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Re-Lighting the Forest Theater | Elizabeth Watley & Nijeul X
Mike and Grubes welcome back Elizabeth Whatley and introduce Nigel X, the team breathing life back into South Dallas’ legendary Forest Theater. From a liquor store-turned-headquarters to an $80-million-plus renovation and a week-long grand opening in November 2026, this episode digs into what it really takes to save a historic Black arts institution—and why it matters for seven generations to come.
Elizabeth breaks down the wild capital stack (including fresh historic tax credits) and the fight to add that now-iconic rooftop, while Nigel talks about growing up in Port Arthur, finding his voice as an artist, and coming back from LA to help design a space that’s part theater, part campus, and part neighborhood living room—with a Starbucks license, a 1,000-seat flexible hall, a studio theater, an education hub, and year-round programming.
It’s history, community, spreadsheets, faith, art, and coffee—all wrapped in classic Reiner banter and a vision big enough to change how a city sees itself.
Chapters
0:00 – Ticket Lightning & Howdy, Buckaroos
Cold open chaos, lightning strikes, Gen X Ticket jokes, and Mike officially welcomes everyone to episode 177 of Your Dark Companion.
2:10 – Meet the Forest Theater (and Sunny South Dallas)
Mike sets the scene around Fair Park and the Forest Theater, why it’s always caught his eye, and why he thinks “something good can happen here.”
3:45 – Elizabeth’s Update: Big Moves & Bigger Plans
Elizabeth returns with a progress report: construction milestones, new additions, waterproofing the shell, and what the renovated building will actually include.
5:55 – Enter Nigel X: From Port Arthur to the Forest
Nigel joins the table, talks about feeling at home in creative spaces, and shares how he ended up leaving LA to help open the Forest Theater.
8:00 – Port Arthur, Segregated Schools & Finding an Artistic Voice
Nigel goes deep on growing up in Port Arthur, school consolidation, environmental injustice, mentors, UIL poetry, and how all of that shaped his love for community and art.
15:15 – Why Nigel? Why Now? The National Search
Elizabeth explains the national search, 166 candidates, and why Nigel rose to the top—experience, values, and a deep commitment to Black-led, Black-serving institutions.
16:45 – $19.2 Million in Historic Tax Credits & The Hard Part of “Doing the Thing”
Elizabeth drops the “hot off the press” news about closing historic tax credits, the complexity of the capital stack, politics, infrastructure, and what it really takes to get a project like this off the ground.
20:00 – Changing the View from the Window: Community Impact in Real Time
Nigel shares stories from neighbors watching the construction, kids seeing investment instead of blight, and how the project is shifting what people believe is possible.
23:50 – Why Elizabeth Said Yes (and Couldn’t Say No)
Elizabeth talks about growing up in Cedar Crest, her lifelong relationship with the Forest Theater, hustling golf balls out of the creek, and why she felt she had to step in and help bring the building back.
28:15 – Mid-Show Reads: Giving Mas & CBD House of Healing
Mike hits the “dreaded and feared” mid-show ad break with Giving Mas at the Barley House and his own experience with CBD House of Healing.
32:20 – Building for Seven Generations: Vision, Responsibility & The New Model
Nigel breaks down his three pillars—love for Black people, being a builder, and being an organizer—and why the Forest has to rethink the traditional theater model for a world of phones, streaming, and changing donors.
41:20 – Collaboration, Leadership & Growing the Team
Elizabeth and Nigel talk about how they work together day to day, overlapping visions, different styles (PC vs. Mac, 9 a.m. vs. not), and assembling a “badass” leadership team.
44:50 – Coffee, Culture & Owning the Starbucks License
The crew digs into the on-campus Starbucks: license vs. franchise, making it their own, local art, spoken word, and turning the café into a true third space for the neighborhood.
47:10 – The Rooftop, the View & the Last $10 Million
Elizabeth celebrates finally standing on the rooftop, fighting to get it approved, the extra $4 million in steel, and why being “only” $10 million away from goal feels almost within reach.
52:00 – Intimate Shows, Cinema & A Year-Round Campus
Nigel and Mike imagine future programming: small intimate concerts, live tapings, cinema, interdisciplinary events, and how the Forest can sit alongside venues like the Kessler or Granada while staying uniquely itself.
53:40 – Grand Opening Dreams & An Invite to the Rooftop
The gang looks ahead to the week-long grand opening November 1–7, 2026, jokes about rooftop drinks vs. studio work, and imagines future live YDC shows at the Forest.
54:30 – Share the Show & Take the Pants Off
Mike wraps it up with a plea to share YDC, thanks the crew and guests, and signs off in classic Reiner fashion—threatening to go take his pants off as the credits roll.
