audience is built right into our city.<\/p>\n
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Photo by Lauren Allen.<\/p>\n