The Augusta Mini Theatre has been Tyrone Butler’s life’s work, and in October, he’ll see the work begin on a crowning achievement – a 144-seat theater on the grounds of the art school’s Deans Bridge Road campus.
A groundbreaking is set for 11 a.m. Oct. 10, just days after the organization’s 49th anniversary. Plans are to have the ribbon cutting on the new facility on its 50th anniversary, he said.
“The lesson is don’t quit, keep at it,” said Butler, who started his program in 1975 at the Wallace Branch Library.
In 1975, Butler had envisioned becoming the next James Brown. He loved to sing and dance, but he had no formal training.
“I wanted to start a program for people like me,” he said, explaining that “like him” meant someone with the desire to learn but not the opportunity or money. Students at the Augusta Mini Theatre don’t pay tuition fees.
He had his share of naysayers when he started his program and was even accused by one local arts’ professional as teaching “bad art.” But when he received The Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1984, that same individual relented slightly saying that “I guess bad art is better than no art,” Butler said.
Despite his detractors, Butler forged ahead and has won many awards since including the Greater Augusta Arts Council Artist Award in 1993, NAACP Humanity Award in 2018 and Champion for Children Award in 2018.
In 2008, the organization opened its Deans Bridge Road campus on the former site of a night club. The initial plan included a theater; however, there was only enough money for the land purchase and the building with its classrooms and black box theater.
A large grassy lot was designated for Phase 2, and the Augusta Mini Theatre has saved its contributions over the ensuing years while receiving funding from one of the city’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendums to make the dream a reality.
The plans for the theater have had to be modified multiple times. It was downsized from 300 seats to 100 but reconfigured to 144 seats. Butler said $250,000 had been designated for extra parking, but there’s enough parking so that figure was reabsorbed in the budget.
Already Butler and the Mini Theatre’s staff are planning for that grand opening event. Initial thoughts are to open it like he used to open his shows at the Wallace Library by singing one song. Other parts of the night would include an alumni walk and possible snippets from Judith Simon Butler’s one-woman show “The Johnny Williams’ Story” and a performance by theater students.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
