Austin Family Magazine Poll: "Favorite Live Theatre For Children" 2005, 2006 and 2007

Scottish Rite Community and Children's Theatre, Inc. a 501 (C) (3), is the parent company to Scottish Rite Children's Theatre. Our mission is to provide year-round, quality, fun and affordable children’s entertainment. As a community theatre, we also share our stage with other talent throughout the year.

Our original plays are clever adaptations of well known fairytales, written to be interactive with the audience, and often include positive lessons. Children are encouraged to help out the hero and thwart the villains from their seats in the theatre.

We hope to leave our patrons with an appreciation of live theatre, and a greater awareness of our historic building, its priceless vintage scenery, and it's contribution to Austin’s culture. Since construction in 1869, the building has enjoyed a vibrant history hosting decades of theatrical productions, social events and weddings, and serving as home to the Scottish Rite Masons. Take a look at some of the scenic backdrops used in in our productions on the Historic Scenery page.

Scottish Rite Children's Theatre has been awarded the 2006 B. Iden Payne Award for "Outstanding Production of a Play for Youth" for Rumpelstiltskin! We are very honored to have been selected as this year's recipient for the award presented by Austin Cirlcle of Theatres. In additon, Nathan Jerkins, one of our very talented actors, won "Outstanding Actor in a Play for Youth" for his role as Sleepy Pete in Sleeping Beauty. Other nominations included Andrea Smith for both "Outstanding Director of a Play for Youth" (Rumpelstiltskin). Karen Jambon (as Rumpelstiltskin in Rumpelstiltskin) and Andrea Smith (as the Narrator in Charlotte's Web) were both nominated for "Outstanding Actress in a Play for Youth." Thank you to all who support our theatre and appreciate our work!

SRCT is the proud Recipient of 2006 B. Iden Payne Award: "Outstanding Production of a Play for Youth"

League of Historic American Theatre's Feature

Download the pdf below to read the about us in InLeague, courtesy of the League of Historic American Theatres. The article has been reprinted with permission from its original source, InLeague, Spring 2007, Vol. 30, No. 1, the quarterly newsletter of the League of Historic American Theatres, a nonprofit association devoted to the rescue, restoration, reuse and sustainability of historic theatres. (SRCT info begins on page 2 of the pdf.)
Secret's for Success—Child's Play

Other Scottish Rite Philanthropy

In addition to Scottish Rite Children's Theatre, the Scottish Rite Masons share their generosity in many other areas. The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital For Children in Dallas is one of the nation's leading pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions, certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. Since 1921, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has provided care for more than 180,000 children. There is no charge to patient families for treatment, and admission is open to Texas children from birth to 18 years of age.

The Scottish Rite Learning Center of Austin, founded in 1989, is another aspect of the Scottish Rite commitment to the community. The Learning Center provides dyslexic individuals with a proven research-based, multisensory approach for learning the basic language skills of reading, writing, and spelling, through the ongoing charitable commitment of the Scottish Rite Masons. Scottish Rite Learning Center's efforts are also concentrated on maintaining a nationally accredited teacher-training institute as well as a resource for educators, parental consultation, and adult education.

The Scottish Rite Dormitory was the brainchild of Samuel P. Cochran, the Executive Head of the Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas. Mr. Cochran recognized that there was a lack of suitable housing for young women who were attending The University of Texas, and asked the Scottish Rite Bodies in Texas to donate the necessary funds to build a dormitory. In 1922, the dormitory opened the doors to its present building. It is a gift of Scottish Rite Masons in tribute to, and in interest of, aspiring young women. Known affectionately as SRD since 1922, is situated on seven expansive and gorgeous acres just one block north of The University of Texas at Austin. Please visit the website for more information.