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| 7/21/2010 11:33:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Penfold Theatre Co. looks to find a home in Round Rock
By STACY FANNIN
Special to the Leader
In 2007 three friends found their way to downtown Austin to start something new.
They all had a passion for the performing arts and decided that Austin needed a new professional theatre. Penfold Theatre Company was then started, and in the three years of performing, the fan base continues to grow, according to the three founders.
Now, Penfold Theatre looks to expand northward for a place where they can permanently call home. They have decided Round Rock is the best fit. Having certain contacts in Round Rock and ultimately, with the city showing a desire to have the theater company, the next step in their move is to pick a specific place to perform, but this is proving harder than anticipated.
With their first option of building a theatre to call their own, finding the funds weren't in their favor. Then they found a building in Round Rock, which happened to be the former site of the Round Rock Leader, but it proved more work to meet their needs than they had hoped.
So, working with Round Rock City Manager Jim Nuse, they are looking at working out an agreement with the city that would allow for a partnership on a building for the company to occupy.
Penfold was scheduled to meet last week with city leaders on a possible office agreement.
In the meantime, co-founder Ryan Crowder remains focused on making the transition and maintaining an audience. Crowder believes the move to Round Rock will be a great one despite the problems with finding a location.
"In the past the two years we've done a pretty good job about establishing a reputation for ourselves in Austin, so part of it is going to be about taking that reputation and bringing it up here and reintroducing ourselves with new audiences and starting new relationships especially because we want our home to be here," he said.
Cedar Park resident Jacqueline Harrison has been to several of Penfold's past productions and has enjoyed all of them.
"I've been to I think three of their past productions and it's completely worth driving from Cedar Park," Harrison said. "However, it's going to make it a lot easier now that they are going to be closer to home."
The first production to be kicked off in Round Rock will be "The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)". The performances will be held in the city of Round Rock Amphitheatre, 301 W. Bagdad Ave. The show will be performed on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Aug. 5-21 starting at 8 p.m. An encore performance will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 22. All shows will be free.
Every show will be preceded by a special performance by guest artists like the Round Rock Symphony, the Round Rock Community Choir and others.
Nathan Jerkins, one of the other co-founders of the theater company, hopes Austin-based fans will follow the move to Round Rock.
"Hopefully we have an audience base that we have been developing in Austin that will come along with us," Jerkins said. "We haven't cut all ties from Austin. We hope to transition the audience up here."
Jerkins went on to say that the audience base the company currently has is due to the work the actors do. Penfold Theatre Company takes care in choosing plays, with the aim being perfection in their performances.
Harrison was a theatre performer herself during her childhood years. Now an adult, she likes to watch the actors as part of the audience.
"It's fun to see what people do onstage," she said. "These guys completely make it worth my time to come and see their performances. I will definitely be at more of their plays and skits now that they are closer."
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