Patterson Repertory Theatre
Patterson Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit community organization based in Patterson, California, founded in 2003. Patterson Rep is dedicated to making the performing arts accessible to the people of Patterson and all of the West Side by offering live theatre, providing educational outreach programs that deal with important issues in an entertaining way, creating an outlet for the community's youth, making a contribution to the community's economy, culture and sense of pride, providing hands-on experience in all aspects of theatre production and management, as well as, offering acting and improvisation workshops to the community!
"Put away any prejudices you may have about the state of culture on the West Side... It's worth the half-hour drive from Modesto... " - Modesto Bee
Mission
The mission of Patterson Repertory Theatre is to demonstrate live theatre's unique ability to educate, enlighten, inspire and entertain through educational workshops, community outreach and theatrical presentations. By bringing Performing Arts opportunities to the city of Patterson and her neighboring cities, PRT hopes to promote community pride, the human need for self-expression and the joys that theatre has to offer to everyone in the community and surrounding communities of Patterson, California.
History
Patterson Repertory Theatre started as a summer project in the summer of 2003. Tori Lee Scoles observed that the residents of Patterson had to drive to other towns to enjoy theatre. As an experiment, Tori approached Patterson Parks and Recreation Director Adrienne Chaney with a proposal of mounting a summer acting workshop for teenagers in the park. In the mean time, Colton Dennis was expressing his own desire to direct a play in Patterson. Colton chose a musical that both Tori and he loved, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
On the first day of workshop, only one young girl showed up, but she had a friend. That friend had a friend and so on, until the Youth Theatre Workshop had 10-30 participants.
After A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Colton and Tori changed Patterson Community Theatre to the year round Patterson Repertory Theatre. They applied for non-profit status.
The first shows with the Youth Theatre were in the small park where the old Del Puerto Hotel used to stand (now it's the new City Hall) with only parents and passers by as audience members. The young actors mounted small one act plays, The Big Black Box and The Pot Boiler before moving into their new digs at Patterson High School Auditorium.
Patterson Rep now has an annual Art and Wine Gala that keeps growing in its size and attendance each year.