Robert Holland, native Houstonian and graduate of Bishop College, organized the Houston Negro Little Theatre circa 1931, leading the group until 1939. Operating under the auspices of the Houston Recreation Department, the Houston Negro Little Theatre produced mainstream works such as The Savage, Our Town and The House of the Seven Gables. Influenced by the abundance of organized theatrical activity that erupted in Houston in the 1970s, Leon Chenier organized the Houston Ethnic Arts Theatre in 1978. His first production was a popular musical revue, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. Chenier planned a second production, but he left town to take a role in the touring company of The Wiz.