East Texas Performing Arts began in 2011 as a way to provide educational and performing arts opportunities to students in East Texas. Such programs hardly exist in local public education. Disadvantaged individuals and those with disabilities have almost no access to education or participation in the performing arts. Our heart was to reach out, especially to young people who may not achieve success in their junior high and high school career. In our school system, any student who does not excel in academics or sports has very little opportunity to achieve personal excellence. Everyone needs and deserves a creative outlet and a place where their gifts and talents can be developed, utilized, and expressed. We strive to provide this in an artistic, educational, and performance context.

As a theatre company, our greatest success stories have been with special needs students on the autistic spectrum, or young people going through a difficult life circumstance. We show them they can rise to excellence in their roles on stage. They are encouraged to embrace the responsibilities of learning their lines and being accountable to their fellow actors while overcoming the obstacles of shyness, insecurity, and inexperience to perform in our plays with confidence.

In many youth-based theatre companies, participants pay a fee to be involved. Our focus at East Texas Performing Arts is to give back to the community and provide our actors and musicians with the opportunity to showcase their immense talent and embrace our supportive community at no cost.  Our heart is to serve them and to provide the platform on which they will grow, thrive, and become all that they are meant to be.