The Word on the Street

We have moved!

2011-09-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

You know, I realize, I never told you! The Word on the Street has moved to Facebook. Look for notes on there for interesting tidbits we share.

Thanks for reading!

The MST Q&A: Australia Here I Come!

2011-03-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Mitchell Greco has been pretty busy this season with BUSYTOWN and ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. Alexander starts public performances tomorrow, so I thought it might be a good time to learn a little more about Alexander himself as he fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Mitchell Charles Greco

Hometown: Temple, TX

Zodiac sign: Virgo (I think it changed, though? I don't know, I'm always behind the times...)

Audition Monologue/Song: It depends on what I'm auditioning for. But I'm always looking for a reason to pull out my "I Hate the Bus" monologue from Caroline, or Change.

First Houston show ever saw: First show I saw IN Houston was the tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that came through the Hobby Center. First show fully produced by Houstonians, I think would have to be Panto Cinderella at Stages.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Billy Elliot, Oh the Humanity (when it was open), and....of course...Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at MST!

Favorite post-show meal: Taco Bell. Don't judge.

Favorite show tune: "Old Friends" from Merrily We Roll Along makes me smile quite a lot. And, for some unexplainable reason, I love love LOVE the scene/song "Confession" from A Man of No Importance. I love the simplicity of how it chooses to tell the story, reveals more about the characters, and the charm it has. Really nice.

MAC or PC? Mac all the way! Apple loves taking my money.

Most played song on your iPod: Oh geez. Should I lie? Um....ok, Speechless by Lady Gaga.

Last book you read: Currently finishing The Hunger Games trilogy, also recently read and loved Anasai Boys by Neil Gaiman.

Must-see TV show: Big tv junkie. LOVE Modern Family, Parks and Rec, Community, and I have to stop whenever I see Golden Girls is on.

Last good movie you saw: I saw When Harry Met Sally for the first time a few weeks ago. How I went so long without seeing that movie, I'll never know.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: That's hard. I think my whole life is one big guilty pleasure. I sure love those Real Housewives of Wherever. Also, I've been known to enjoy Star Trek and other sci fi...so if that's not guilty, I don't know what is.

Favorite board game: Chutes and Ladders. Duh.

Favorite cereal: Life!

Special skills: I have some mad rapping skills.

Who would play you in the movie? Angela Lansbury.

First stage kiss: Rachel Ludeman in Pirates of Penzance in 9th grade.

Worst onstage mishap: Just recently in Alexander I got a little too rambunctious with my sweater and it got stuck on a lighting instrument, and when it was pulled down it got unplugged. I'm sure there are MANY others, though....

Worst job you ever had: Hahahahahaha. I recently quit being a barista at Starbucks in the Galleria. That was pretty....terrible....

I have to add, saying "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" as quickly as possible every time I sell a ticket just makes me happy!

And that's the word on the street!

Cultured Cocktails Give Away!

2011-02-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 24th, from 5pm-10pm MST and Spacetaker will be hosting Cultured Cocktails at Bar Boheme. At the event we will be giving away 5 exclusive copies of the "Breakfast at Eight" soundtrack. You can't buy these anywhere! The only place to get them is at the event.

To remind you of what a cool mix this is, here is Sound Designer and Jazz Artist David Wald's Q&A from last fall. Included is the iTunes play list, so if you don't win, you can compile the songs yourself. Of course, iTunes won't have Mr. Wald's cover of Solsbury Hill...

Okay! I know! We just heard from a Sound Designer, but there have been so many questions about the music choices for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, it is clear the audience demands to know more!

