STAAR Theatre & Pulaski Opera House

I'd like to challenge the knowledge of Giles County residents with this letter. How many of you knew that from 1868 to the late 1930's our square boasted one of the most beautiful Opera Houses in the South? How many knew that............she has sat empty ever since......This "Abandoned Lady" is waiting to be restored to her original splendor and we are just the group of dedicated people to see this through! We are launching a campaign to raise awareness and funding to bring this gem back to our community and we need your support in any fashion you see fit!

I would like to think that everyone in Giles County would embrace our goals of preserving our town's history while also supporting a decent place for their children and teens and adults to experience the arts, both visual and performing in a safe, fun, educational environment. I know that not everyone shares the passion we have for this field. On a side note, I will admit that I'm not particularly a sports enthusiast, but when the athletes from the local teams go around selling items to raise money or fundraise so that they can to go to a particular event, we do not hesitate to help them out and contribute because we know that this is for the betterment of the youth and the community. That's what this letter is about....a sense of community. I have not lived here my whole life, but for 20 years I have called it home. I feel a deep sense of community here. My husband and I brought our three children home from Hillside Hospital and this is the only home they have ever known. Many of the STAAR volunteers are established business folks in the community. We are proud to live in such a rich, historic county and pray that we can help make a difference here by serving Pulaski along with the many volunteers at STAAR. The theatre "family" is a group of people who share this passion and anyone who has ever seen or been a part of a live performance can tell you that there is nothing quite so thrilling for all involved.

Here's another question for you. How many people live in Giles County? I didn't know this until I looked it up for this story. We have just over 29,000 residents living in Giles County. If each person contributed $5.00 to this project, that would provide $145,000, which would give STAAR the ability to accomplish their first goal of completing the purchase of the building they are in at this time. Once this purchase is complete, the eligibility for grant funding opens up a bit more.

I’d like to take this time to give the Giles Heritage Theatre a tribute! They began a wonderful work in this town and I am so sad that we were not here to see one of their many successful productions. We are doing the best we can with the knowledge we have to keep the arts alive. I'm weary of everyone saying how awful it is that GHT is not there anymore and it'll never be the same......we know this.....Mary Dubberley wrote a letter to the editor expressing her thoughts on this topic that I sincerely commend her for. That was a beautiful surprise for STAAR and we are delighted to have such a talented, gifted lady and her family participating and volunteering with us. She too was part of the GHT cast and she is right...it IS different....but the same....I only hope that the folks that were involved back then who miss the experience of directing, acting, working tech, and all those wonderful folks behind the scenes will give this theatre a chance. Your gifts and talents don’t need to sit dormant. Come share with us what you know and you could once again be part of something magical and important in Pulaski. We have worked hard to turn the former Morris Harwell Building into The STAAR Theatre and Center for the Arts and invite you all to come and just take a peek at what we have accomplished. The Opera House on our second floor is honestly the "Icing on the Cake", folks! When you drive through town the next time, just look up at the roofline and imagine what might be inside....then, if you feel the slightest bit curious, stop in for a tour or call me for an appointment: 363-8804.


Below is a research paper that Kimesia Chiles wrote 27 years ago that you might find interesting. It’s the history of our Pulaski Opera House in year-by-year detail. Step back in history and just imagine what it looked like.....now let’s see if we can capture this feeling of accomplishment once again and finally reach our goal! Thank you so much for your interest!