Renovated Mauldin Cultural Center, theater 'refreshed,' ready to make an entrance

Kathy Laughlin
·5 min read
Kristofer Parker, Mauldin Cultural Center Production and Theatre Coordinator, has performed as an actor and dancer at theaters throughout Greenville County. He turned his art into a paid job, he says, when he started working as a choreographer.
Kristofer Parker, Mauldin Cultural Center Production and Theatre Coordinator, has performed as an actor and dancer at theaters throughout Greenville County. He turned his art into a paid job, he says, when he started working as a choreographer.

February has seen a dream fulfilled for both the Mauldin Cultural Center and its new Production and Theatre Coordinator, Kristofer Parker.

Both Parker and the Cultural Center have risen from humble beginnings.

Until a few years ago, Parker was a sometimes-homeless, struggling teen – on the cusp of adulthood and embraced by Greenville’s theater scene.

The Cultural Center’s origins date back to 1937, built as a high school by the federal Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression and later converted into an elementary school.

The Cultural Center and the City of Mauldin recently debuted the center’s fresh look and its new leadership, including Parker.

“I see it as a celebration of the new and refreshed,” Parker says of the renovations.

Mauldin strives to create 'urban core':Key developments transforming the growing city.

Kristofer Parker, Mauldin Cultural Center Production and Theatre Coordinator, says he is thrilled with the renovations to the theater and lobby at the facility. The theater space and lobby were once an elementary school “cafetorium” and kitchen.
Kristofer Parker, Mauldin Cultural Center Production and Theatre Coordinator, says he is thrilled with the renovations to the theater and lobby at the facility. The theater space and lobby were once an elementary school “cafetorium” and kitchen.

When Parker first performed at the Cultural Center as an actor and dancer, the space looked more like the cafetorium it had been than the theater it would become.

The city bought the building in 2003 after Mauldin Elementary School opened on Holland Road and has gradually refashioned the 14-acre site, which is operated by the Mauldin Community Development Department.

Here's what to know about the Mauldin Cultural Center's updates

The complex now includes a sports center, an amphitheater and an art walk. The Cultural Center has classrooms for clubs, art and music lessons, and exhibitions. The theater was partially renovated in 2017.

“The first show I did here, we had a tiny stage,” Parker recalls. “There was no wing space; we had to hide in the kitchen before we made our entrance. They pulled up the floor, and you could still see the glue on the cement floor. They boarded up the windows to block the sunlight and rented string lights that were stretched across the stage.”

Theater patrons used restrooms that had been part of the school.

Now it is transformed, Parker says.

“The city turned a space that looked like a school into this huge, beautiful theater. There's a lighting grid, moving lights, lots of wing space. The stage has been extended. It does not buckle when you walk on it,” he says.

Movable seating was installed to accommodate an audience of more than 250.

A “gorgeous lobby” replaces the old kitchen, Parker says, allowing room for a box office and a bar, so that alcohol can be sold. New restrooms supplement the old ones.

“It's really neat to see how much it's grown and the care it's been given,” Parker says.

Meet the staff of the Mauldin Cultural Center

When a position was created for a Production and Theatre Coordinator, Parker jumped at the chance and was hired in early January. He manages the theater and its season along with the lobby. Gina McAtee handles outdoor shows and festivals as Events Coordinator. Christine Faust leads the team as Cultural Center Manager. Alyson Burrell helps out everywhere as the Cultural Center Coordinator.

The Mauldin Theatre Company includes the Youth Theatre, MCC Shakes! (“Shakespeare in the Park” productions), musical revues and adult productions.

“Our youth shows have always been very high-quality,” Parker says. “And we've been lucky with our kids. They're dancing like adults in these shows.”

Parker began working with the Mauldin Theatre as a choreographer just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the Upstate. The theater closed but was able to reopen in the fall of 2020.

“We worked with our audiences and kids to socially distance with masks and clear face gear. It’s crazy to think about now,” he says.

Those difficult days strengthened his bond with the young actors.

“A lot of them were going through depression during COVID, but they also told us about being bullied and other experiences before COVID. We’ve had kids talk about suicidal thoughts. It was a risk to come back in 2020. But it did save a lot of kids and gave them a safe outlet. A lot of them are still part of this program. It’s great to see how much they’ve grown,” Parker says.

“It's a safe space for everybody involved, even for me,” he says.

Pictured in this 2015 file photo are, from left, Kristofer Parker (director/producer), Dale Forsythe (music director) and Leah Thomas (producer/performer).
Pictured in this 2015 file photo are, from left, Kristofer Parker (director/producer), Dale Forsythe (music director) and Leah Thomas (producer/performer).

Kristofer Parker fights through adversity to earn Production and Theatre Coordinator position

Parker has not always been safe.

A Munchkin at the age of 10 in the “Wizard of Oz” production at the Greenwood Community Theatre, Parker studied ballet and other types of dance. But when his family moved to Greenville as he turned 18, he couldn’t cope with the change.

“Greenville was a big city compared to Greenwood,” he says. “It was about six years of struggle.”

Parker says he needed to find a new “theater home” and was soon cast in “Mulan Jr.” at the South Carolina Children’s Theatre. “That was the best decision I could have made.”

He was mentored, leaned on his family for emotional support, and found more gigs with the Children’s Theatre, Mauldin, Greenville Theatre and Centre Stage.

Still, he struggled.

“I had to fight through a lot of battles. There was a time when I was homeless. I didn't have a car. There were nights I slept outside or with friends. At one point I didn’t eat for two days. It was a hopeless point in my life. Some of that was my doing, just trying to figure things out,” he says.

“Honestly, I forget sometimes that those things happened. I'm good at blocking those memories. A lot of my friends don't even know what I've been through.”

Parker says those experiences have left him stronger, humble and able to navigate tough situations.

“Now I'm living the dream. I'm incredibly grateful to be in this position,” he says.

“This theater program is a testament to everything that theaters have offered me through the years. If it weren’t for those theaters, I wouldn't be in this position.”

That’s one reason that young performers are so special to Parker – the only African American artistic director in the Greenville County theater community.

“Everything we do is for the community,” he says. “It’s important for me to show kids, and especially kids of color, that you don't have to settle into a situation. There is a big responsibility to that.”

***

The Mauldin Youth Theatre will perform "Cats, Young Actors Edition" from March 31 through April 16 at the Mauldin Cultural Center, 101 East Butler Road.

MCC Shakes! will present “Love’s Labour’s Lost” on May 5, 6 and 7.

***

This story was featured in Marketplace Greenville in the Sunday print edition of the Greenville News.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Mauldin Cultural Center takes stage with renovations, new season