Combine history with state-of-the-art staging technology, wrap it in a uniquely-designed backdrop to historic downtown Plano, and you get The Courtyard Theater. The building was originally built as a Works Progress Administration Project in 1938 to serve as the gymnasium for Plano’s first high school. Today, it’s one of the coolest venues in the area–hosting music and theater and other events. If you prefer a more intimate space, check out the Cox Building Playhouse, a black-box theater right next door.