The Yucca Theatre

Drawn by Midland's growing economy and the rapid development of the Permian Basin's petroleum industry, T.S. Hogan announced plans in 1927 for a multipurpose regional theatre to serve the area's expanding population. An oilman and former Montana senator, he commissioned Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick to design the building, which emerged with an elaborate facade in the Gothic revival style, while H. B. Layman of New York designed an interior with Egyptian revival features. After two years of construction, the Yucca Theatre opened on December 5, 1929, with a screening of the Hollywood musical "Rio Rita" and a musical comedy revue by the Jubilee Players of New York City. Its adaptable design made it suitable for traveling vaudeville shows, operas, recitals, and high school graduation ceremonies, and despite the economic depression of the 1930s, it remained a popular gathering place. It endures as a reminder of Midland's early growth as a center of the petroleum industry.

Midland, Texas · United States