Award-Winning Essay

Congratulations to fifth grader Jordan Whitmer
at Harrison Middle School for winning third place in the 2008 “Historic Moment in Arkansas” essay invitational, sponsored by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and Radio Disney.

The Lyric Theatre and Me
by Jordan Whitmer

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!! I’m at the Historic Lyric Theatre in Harrison, Arkansas, my hometown!

The original Lyric Theatre was built for silent movies about 1919. But as movies with sound became more popular they shut it down and never used it again. The current Lyric Theatre in Harrison was built by a man named J.W. Bass in 1926, which could play movies with sound.

The first movie with sound shown in Harrison was a movie from Universal Pictures called Broadway, shown at the Lyric Theatre on November 7, 1929. The theatre continued showing movies until 1977. But then, a modern theatre opened in town, so the Lyric was no longer needed for movies. The Lyric was empty and gloomy inside for ten years when the owner put it up for sale. One business wanted to demolish the Lyric and make it a parking lot. But a lady named Glenna Ragan did not want that to happen, so she bought the theatre and used it for special events.

Let’s go back to the time of the Great Depression. Hobos, people who traveled from town to town on the railroad, asked the people at the Lyric for a deal: if they painted murals inside the theatre, they would receive food and shelter in return. Nobody knows the names of the Hobos who painted these fabulous murals. Eventually, the paintings had almost faded away; yet they were restored in the last decade!

The Ozarks Art Council bought the Lyric Theatre in 1999 and decided to fix it up. The theatre was in very poor condition; it had a stage too small to act on, a small heater, holes in the walls, and several other problems.

The first few plays at the Lyric had terrible conditions! They had to use temporary lights and sound systems, a parachute as the curtain, and for the bathroom they had to go to the building next door.

The Ozark Arts Council raised money to buy new materials to build with, and had volunteers come and donate their time to help restore the Lyric Theatre.

So I bet you’re thinking “how is the Lyric used now?” Well, it got completely demolished by a wrecking ball. JUST KIDDING!!! For several other downtown historic theatres in Arkansas, that happened – but not for the Lyric Theatre! Currently, the Lyric is a place where people act and perform in musicals, watch movies on special nights, compete in contests, and several other community events.

I have had several good experiences at the Lyric Theatre. Two times, I have participated in the annual Boone County Spelling Bee. I also performed in a special children’s play. And now, once a week, my brother and I rehearse at the theatre with the new Ozark’s Children’s Choir. In a few weeks, we will perform our first Christmas concert there!

I can’t believe I can be a part of history with this over eighty-year-old building. The Historic Lyric Theatre is definitely one of Arkansas’ great historic places.

Photo of Jordan Whitmer by David Holsted, Harrison Daily Times. Used with permission.

Booking or Renting the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater

Special Considerations
The Lyric is not like other venues. It is neither a commercial operation, nor one operated by a municipality—nor extensively funded by any outside agency. Instead,it is owned and operated by a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization for the sake of promoting the Arts in our area. Because of this, not every possible use of such a space will be approved; every booking or rental must be viewed as part of the overall program of the Ozark Arts Council and subject to our Board’s view of its impact on the primary uses of our historic facility.

The cultural value of a booking, as well as the funding impact and time/space constraints of our programming in relation to a booking or rental, are the beginning of our considerations. The principles of the Ozark Arts Council and the strictures of being a federally recognized not-for-profit are also controlling factors in our decision making, as is the maintenance of our historic theater, part of which is subject to the control of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Finally, all bookings and rentals will be clearly one or the other. Bookings will be considered presentations by the Ozark Arts Council (in cooperation with any representation employed by the artist) and so marked on all signage, etc., and will have the usual publicity done by the OAC by default. Rentals will be the presentation of the renter and any publicity done by the OAC will require additional consideration from the renter.

