Helen K. Mason Center for the Performing Arts

The Helen K. Mason Center for the Performing Arts, home to Black Theater Troupe, includes a 145-seat theater and was built to meet the specific needs of the troupe -- with large space for rehearsing musicals and office space for day-to-day operations. It also sits just around the corner from Eastlake Park, a site of significance for the troupe since the park, formerly known as Patton Park, was once one of the only places in the Southwest where the races were able to mix. Funding for the building came from a $2.5 million bond the troupe received in 2006 to build a performance space, as well as an incubation program for smaller arts programs. The troupe therefore houses other troupe within the building rent-free for a year.