eastside | entertainment
The Sekrit is Out
Sekrit Theater will become a tiny home community. WORDS BY JESSI DEVENYNS PHOTOS BY SHELBY BELLA
If anything, the word that comes to mind wandering down the well-trodden paths at Sekrit Theater is ‘wonderland.’ Filled with school busses that have been repurposed as lounges, chairs strewn about as if to manifest a spontaneous conversation, and a list of acquisitions that function as lawn ornaments, the theater is every bit the movie set that owner Beau Reichert wanted.
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leven years ago, the former art director and antique shop owner repurposed his passion for set design when he began screening movies for his friends and neighbors in his backyard. It wasn’t long though before the Shangri-la aura that his curated grounds cast began to pique the curiosity of the wider community. “It just suddenly exploded. It went from my backyard to a landmark,” Beau recounts with wonder. However, there is a sense of nostalgia in his voice when he shares, “My favorite part was several years ago when all the neighbors and friends would come and hang out and have dinner potlucks: when it was just my backyard and not Sekrit Theater.”
which resulted in a year-long fight with the Austin Code Department. In February, the battle finally culminated with the approval of City Council to rezone the property to a designation more appropriate to its use. Looking back, Beau says, “It just needed to evolve,” and so he decided that the next evolution of Sekrit Theater was to be a tiny home community.
Still, for better or for worse, Sekrit Theater was exactly what this property was destined to become. As a result of the regular events and movie screenings, Beau’s sanctuary stirred the ire of some in the neighborhood
As the current owner, Beau plans to continue living on the property and act as both general contractor and architect on the project, which he says will commence in three years’ time. Every tiny home, of which the prop-
Although the production has not yet begun, Beau explains that the stage is now set for the property to transform into an avant-garde residential community. “It’s the best combination of what would be allowed with the space that entertains me,” he shrugs.
The Garden Project: This spring, Sekrit Theater is beginning an urban community garden project. While the gardens will later be used to nourish the residents of the tiny community, for the next three years they will be open to the public. Don’t expect to see one large vegetable bed though. The beds will be constructed in pockets around the property for neighbors to come by and get their hands dirty. 14 EASTside | Spring/Summer 2019
find more at eastsideatx.com
Contact:
sekrittheater.com info@sekrittheater.com @SekritTheater