Book Your Act at the Lyric
The Lyric is greatly loved by musicians, actors, and educators for its “live” acoustics and intimate seating. From Eric Bibb to opera and classical chorus to rock bands to the Glenn Miller Orchestra, musicians of every genre have enjoyed playing the Lyric and look forward to return engagements. Because it is an intimate venue and because our location is one in which charging $50 or more for a ticket will not attract an audience unless an act is exceptionally well-known and beloved, we do not usually accept bookings with large guarantees to the artist. Our general policy is that an artist will receive 60% of the gate and 100% of the artist’s merchandise sales; the OAC will receive 40% of the gate and 100% of concessions. Please email us at  

Bo*****@Th******.org











 or call 870.391.3504.

Rent the Lyric
The Lyric Theater is sometimes available for weddings, parties, and business functions, at the discretion of the OAC Board and the director and production manager of any play in rehearsals. The minimum cost for a federally-recognized not-for-profit organization for an event for which no admission is charged is $250 plus cleaning deposit/fees; the minimum charge in other cases for events in which admission is not charged is $500 plus cleaning deposit/fees. If admission is charged, 40% of the gate is payable to the OAC, with the aforementioned rental fees as a guaranteed minimum, unless otherwise agreed upon. Sound or light engineers are an additional charge. Please email us at  

in**@oz**************.org











 or call 870.391.3504.

The History and Restoration of a Harrison Treasure

Lyric History

The original Lyric Theater was located on the west side of the Harrison Square. It was purchased in 1919 by D.E. and Lulu Garvin Fitton, who operated it as a theater for silent movies.  As talking movies became more prevalent, the Fittons realized the original Lyric could not accommodate this new invention.

J.W. Bass, a builder from Detroit, built the Lyric Theater that is standing today as
a state-of-the-art theater for ‘talkies’, which he leased to the Fittons. Broadway by Universal Pictures, the first talking picture shown in Harrison, opened on November 7, 1929. (Mr. Bass fell in love with Harrison and built several more buildings that have survived the past century with their historic charm intact, including the 1929 Hotel Seville; a Montgomery Ward’s store on the west side of the Square, which is now Fraley’s Furniture, and his own home, the Twelve Oaks Estate.)

As part of the furnishing and decoration of the theater, Agnes Bass contracted with J.W. Zelm to paint and finish the interior, including the painting of our famous murals:

The building continued to operate as a theater until 1977, when it was closed to make way for a new theater in the Ozark Mall. After sitting empty for over ten years, the building was put up for sale in 1988. At one point, the Harrison Daily Times considered purchasing the Lyric and razing it to create more parking. When she found out, Glenna Ragan, owner of Holt Memorial Chapel, purchased the theater to save it from the wrecking ball and used it occasionally to host events and, for awhile, leased it to Homer Sewell for his performances as President Abraham Lincoln. During Mr. Sewell’s tenancy, the main floor offices were converted to public restrooms and, most notably, the burlap that Continental Theaters had required to line the walls was removed…uncovering the lost treasure of the Zelm murals.

Lyric Purchase and Restoration

In 1996, Ozark Arts Council president Jim Gresham began exploring ways that the Lyric could be used for the performing arts, and on April 9, 1999, after an extensive fundraising effort, the OAC was able to purchase the Lyric Theater for $150,000.

At the time of purchase, the roof leaked, there was no air conditioning, the heat was from a 1929 steam boiler, holes dotted the walls, the wiring was insufficient, and the stage was too small for performances.

The first performance, by Albert & Gage from Austin, Texas, took place on April 24, 1999, on an inadequate stage with temporary lighting and a sound system borrowed from Gus Smith of Guitar Smith’s music store.  The first play, The Foreigner, was held May 21-23, 1999 and the actors had no dressing rooms, no bathrooms and no wing space.  Costume changes were made in corners or stairwells, and the actors took bathroom breaks by running out the back door, across the alley and into a bathroom at the Harrison Daily Times building.  A makeshift curtain was made from a camouflage parachute from a surplus store.

