Former LHS Star Thespian Excited About Theater’s Growth in LG

When she was growing up, Martha Ann Janssen Coleman was the self-proclaimed “only theatre kid in La Grange.” On December 4th, 2022, 70-yearold Coleman of Cedar Park called Fayette County Community Theatre to express her sincere surprise and excitement to find that “La Grange has a theatre?!”

Martha was born in December of 1953, and adopted into a family in La Grange in early 1954. Her father, Ervin Janssen managed Farmers Lumber Company, and her mother ran the Fashion Dress Shop with Ms. Frankie.

Martha graduated from La Grange High School in 1972, and would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Texas at Austin.

During her upbringing in La Grange, if she wanted to put on a play or compete at UIL drama competitions, she had to con-vince someone to play along. She was voted Best Actress three years in a row!

“Having grown up in Fayette County throughout the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s - well let me just tell you,” Coleman said. “What an incredibly heady experience this can be for a young tyke who is less than “native” to the general population there. Oh, but I had a lot of friends!”

“It was so cool to hear about Martha’s early life in La Grange,” said FCCT Executive Director Heather Barthelme. “The delight in her voice made me smile and I thanked her for embracing her creativity. ‘You were ahead of us,’ I said, ‘but we got here quick as we could!’” Barthelme hopes that Coleman will be able to come back to La Grange in 2023 to enjoy one of the productions the theatre has scheduled.