CASA MANANA - 1936 Frontier Centennial

As I have posted previously, my professional career began at the CASA MANANA PLAYHOUSE, Fort Worth, Texas in 1972. That Theatre was built in 1958 and ran a season of professional musical productions in the Summer as well as an award winning children's theatre in the winter and spring.

I apprenticed during the 1972 and 1973 Summer seasons, eventually becoming Propmaster and finally working as a Dresser with the Wardrobe Union there.

In the Children's Playhouse I appeared as an actor and honed my craft as a Puppeteer under the guidance of JOHNNY SIMONS, with whom I would later work as part of the  HIP POCKET THEATRE. My time at CASA lasted from 1972 until I left Fort Worth in 1976.

But...there was Another CASA MANANA, one that existsd 20 years before I was born and almost 40 years prior to my experience with the newly revived theatre....

 And I have a connection with that 1936 CASA as well, both through my Mother, FRANCES OLIVER MAYNARD of Weatherford, Texas and through Miss SALLY RAND who headlined the original CASA MANANA and with whom I worked at the New CASA in 1973.

My Mother inherited an archive of interesting articles and photographs which have now come down to me. I always knew this story growing up, and carried it with me as a sort of legacy during my time there and I am going to share that story in the next few posts.

The photos above come from a lengthy article in the  FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
 published on the 60th anniversary of the Frontier Centennial(the 100th anniversary of Texas Independance), the centerpiece of which was the  largest outdoor nightclub on Earth...
CASA MANANA!