A number of local businesses and individuals donated money, time and materials toward the restoration, which included installing four ten-ton heating/cooling units on the roof; building a new stage, dressing rooms, bathrooms, and a sound and light booth; rewiring the entire theater; installing a new ceiling in the lobby; renovating the balcony, which had been condemned; building light towers and grids; installing a new sound system; and dismantling the old boiler, which required the removal of 16 tons of metal. The murals on the walls were water streaked and full of holes as well as badly faded, so local artists patched the holes and restored the murals to their original glory.

In 2000, Ken Bailey, former Executive Director, and Jim Gresham, the original OAC President of the Board, were awarded the Governor’s Award for Arts Community Development for their work on the Ozark Arts Council and the Lyric.  In 2001, the Ozark Arts Council was awarded both the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Main Street Harrison awards for Community Commitment.  In 2002, the Lyric Theater won the state wide Main Street Arkansas award as the Best Building Rehabilitation Over $500,000.

In late January 2006, an addition was built on the back of the theater, which includes space for building and storing sets, a hospitality area (‘green room’) for touring artists, and a mezzanine for prop and costume storage.

In December 2007, the stage was expanded, a new sound system installed, and a new sound booth built.

With all the renovations to allow the OAC to present world-class productions, it became obvious that the seats were in dire need of repair. The OAC began the Adopt-A-Seat Campaign in 2007. In early 2009, the seats were removed, the concrete floor repaired and painted, and restored seats were installed.

In November 2009, the office next door to the Lyric was renovated to be the Oak Leaf Gallery, a space for local artists to exhibit and sell their work. The gallery also serves as the OAC’s ticket sales office.

Congratulations to Jordan Whitmer!
Read his award-winning essay about the history of the Lyric Theater! He won third place in the 2008 “Historic Moment in Arkansas” essay invitational, sponsored by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and Radio Disney.

[Please Note: When Jordan wrote his essay, the prevailing (and promoted) story of the Zelm murals was that they were painted by an anonymous “hobo muralist.” While Mr. Zelm’s work took some time and he painted throughout the South and his name was lost to us for decades, “anonymous itinerant muralist” would be more accurate; he was in high demand, even during the Great Depression, so he moved between jobs quite a bit, but he wasn’t someone who just ’happened along’ and painted merely for room and board, as the story went. We believe the real story is every bit as fantastic as the myth was, because the Lyric is the only place in Arkansas regularly accessible to the public to see Mr. Zelm’s work. He also painted murals in the 1923 Lamar Bath House in Hot Springs, which is now used for office space for Hot Springs National Park.]

ABOUT THE LYRIC THEATER CONCERT ASSOCIATION

The Lyric Theater Concert Association was organized in 2017 as a ‘rebooting’ of the Buffalo River Concert Association, which had been inactive for most of a decade after having done a wonderful job of bringing world class artists to Harrison. With this restoration being in its infancy, expect that this web page may be a few more weeks in gaining meaningful information!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks
The Theatre Company was formed in 1977, and since that beginning has become a driving force for quality live theater in the Harrison area. The Theatre Company brings from 4 to 8 productions per year to the Lyric, from elaborate, large-cast musicals to dramas and comedies, some with all adult cast members, some in connection with children’s acting workshops, and most with all ages involved.  Read more…

Northark Drama
Until the OAC purchased the Lyric Theater, the North Arkansas College’s drama department performed their plays in the Little Theater on Northark’s South Campus, with a very small stage and virtually no space for a set. The department now holds classes and performs their Spring and Fall productions at the Lyric and contributes enormously to the vibrancy of the OAC’s overall program.

Harrison Art League
HAL is an organization that is open to artists of many different genres—painting, pastels, photographers, potters, sculptors—and anyone who just has a love for the Arts! At least one judged show is held annually, open to all artists. The show has categories from oils, acrylics, water media, mixed media, pastels, drawings, photographs and sculptures. There may be smaller, unjudged shows or exhibitions for members only, as well as the juried “Spring Invitational Painting Show.”

