If you lived in Palm Beach County 25 years ago, to get your culture fix you went to the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth or the “leaky teepee,” the familiar name for the West Palm Beach Auditorium, which earned that name from its pointy roof and less-than-watertight conditions.
The leaky teepee lives on in lore and memory, but the county’s cutting-edge performing arts house, the Duncan Theatre, is alive and well, and celebrating its silver anniversary season.
The theater, located on the Lake Worth campus of Palm Beach State College, has been a cultural touchstone and arts anchor of the community since its inception in 1986, six years before the Kravis Center raised its first curtain.
“The theater’s goal is to forge new ground as South Florida’s most eclectic performing arts center by introducing our audiences to premier performances,” said Mark Alexander, the director of the Duncan Theatre for the past 10 years.
The theater is named for a former literature instructor at the college, Watson B. Duncan III, who headed the English Department and was a mentor to Burt Reynolds, one of his students.
In January, the theatre kicked off its 25th anniversary season, called Reflection and Rediscovery, with a concert by The Boston Brass, a quintet known for jazz and classical music. Those two words – reflection and rediscovery — signify the theater’s dual mission: to reflect back on its history and landmark programs, including innovative modern dance companies Pilobolus and Momix, musical programs such as the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin and the Amernet String Quartet — while looking ahead to the future.
Presenting more than 300 shows a year, the theater comprises two venues: the 122-seat Stage West, which often screens films, and the larger theater, the 700-seat Continental-style seating venue. Both theatres have undergone renovations, including new seats, new paint and floors, and new grand curtains.
Since the early days, the theater functioned as an oasis of high-quality, cutting-edge, modern dance, contemporary music and chamber opera, all offered at affordable prices.
Harriett Eckstein, a Palm Beach County resident with an interest in supporting contemporary music and new composers, has been a loyal and devoted subscription member since giving her first contribution of $50 back in 1988.
“We did many enterprising things in the early days,” says Eckstein. “Lee Bell (now senior director of programming at the Kravis Center) was the Duncan’s first director. He was very open-minded and supported tiny chamber operas. He set the tone for the next 25 years with his enterprising and artistic sensibilities.
“We had avant-garde and experimental shows such as Noh plays, the Demetrius Klein Dance Company, and popular chamber music festivals with Massachusetts composer Martin Brody. We were open to everything.”
Eckstein said the theater was the first area venue to welcome Miami City Ballet, also celebrating 25 years this season.
“The Miami City Ballet performed at the Duncan before they ever performed at the Kravis Center,” she remembers. “We had Marie Hale and Ballet Florida along with many new choreographers.
“Indeed, there is a great deal to celebrate,” Eckstein said. “The Duncan should be proud of its development and its ability to meet and respond to the community’s needs. Mark has picked up where Lee left off and amplified much of the programming. He brought us Esperanza Spalding, the jazz bassist, before she won her Grammy. He is a hero in my book.”
The Duncan prides itself on its high caliber and quality of entertainment, affordability and accessibility.
Besides Pilobolus and Momix, the modern dance illusionists choreographed by Moses Pendleton, the theater has hosted such renowned dance troupes as The Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and most recently, Ballet Memphis.
“These prominent dance companies perform in major metropolitan cities,” Alexander said. “That’s what our patrons like. They’ve come to expect it and we want to meet those expectations for the next 25 years.”
Alexander adds that the price is usually right, too. “Our tickets are the most affordable in Palm Beach County. That’s one way the college gives back to the community. The same act in one of the larger venues would cost double,” he said. “That’s one of the things we do for the community.”
Letters Home, a play by William Massolia, artistic director for the Griffin Theatre Company in Chicago, brings to life real letters written by U.S. soldiers serving in the Middle East. A touring rendition of the play came to the Duncan Theatre last November with ticket prices starting at $6, less than the cost of a movie.
Coming in April is a “family fun” musical, Skippyjon Jones, about a Siamese cat with an identity crisis, based on the Judy Schachner book of the same name. Tickets are $8.50.
“Our dance performances start at $37, nearly half of what you would pay elsewhere for the same thing, and if you have a subscription the price drops to $25 per event,” Alexander said.
“We take risks with our programming. We’ve gone off on our own beaten path – we’re more edgy, a bit more of the unknown,” he added. “We’ve established our niche. We’re it for modern dance and chamber music – the Classical Café, our afternoon chamber series, has a dedicated and enthusiastic following.”
Recently, the Duncan has expanded its programming to include a jukebox music series, showcasing music of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and recently welcomed Earl Klugh, the Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist.
To reach a younger demographic, they’ve introduced jazz, world music and Canada’s Classic Albums Live, a concert series in which live musicians perform classic rock albums.
“The Duncan Theatre is one of our most important performing arts organizations due to its outstanding track record of presenting contemporary dance and musical talent that other venues do not book,” said Rena Blades, CEO of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. “Their work is artistically excellent, they serve a younger audience than most of our cultural organizations, and as an organization, their energy is outstanding.”
As Eckstein, the early supporter of the theater, appreciates the Duncan, so does Alexander appreciate his audience.
“We know our audience and we’re proud of who they are and what they like. Our audience is adventurous and serious about the arts. They’re interested in a long-term relationship and want it to be part of their lives,” he said. “Many subscribers have been with us 15-20 years. Because of that loyalty, I work hard to find quality events and programs that will interest them.”
Alexander said 85 to 90 percent of his subscribers renew, and the base has grown to 1,500 from just 900 when he first signed on in 2002.
The theatre has thrived in a period when many small regional venues have not, and Alexander cites some reasons for that.
“Funding is always a challenge. I write a lot of grants and we are effective at receiving grants,” he said. “Additionally, we introduced the membership program and our patrons have responded beautifully. The first year we raised $19,000 and this year we raised $29,000, $4,000 more than our goal.”
But more than anything, there’s a “trust factor.”
“Our audience knows when they come to our shows, they will see something interesting and different,” he said. “If they’re never quite sure what they’re going to see, they will still have a quality experience – and isn’t that what it’s all about?”
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of three profiles of area arts venues.