View all episodes
By Mike Rhyner
5
44 ratings
Mike and Grubes welcome back Elizabeth Whatley and introduce Nigel X, the team breathing life back into South Dallas’ legendary Forest Theater. From a liquor store-turned-headquarters to an $80-million-plus renovation and a week-long grand opening in November 2026, this episode digs into what it really takes to save a historic Black arts institution—and why it matters for seven generations to come.
Elizabeth breaks down the wild capital stack (including fresh historic tax credits) and the fight to add that now-iconic rooftop, while Nigel talks about growing up in Port Arthur, finding his voice as an artist, and coming back from LA to help design a space that’s part theater, part campus, and part neighborhood living room—with a Starbucks license, a 1,000-seat flexible hall, a studio theater, an education hub, and year-round programming.
It’s history, community, spreadsheets, faith, art, and coffee—all wrapped in classic Reiner banter and a vision big enough to change how a city sees itself.
Chapters
0:00 – Ticket Lightning & Howdy, Buckaroos
Cold open chaos, lightning strikes, Gen X Ticket jokes, and Mike officially welcomes everyone to episode 177 of Your Dark Companion.
2:10 – Meet the Forest Theater (and Sunny South Dallas)
Mike sets the scene around Fair Park and the Forest Theater, why it’s always caught his eye, and why he thinks “something good can happen here.”
3:45 – Elizabeth’s Update: Big Moves & Bigger Plans
Elizabeth returns with a progress report: construction milestones, new additions, waterproofing the shell, and what the renovated building will actually include.
5:55 – Enter Nigel X: From Port Arthur to the Forest
Nigel joins the table, talks about feeling at home in creative spaces, and shares how he ended up leaving LA to help open the Forest Theater.
8:00 – Port Arthur, Segregated Schools & Finding an Artistic Voice
Nigel goes deep on growing up in Port Arthur, school consolidation, environmental injustice, mentors, UIL poetry, and how all of that shaped his love for community and art.
15:15 – Why Nigel? Why Now? The National Search
Elizabeth explains the national search, 166 candidates, and why Nigel rose to the top—experience, values, and a deep commitment to Black-led, Black-serving institutions.
16:45 – $19.2 Million in Historic Tax Credits & The Hard Part of “Doing the Thing”
Elizabeth drops the “hot off the press” news about closing historic tax credits, the complexity of the capital stack, politics, infrastructure, and what it really takes to get a project like this off the ground.
20:00 – Changing the View from the Window: Community Impact in Real Time
Nigel shares stories from neighbors watching the construction, kids seeing investment instead of blight, and how the project is shifting what people believe is possible.
23:50 – Why Elizabeth Said Yes (and Couldn’t Say No)
Elizabeth talks about growing up in Cedar Crest, her lifelong relationship with the Forest Theater, hustling golf balls out of the creek, and why she felt she had to step in and help bring the building back.
28:15 – Mid-Show Reads: Giving Mas & CBD House of Healing
Mike hits the “dreaded and feared” mid-show ad break with Giving Mas at the Barley House and his own experience with CBD House of Healing.
32:20 – Building for Seven Generations: Vision, Responsibility & The New Model
Nigel breaks down his three pillars—love for Black people, being a builder, and being an organizer—and why the Forest has to rethink the traditional theater model for a world of phones, streaming, and changing donors.
41:20 – Collaboration, Leadership & Growing the Team
Elizabeth and Nigel talk about how they work together day to day, overlapping visions, different styles (PC vs. Mac, 9 a.m. vs. not), and assembling a “badass” leadership team.
44:50 – Coffee, Culture & Owning the Starbucks License
The crew digs into the on-campus Starbucks: license vs. franchise, making it their own, local art, spoken word, and turning the café into a true third space for the neighborhood.
47:10 – The Rooftop, the View & the Last $10 Million
Elizabeth celebrates finally standing on the rooftop, fighting to get it approved, the extra $4 million in steel, and why being “only” $10 million away from goal feels almost within reach.
52:00 – Intimate Shows, Cinema & A Year-Round Campus
Nigel and Mike imagine future programming: small intimate concerts, live tapings, cinema, interdisciplinary events, and how the Forest can sit alongside venues like the Kessler or Granada while staying uniquely itself.
53:40 – Grand Opening Dreams & An Invite to the Rooftop
The gang looks ahead to the week-long grand opening November 1–7, 2026, jokes about rooftop drinks vs. studio work, and imagines future live YDC shows at the Forest.
54:30 – Share the Show & Take the Pants Off
Mike wraps it up with a plea to share YDC, thanks the crew and guests, and signs off in classic Reiner fashion—threatening to go take his pants off as the credits roll.
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