To further protect the Mission San Jose lands, the San Antonio
Conservation Society purchased a piece of adjoining property
containing a gravel pit. The pit was known as the “Huisache Bowl”
because of the many huisache trees surrounding it. In 1937, WPA
workers graded the naturally sloping area and built a stage to
create an amphitheater so that cultural and educational events could
be staged.
The Society deeded the land to the State Parks Board in 1940. In
1958, Governor Price Daniel designated the San Jose Theater as “The
Historic Theater of Texas” for its premier staging of “The Cloud of
Witnesses” also known as “The Drama of the Alamo” by Ramsey
Yelvington.. The Texas State Historic Theatre Foundation assumed
administration of the theater in 1960. Plays of note performed under
their management included “San Jose Story” and “Los Indios de San
Jose” by Ethel Wilson Harris and “Lightning from the East” by
Josefina Niggli.
Management of the theater was transferred to the National Park
Service on February 20, 1983, when the San Jose Mission grounds
became part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. In
1986, the Park Service planned to demolish the underutilized
theater. However, community opposition and much needed repairs
ensured the theater’s survival into the 1990s. |
