Duncan Theatre marks 40 years as stage for stars, students and community

The Watson B. Duncan III Theatre is located on Palm Beach State College's Lake Worth campus. [Photo by Palm Beach State College]

At the Duncan Theatre, applause might follow a dance performance, a student production of “Hamlet” or a newly minted nurse receiving a pin. For 40 years, the Palm Beach State College venue has been more than a place to watch a show; it has been a stage for community milestones.

The 698-seat theater on the Lake Worth campus welcomes visiting artists and community groups. It also hosts ceremonies for graduates of nursing, firefighting, corrections and law enforcement programs.

“It just kind of speaks to really what a theater space can be,” says Mary-Margaret Dale, the executive director of theaters at Palm Beach State College. “It can be anything.”

The theater is named for Professor Watson B. Duncan III, who taught Burt Reynolds and cast him in his first play. Dale says former students still share stories about Duncan’s engaging lectures and love of Shakespeare.

Palm Beach State’s theater department fittingly will perform “Hamlet” during the anniversary year. 

The free Discover Duncan Theatre open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 — one day before the 40th anniversary of the theater’s dedication Oct. 4, 1986. Dale describes the open-house date as “a happy accident.”

Visitors to the open house can hear the college’s jazz ensemble, concert band and concert choir, see student improv and scenes from “Hamlet,” take part in an improv workshop, tour backstage, and enter ticket giveaways. 

The theater is at 4200 Congress Ave.

The 2027 professional guest artist season was built as both a homecoming and an introduction. Parsons Dance and The Bronx Wanderers are among the returning favorites. Trinity Irish Dance Company and RIOULT Dance return after decades away. The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company makes its Duncan debut.

“We have such a wonderfully loyal member patron base,” Dale says. “People that are regular subscribers, they come year after year, and they have their favorite groups that they love.”

The Bronx Wanderers are returning only a year after a sold-out March performance. Dale says the group told the audience that an early engagement at the Duncan helped open the door to a long-running Las Vegas residency because a producer saw the show.

“Before they were even out of the building, I told their agent, ‘Let’s find a date for next season,’” she says.

For audience members, Dale says, the Duncan experience begins before the curtain rises. The theater is easy to reach from several directions, and parking is free and close to the building. Refreshments may now be taken inside.

Accessible seating and assistive-listening devices are available; patrons should contact the box office about seating because no elevator serves the mezzanine.

“There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Dale says. “You feel like you are experiencing what is happening on stage instead of just merely observing it.”

Students remain at the center of the theater’s mission. The Duncan is a classroom, rehearsal space and performance home for Palm Beach State’s theater and music students. When schedules allow, music students attend visiting artists’ rehearsals for a closer look at how professionals prepare.

“We’re here primarily to serve the students,” Dale says.

The Duncan offers $10 tickets to professional guest artist performances for Palm Beach State students and $20 tickets for faculty and staff. Dale says the discounts have attracted first-time attendees. The college is surveying students about the programming they want to see in future seasons.

For Dale, the next chapter means honoring the audience that has supported the Duncan while finding new ways to use the space.

“I would love to see us just expand our wings,” Dale says, bringing in new kinds of performances and making room for more people to discover what a magical space the theater can be.

For more information, visit the Duncan Theatre website, or call the box office at 561-868-3309.