Students residing in the five touching counties (Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton, and Searcy) seeking a degree in visual fine arts at Arkansas colleges or universities may apply for a $500 scholarship.

International Thespian Society Troupe 2715
Reorganized in 2018, ITS Troupe 2715 is based at Harrison High School. As thespians with a commitment to volunteerism and the advancement of theatre at every level, the troupe chose to join the OAC as a member organization in 2020 to help care for the historic Lyric Theatre and to be a part of the ongoing mission of the OAC to enrich the lives of all living in our area through support of all of the Arts. Whether it is an HHS, Theatre Company, or Northark Drama play, a HAL event, the 20th Century Club’s Spring awards presentation, or an LTCA concert, you are likely to see Troupe 2715 members onstage, backstage, working in the front of the house, and cleaning afterwards, and the OAC is thoroughly pleased to welcome them as a member organization!

Twentieth Century Club
Organized in 1901, the club joined the International General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1902. The Federation supports six programs, including the arts. The local club sponsors at least one annual educational program in the arts and holds an annual art contest for local students with competition in visual arts, creative writing and poetry. 

Woman’s Book Club
Founded in 1900 to establish and maintain a public library, this club now sponsors fund-raising events to support the Boone County Library. The Woman’s Book Club and the Ozark Arts Council collaborate on specific projects to promote the arts and humanities in Harrison, AR.

Lyric Theater Concert Association
The Lyric Theater Concert Association was organized in 2017 as a ‘rebooting’ of the Buffalo River Concert Association, which had been inactive for most of a decade after having done a wonderful job of bringing world-class artists to Harrison.

Children’s Choir of the Ozarks
The goal of the Children’s Choir of the Ozarks is to provide an opportunity for children in our community to obtain formal choral training and performance experience while developing an appreciation for music.

Built in 1929 as the area’s first movie theater for ‘talkies’, the Lyric Theater is a unique venue for plays and concerts. Read the history of the Lyric and enjoy this delightful article by Adria English of First Security Bank’s “Only in Arkansas” magazine, check the map for location and directions, and read below for rental information and specifications important to performers, directors, sound engineers, etc.

The theater’s design has tremendous benefits for both dramatic and musical performance. First is simply the intimate design: the center section of the main floor has only seven full rows, and the topmost row of the balcony is only 18 rows back from the stage. In plays with an orchestra, the orchestra gives the advantage to the audience, playing at stage right (usually on the main level, sometimes at stage level), rather than having a pit that adds distance between the stage and seating.

Especially with the extra footage added to the stage in the first decade of this milennium (so much that our seating no longer starts with row A, but row B!), we are something ‘more’ than a traditional proscenium stage, yet not quite a thrust stage, so that we actually offer the benefits of both: the ability to hide props and actors outside of the ‘window’ created by the proscenium arch (aiding in the suspension of disbelief, which has become more of a challenge in audiences conditioned by film viewing), while approaching the fourth-wall-reducing intimacy of a thrust stage.

Seating Capacity
Main floor – 240
Balcony – 125
(15 seats are reserved for OAC use at all performances)

General Specifications
Width of proscenium arch – 31 ft.
Height of proscenium arch – 16 ft.
Overall permanent stage width – 34 ft.
Stage depth from front curtain to back wall – 14 ft.
Top stage size – 15.25 ft. deep by 34 ft. across
Lower stage size –
frontmost, between stairwells – 4 ft. deep by 21 ft. across
principal, behind stairwells – 12 ft. deep by 34 ft. across
with extensions – 12 ft. deep by 43 to 49 ft. across
Stage left wing width – 5.5 ft. by 14.5 ft.
Stage right wing width – 2 ft. by 12 ft.
Stage left side loft with window – 4 ft. by 7 ft.
Stage right side loft with window – 4 ft. by 7 ft.
Standard size stage door
Stage loading door – 88 in. wide by 94 in. high
Front curtain (green velour) travel – Front half 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Back half 7 ft. x 9.5 ft.
Scrim curtain (white poly) travel
Side curtains

Dressing Rooms
2 rooms and hall below stage with bathroom facilities (2)
1 room behind stage with bathroom facilities (2)

Storage and Set Construction Annex (25 ft. by 49 ft.)
The Bailey Annex contains secure storage areas, loft, and large area for set construction with large utility sink downstairs.

