Crighton Theatre

The Crighton Theatre is a historic theatre built in 1934 and located in downtown Conroe, Texas at 234 North Main Street. It is the home base for performances offered by Stage-Right Productions and Christian Youth Theatre, and also holds various music concerts and shows. The theatre is offered for rent for other events. Productions at the Crighton are funded in part by a grant from the City of Conroe. The Crighton Theatre Foundation provides support, and the venue continues to serve patrons.

When oil was discovered in Montgomery County in 1934, Conroe Mayor Harry M. Crighton sold his drugstore and went into the oil business. His success in the oil business and his civic pride influenced his desire for a grand theater. In 1934 he hired architect Blum E. Hester to build a movie palace similar to the great Majestic Theatre in Houston using native stone like that of the capitol in Austin. "Stars Over Broadway" starring Pat O'Brien was the featured attraction on opening night, November 26, 1935, in the highly touted and acoustically perfect Crighton Theatre. Students from the Abel School of Dance also performed. Tickets were 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. In order to accommodate vaudeville shows, Hester's design allowed scenery to be flown in the 40 feet of space above the stage. However, vaudeville was on the decline and the Crighton never hosted this form of entertainment. Air conditioning made the Crighton extremely popular during the hot Texas summers. The Crighton flourished for many years but as the drive-in theaters and modern wide screen theaters became popular the audiences grew smaller. The Crighton Theatre was finally closed in the mid-sixties. In 1976, Frank and Hallie Crighton Guthrie, the owners of the Crighton Theatre, began exploring the possibility of donating the theatre to the County. After discussing the idea with Chuck Stealey, their financial administrator, they asked Stealey to prese...

Historic theatre and community performance venue in downtown Conroe, Texas.

Product categories. theatre performances · music concerts · rental events

1. 1Crighton Theatrecrightontheatre.org
2. 2About 1 — Crighton Theatrecrightontheatre.org