| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2096 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The Camille Lightner Playhouse in Brownsville is |
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| 6 | 6 | | celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023, and this occasion |
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| 7 | 7 | | provides a welcome opportunity to honor this South Texas treasure; |
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| 8 | 8 | | and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Camille Playhouse traces its roots to the fall |
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| 10 | 10 | | of 1963, when several English, speech, and drama teachers, along |
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| 11 | 11 | | with a few interested theater buffs, got together and started a |
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| 12 | 12 | | theater group called "The Brownsville Players"; they originally |
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| 13 | 13 | | performed in an old, vacant cotton sampling warehouse on Central |
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| 14 | 14 | | Avenue, and their first two productions were Green Grow the Lilacs |
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| 15 | 15 | | followed by Thieves' Carnival; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, In the summer of 1964, the Sams Foundation |
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| 17 | 17 | | recognized the group's hard work and provided a grant for the |
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| 18 | 18 | | construction of the present-day theater; the City of Brownsville |
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| 19 | 19 | | donated the land in Dean Porter Park, and on January 31, 1965, the |
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| 20 | 20 | | Camille Lightner Playhouse was dedicated in memory of Camille Sams |
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| 21 | 21 | | Lightner, a talented performer with a love for theater who passed |
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| 22 | 22 | | away in 1962; the Sams Foundation provided another grant in 1974, |
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| 23 | 23 | | and shortly thereafter, a much-needed addition to the building was |
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| 24 | 24 | | constructed for storage, work, and rehearsal space; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Today, the Camille Playhouse is one of the oldest |
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| 26 | 26 | | theaters south of San Antonio, and except for the two years of |
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| 27 | 27 | | interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has consistently |
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| 28 | 28 | | presented 60 seasons of stage productions; the theater offers |
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| 29 | 29 | | programs to people of all ages, both on the main stage and during |
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| 30 | 30 | | its Youth Summer Workshops; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, For six decades, the Camille Lightner Playhouse has |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided entertainment, enlightenment, and education to its |
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| 33 | 33 | | audiences, and in so doing, it has helped build a strong sense of |
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| 34 | 34 | | community and made an invaluable contribution to the rich, cultural |
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| 35 | 35 | | fabric of Brownsville; now, therefore, be it |
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| 36 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 37 | 37 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Camille |
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| 38 | 38 | | Lightner Playhouse and extend to all those associated with the |
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| 39 | 39 | | theater sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | further |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 42 | | prepared for the theater as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 43 | 43 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 44 | 44 | | Gamez |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2096 was adopted by the House on May |
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| 48 | 48 | | 29, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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