Wardrobe and Rehearsal Loft  (25 ft. by 35 ft.)
Contains additional dressing area.

Loading Dock
Loading door (5 ft. 9 in. by 7 ft. 10 in. )
Loading from street level with nearby parking

Lighting
General stage washes
No spot or black lights
Extra fee for specific requests

Sound
Allen & Heath GL 2400 console
Mackie S-408 main speakers
Mackie S-410 sub woofer speaker
Mackie C-300 stage monitors
DBX iEQ-31 EQ
TC electronic SL effects processor
Crown XS-900 power amp main and subs
Crown XSL 602 power amp monitor
16-channel quick release microphone snake
8 channels of compression

The stage is wired for four separate monitor mixes with a 1/3 octave equalizer for each mix.

Miscellaneous
Baby grand piano is available for an additional fee.

Want to see your name in lights?
If you are interested in performing in the Lyric, please email us at 

in**@oz**************.org











 or call 870.391.3504.

Rent the Lyric
The Lyric Theater is sometimes available for weddings, parties, and business functions, at the discretion of the OAC Board and the director and production manager of any play in rehearsals. The minimum cost for a federally-recognized not-for-profit organization for an event for which no admission is charged is $250 plus cleaning deposit/fees; the minimum charge in other cases for events in which admission is not charged is $500 plus cleaning deposit/fees. If admission is charged, 40% of the gate is payable to the OAC, with the aforementioned rental fees as a guaranteed minimum, unless otherwise agreed upon. Sound or light engineers are an additional charge. Please email us at  

in**@oz**************.org











 or call 870.391.3504.

Auditions    Board Members    Latest News    Ticket Prices  

About the Theatre Company of the Ozarks

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks was organized in 1977 under the name of the Buffalo River Theatre Company.  Until September, 2015 the organization was simply known as The Theatre Company. Today, many years and two name changes later, The Theatre Company of the Ozarks is still producing high quality live theatre for Harrison and the surrounding communities. The Theatre Company of the Ozarks brings from 4 to 8 productions each year to the Lyric.

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks is dedicated not only to bringing high quality entertainment to the area, but encouraging members of the community to become involved, whether on stage, back stage, or behind the scenes in sewing, fundraising, and volunteering to help enrich the lives of all in our community through support of and participation in the Arts. Thus, the Theatre Company was involved in the development of the Ozark Arts Council, with several Theatre Company members on the original (1996) OAC board. Many young people who have become involved with Theatre Company of the Ozarks productions over the years have gone on to have theatre-related careers.

We are proud of the involvement of our community in the Theatre Company of the Ozarks. The diversity of the actors involved with Theatre Company of the Ozarks production is one of its greatest strengths.

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks general membership meets twice a year. In September the plays for the next season are selected, and in January officers and board members are selected. The Theatre Company of the Ozarks has an elected board of 7 members, who meet monthly and are charged with managing the business of the Theatre Company of the Ozarks. Annual Memberships are $5.00 and Lifetime Memberships are $100.00, and entitle a member to vote on officers, board members, and productions for the next season.

The Theatre Company also works closely with the other arts organizations in the Ozark Arts Council and beyond. They have collaborated with the North Arkansas College Drama Department on productions, and have had Harrison Art League members assist with set design and decoration and there is also overlap in our membership with a history of HAL members acting in and directing some of our productions.  Theatre Company volunteers staff the concessions and box office at the Lyric for Theatre Company productions and other OAC member organization events.

The Theatre Company is committed to promoting the Arts in our area, and particularly committed to extending to people—of all ages and abilities—the opportunity to express themselves in the theatre arts.

The 2024–2025 Theatre Company of the Ozarks Board and Officers

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