The Broke Thespians: Building a Stage Where There Was None

When Nate Nelson and May Oden of San Marcos, TX, looked at their community and saw no place for live theater, they decided to create it themselves. Now in its sixth year, The Broke Thespians Theatre Company has become a beloved part of San Marcos. With four shows annually and many programs for kids and adults alike, The Broke Thespians provides community entertainment and a creative outlet for this quirky town strewn with artists, creatives, and everything in between.

Oden & Nelson, both graduates of Texas State University, met in the theatre program at the college. After their course “Shakespeare Ensemble,” they worked on a show titled Love's Labour's Lost, an early comedy of Shakespeare that is very rarely done. They were able to cast the show, find a director, and connect with a University professor to access practice space at Centennial Hall, jumping right into production. Tickets were sold, and the show was performed as new students moved in and others returned after summer break. Though there were very few audience members, viewers enjoyed the production and wanted more, asking May when the next show would be.

At the time, to join or enjoy a show, San Marcos residents would have to travel to Wimberly or New Braunfels, where the nearest theatre companies were located. This inspired Oden & Nelson to bring a theatre company to San Marcos so that locals, students, and tourists alike could enjoy local theatre. They filed for nonprofit status, and The Broke Thespians became official in 2020.

The first free summer musical The Broke Thespians performed was The Wizard of Oz. Although the show was incredibly expensive and difficult to produce, it was a great opportunity to push the company to its limits and show what it was capable of. The first paid musical they produced was The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn, performed at The Price Center. It ended up having the highest turnout, with over 200 viewers in one weekend, but it also shone a light on what the cost of production would really be to continue. Both of these shows stand out as examples of what it takes to keep the theatre company going.

Summer In The Park is a long-standing tradition in San Marcos, TX, celebrating their 40th anniversary next year. As a part of this tradition, The Broke Thespians have added more fun to the summer celebration with their Summer Musicals in July. However, after this year’s production of The Little Mermaid by Doug Wright, the City of San Marcos will no longer be able to provide the use of the stage at Plaza Park at the discounted price. Though the theatre company receives a good deal for using the area and its amenities, it’s not within its budget to cover the cost of the stage and security.

As a non-profit organization, The Broke Thespians receives most of its funding through grants and sponsorships. Purchasing rights to the shows they produce is by far the company’s biggest expense, and ticket sales contribute very little, the company's lowest source of income. Community donors such as San Marcos Toyota and San Marcos Performing Arts Association continue to annually support the theatre company, but they are always looking for donations and continued help, with their main goal currently being to find a bigger space to put on their shows at an affordable cost.

The remaining shows for the 2026 season include the Summer Musical production of The Little Mermaid, with performances on July 10th-11th, 17th-19th, and 24th-25th at 7:30 pm at San Marcos Plaza Park; The Bad Seed by Maxwell Anderson, showing October 9th-11th and 16th-18th; and Macbeth: The Witching Hour, showing December 11th-13th. All plays outside of the Summer Musical are held at the VFW post in San Marcos.

You can support The Broke Thespians by attending their shows and through donations. Donations can be made at www.brokethespianstheatrecompany.org.