Sunday's Dallas Morning News Article - The Buzz Is On!

Small theater has big potential
08:37 PM CDT on Saturday, July 2, 2005
If, as planned, the newly formed Stone Street Theatre Group presents its first performance in September, don't expect anything like the 32-trumpet choir that will hail the November groundbreaking of the $275 million Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.
But among downtown residents, the group's debut – in a room over a pizza parlor on Elm Street – may be the more anticipated event.
Downtown has no shortage of major cultural venues, but few have the casual, drop-in feel of a small theater group.
"I think it's phenomenal," said Kourtny Penn, director of marketing and events for the Central Dallas Association, which has pledged to help promote the group.
"It gives downtown residents something more to do in the evenings. And as a downtown resident myself, I can tell you that's really important."
The theater group is being founded by Bryan Hutson, whose day job is assistant manager of a Calloway's Nursery. Mr. Hutson, however, is also a downtown resident with considerable experience in community theater.
The idea of a downtown theater group has been kicking around for a while, but most people who proposed it got discouraged at the lack of usable – and affordable – space, Ms. Penn said.
George Elson, managing partner of the Metropolitan Downtown Tavern, offered free use of the restaurant's third-floor banquet room overlooking Elm and Stone streets – a space that has a separate entrance and sits above Campisi's restaurant.
When Mr. Hutson called a town hall meeting of downtown residents to announce the formation of the theater group, Mr. Elson cautioned him to be realistic.
"I told him not to be disappointed if only 10 or 20 people showed up," Mr. Elson said.
Sixty did.
The group is planning to offer a mixture of cabaret, performance theater and dance, Mr. Hutson said.
"We want people to spend four hours downtown, go to the show and maybe one of the restaurants around," he said.
The banquet hall has a bar in the back, but the emphasis will be on the stage.
"We're not going to be the Windmill Dinner Theater," Mr. Elson said.
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Almost unnoticed in a flurry of recent downtown announcements was the Dallas City Council's recent authorization for the purchase of land for two downtown parks.
City