CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The black stage inside the Aurora Arts Theatre has provided tears, smiles, and laughs for the Coastal Bend community for over a decade.
“I remember the opening night and I remember Mr. Chapa standing right there and I remember what he was wearing,” Christin Espinoza said.
Christin Espinoza and Autumn Caro have been part of the Aurora Arts family since the beginning in 2010.
“We were here before the chair was actually connected,” Caro said.
“I was here before that floor was painted,” Espinoza said.
As much as audiences come to see the actors, they say it’s just as thrilling to see the red seats fill up.
“A no-no in the theatre, which is peeking out from behind the stage set and watching for people when I knew something really funny was coming up because I wanted to see them laughing,” Caro said. “I knew at some point if they were laughing this hard, they were going to be crying, going to be folded over.”
The arts is an in-person experience, and when the pandemic hit it wasn’t easy.
“For community theaters it was very scary because we did not know what the future was going to be. We didn’t know how long it was going to last and as an actor we lost that outlet completely,” Caro said.
Despite the challenges, they managed to keep the doors open at a time where many were closing.
“It was mentally a little draining, but we pulled through. I feel the Aurora family came together. We’re a family,” Espinoza said.
The shows have gone on with another successful season currently underway.
“We get to escape as actors and become something that we don’t normally get to do, which is very liberating sometimes, and we hope the audience follows along in that journey with us,” Caro said.
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The theatre even seeing an increase in attendance after navigating COVID-19 challenges.
“Now more than ever, people are craving live performances,” said Dylan Rios, marketing director for Aurora Arts Theatre.
“With the help of our all-volunteer community actors, musicians, and others, we are able to continue doing just that," Rios said. "Our attendance numbers increase every month and we're glad to be continuing with live theatre productions, now in our 12th year.”
The actors say they’re thankful for this place they call home and what it provides for our community.
“It’s part of expression. It helps people with critical thinking and thinking about different social issues. There’s just endless benefits,” Caro said.
The theatre has their latest production ‘A Chorus Line.’ The show kicks off Friday, July 15, through Sunday, August 28.
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