Southeast New Mexico Schools Launch Theatre Partnership at New Performing Arts Center

In Carlsbad, people know how to build big things. We drill deep, mine, raise crops, and raise cattle. We know how to turn hard work into something worth celebrating. Now Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) and Carlsbad Municipal Schools (CMS) are putting some of that same grit under the spotlight.

The two education partners signed an agreement in April to create a new theatre partnership based at the CMS Performing Arts Center on the Carlsbad High School campus. Together, they will produce live theatre while creating new learning opportunities for students and the community.

The 1,600-seat Performing Arts Center, known as “The PAC,” was built with strong community support. It serves Carlsbad students,

but it is also a place where the community can gather. During the past year, audiences have enjoyed concerts, dance recitals, conferences, and a production of Little Shop of Horrors. SENMC and CMS now want to build on that success.

“The heart of this partnership is opportunity,” said SENMC President Dr. Kevin Beardmore. “Our community invested in an extraordinary facility. By working together, our two institutions can create experiences that help students learn, develop skills, and discover new possibilities while also bringing people together through the arts.”

“When you treat people like professionals, give them the capacity to learn, and provide them with support, they can achieve great things,” said CMS Superintendent Dr. Gerry Washburn. “This partnership gives people opportunities to learn by doing. It connects education with real experiences and brings our schools and community together.”

The partnership welcomes people of all ages and experience levels. “This partnership is about more than putting on a show,” said Shannon Newton, Interim Director of Theatre Partnerships and Productions for SENMC. “It’s about creating opportunities for people throughout our community to walk through the doors of the PAC, participate, make memories, and discover something new. We want Carlsbad to see this as a place where everyone has a role.”

Students can gain hands-on experience in acting, lighting, sound, technical theatre, stage management, and other areas of live production. They can follow a show from its first planning meeting through opening night. But the learning does not stop with students. The program is designed to bring generations together. Students, working adults, and retirees can work side by side, learning from one another while building communication, confidence, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

“Shared experience is one of the most exciting parts of live theatre,” said Dianne Joop, CMS-PAC stage manager and director for partnership productions. “People from different backgrounds come together, find their voice, and grow more confident. The cast and crew build the story, and then the audience becomes part of what they created. That is lifelong learning in action.”

Carlsbad and Eddy County have a long history of creativity. Local connections include Shakespeare scholar Dr. John Andrews, Sesame Street Magazine founding editor Anna Jane Hays, actor Bruce Cabot, songwriter Sonny Throckmorton, and singer-songwriter Barry Sadler. This partnership gives a new generation a chance to add to that story.

For people more accustomed to steel-toed boots, hard hats, classrooms, offices, or long workdays, theatre offers something different. You might build scenery, run lights, make costumes, step onto a stage, or hear an audience applaud something you helped create.

Auditions, volunteer opportunities, production titles, and performance dates will be announced soon.

The idea is simple: give people across Eddy County a chance to learn, create, and help shape the arts in their own community.

The stage is ready. A new season is waiting in the wings.

About Southeast New Mexico College

Southeast New Mexico College is a public community college located in Carlsbad, originally founded in 1950 as the state’s first two-year college. After operating for decades as a branch of New Mexico State University, it transitioned into an independent public institution in July 2021. The college offers associate degrees, certificate programs, and workforce training tailored to the local community. https://senmc.edu

About Carlsbad Municipal Schools

Carlsbad Municipal School District serves more than 7,100 students across a network of local preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in southeastern New Mexico. The district combines standard academics with career readiness programs that connect students to the region’s workforce. It aims to support student growth through dedicated teachers, modern facilities, and diverse extracurricular activities. https://www.carlsbadschools.net