History

"The River City Players held an open house Sunday at the Bergman House Bed and Breakfast on Main Street. Guests were invited to tour the historic home on Main Street and its themed bedrooms, including the Elvis Room, the Civil War Room, the Kentucky Derby Room and a Kentucky Wildcat themed room.

Visitors were treated to refreshments and drawings for door prizes. A collection of more than 40 unique paintings decorates the old home. The artwork is done on the back side of the framed glass. Johnetta Kirby Dunaway and her husband Michael Whalen purchased the house about five years ago, which was owned by the Bergman family for more than 100 years.

Susan Hawkins, with the River City Players, said the event was to raise the “seed money” necessary to create a fund to take a survey of the old Mack Theater on Main Street. She said a volunteer, Jack Stewart, has agreed to donate his time and knowledge to do the line drawings so the group can begin applying for funds.

The eventual plan is to get the Mack Theater open and operating as a community center, a welcome center, a venue for events like conferences, meetings, musical events, cabaret-type productions and even for possible use as an art gallery.

“It has a huge amount of potential,” said Susan, who believes theater enthusiasts will be attracted to the historic nature of the facility. Members of the River City Players have been hard at work on their first production, “A Tuna Christmas,” a humorous play about preparations for Christmas in the third smallest town in Texas. Play show times are on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. at the high school.

Doors open 30 minutes before the show." From "Citizen Voice & Times," December 5, 2013.