Thursday, April 30, 2026
Entertainment - LEVEL1

Community Theatre Shuts Down Amid Funding Woes

By aimee yang
Community Theatre Shuts Down Amid Funding Woes

Catch a Star Theatrical Players (CAST) has closed down after 15 years. This community theatre was in Beaumont. It brought live shows to the Pass Area.

Manager Richard Meinhold shared the news last month. He said the theatre closed on December 31. Rising costs and fewer people attending shows caused the closure. Meinhold said they tried to keep going but could not.

CAST started in 2010. Meinhold and three others created it. Their first show was about Mark Twain. Meinhold acted in this show, which celebrated Twain’s birthday and his famous book “Huckleberry Finn.”

Meinhold worked in community theatre for over 30 years. He handled many tasks, like acting, directing, and planning. Over the years, CAST produced 35 shows and won 48 awards.

In 2020, their usual venue closed for COVID testing. They found a new place at a church for some shows. Sadly, problems with their main venue and low ticket sales hurt the theatre. The last show was in November 2024. Meinhold hopes for a performing arts centre in the future.

Test Your Understanding

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Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON

Accent

Theatrical/θiˈætrɪkəl/adjective
Relating to the theatre or performances.

Community/kəˈmjunɪti/noun
A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Closure/ˈkloʊʒər/noun
The act of closing something such as a business or service.

Produced/prəˈduːst/verb
Created or brought into existence especially in the context of a performance.

Venue/ˈvɛnjuː/noun
The place where an event or performance takes place.

Performing/pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/adjective
Relating to performances especially in the context of the arts.
Vocabulary Learning

How much do you know?

In what year did Catch a Star Theatrical Players (CAST) close down?
2019
2020
2021
2022
Where was the community theatre CAST located?
Beaumont
Los Angeles
San Francisco
New York City
How many shows did CAST produce over the years?
25
35
45
55
Who created CAST along with Richard Meinhold?
Two others
Three others
Four others
Five others
What was the theme of CAST's first show?
Shakespearean play
Mystery thriller
Biography of Mark Twain
Musical extravaganza
When was the last show performed by CAST?
October 2023
November 2024
December 2025
January 2026
Rising costs and declining audience attendance led to the closure of CAST.
Richard Meinhold has been working in community theatre for over 40 years.
COVID-19 forced CAST to close its doors in 2020.
CAST won a total of 50 awards during its 15 years of operation.
CAST's main venue faced issues related to COVID testing in 2020.
Richard Meinhold is optimistic about the possibility of a performing arts centre in the future.
CAST started in .
Meinhold worked in community theatre for over years.
The last show performed by CAST was in .
Meinhold hopes for a performing arts centre in the .
CAST found a new place at a for some shows when their usual venue closed in 2020.
This question is required
aimee yang
aimee yanghttps://esl-news.com

Test Your Understanding

Start Quiz
Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON
Accent
Theatrical/θiˈætrɪkəl/adjective
Relating to the theatre or performances.
Community/kəˈmjunɪti/noun
A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
Closure/ˈkloʊʒər/noun
The act of closing something such as a business or service.
Produced/prəˈduːst/verb
Created or brought into existence especially in the context of a performance.
Venue/ˈvɛnjuː/noun
The place where an event or performance takes place.
Performing/pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/adjective
Relating to performances especially in the context of the arts.
Vocabulary Learning

How much do you know?

In what year did Catch a Star Theatrical Players (CAST) close down?
2019
2020
2021
2022
Where was the community theatre CAST located?
Beaumont
Los Angeles
San Francisco
New York City
How many shows did CAST produce over the years?
25
35
45
55
Who created CAST along with Richard Meinhold?
Two others
Three others
Four others
Five others
What was the theme of CAST's first show?
Shakespearean play
Mystery thriller
Biography of Mark Twain
Musical extravaganza
When was the last show performed by CAST?
October 2023
November 2024
December 2025
January 2026
Rising costs and declining audience attendance led to the closure of CAST.
Richard Meinhold has been working in community theatre for over 40 years.
COVID-19 forced CAST to close its doors in 2020.
CAST won a total of 50 awards during its 15 years of operation.
CAST's main venue faced issues related to COVID testing in 2020.
Richard Meinhold is optimistic about the possibility of a performing arts centre in the future.
CAST started in .
Meinhold worked in community theatre for over years.
The last show performed by CAST was in .
Meinhold hopes for a performing arts centre in the .
CAST found a new place at a for some shows when their usual venue closed in 2020.
This question is required

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