Most of you are familiar with David Wald for his work on stage (A NUMBER, THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA), but what you might not know is David is also an accomplished musician as well. His background in jazz turned out to be a perfect fit for his maiden voyage into the field of Sound Design. Let's learn a bit more about David as he fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: David Wald

Hometown: Houston

Zodiac sign: Taurus

What inspired you while preparing for this production? It was my goal to use alternative versions of popular standards: alternate takes, or performances by jazz greats that were different from the more popular recordings. Antonio Carlos Jobim, for example, was a heavy presence in the script. For the intermission music, I found a recording of "Corcovado" performed by Miles Davis and "Girl From Ipanema" performed by Oscar Peterson. Other finds included Diana Krall performing Tom Waits' "Temptation" and Frank Sinatra performing Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns." I also tried, in the pre-show and intermission music, to select songs that reflected the sentiments of the characters in the play. For example: Dianne Reeves' beautiful rendition of "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" began the intermission set, and I thought it was a lovely summation of the state of John and Abby's minds at the end of the first half; or Oscar Peterson's arrangement of "Where Do I Go From Here?", a song cut from the original score of FIORELLO!, which is about a woman in love with a man that didn't seem to adequately notice her, which I thought was a nice summary of Abby's state of mind when John storms out at the end of Act/Scene 1.

Abby mentions Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" when she describes how she and John first met. This song is about overcoming a toxic circumstance, and I thought it would be an ideal selection for the end of the show. However, the original Gabriel recording was a bit too out of sync with the rest of the selections in the show, so I took the opportunity to arrange and record a version myself that was much sparser, and at the same time more harmonically dense in keeping with the jazz selections in the rest of the show.

First Houston show ever saw: Klein Forest High School's CAMELOT, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1980.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: In New York a few weeks ago, upon Becky Udden's recommendation, I saw Roundabout Theatre's BRIEF ENCOUNTER, an extraordinary mix of theatre, film, music, and even puppetry. I'd recommend it to absolutely anyone.

Favorite post-show meal: Being a diabetic, I don't tend to eat post-show. However, pre-show and pre-rehearsal, they know me very well at Chicken Kitchen in Rice Village.

Favorite show tune: Sondheim's "I Remember Sky," from the TV miniseries EVENING PRIMROSE. Barely qualifies as a show-tune, but it's Sondheim.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Bobby McFerrin. I caught him at a jazz festival in the Midwest some years ago with a small combo and it was the most extraordinary live musical performance I've yet to see. I doubt a single person left that show without feeling that he'd looked them right in the eyes and delivered some of his performance right to them.

MAC or PC? Mac. Always and forever.

Most played song on your iPod: Thanks to a recommendation from the incomparable Miss Janel Badrina, I can't get enough of Crazy Logic (Gnarls Barkley vs. Supertramp vs. Rockwell) by Arty Fufkin, from the "Best of Bootie 2006" mash-ups album.

Last book you read: Recently re-read Hunter Thompson's "The Great Shark Hunt."

Must-see TV show: Masterpiece/Mystery's "Sherlock Holmes" miniseries on PBS is quite fun.

Last good movie you saw: Howl. I caught this on my trip to New York a few weeks ago. It's a film about the writing of and events surrounding the Ginsberg poem starring James Franco.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Star Trek: TNG. I'm a Picard man.

Favorite board game: Krull: The Board Game. Better than the movie. Barely. But, oh, the childhood hours wasted...

Favorite cereal: Cookie Crisp. It's been years since I ate any, but I sometimes stop and stare longingly at a box in the cereal aisle.

Special skills: 3 years Modern, 2 yrs Jazz/Tap.

Most “happy mistake” on a production: While recording "Solsbury Hill" for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, I found that the verse for another song prominently featured in the script, Gordon Lightfoot's "Softly," fit perfectly within the chord progression of "Solsbury Hill." So, if you really listen to the song at the end of the show, you can hear strings playing the melody of "Softly" at the beginning and beneath the last verse.

Worst job you ever had: Driver for a courier service in Indianapolis. Horrible, lonely work spent largely in rush hour traffic. I lasted about 3 weeks.

For all you Mr. Wald fan's out there, not to worry! David will once again tread the boards at MST in our upcoming productions of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES and A CATERED AFFAIR. For more information about the music for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, check out the iTunes iMix below. We look forward to hearing Dave's musical selections again soon!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: A One Woman Show

2011-02-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been coming to MST for any length of time will be familiar with Claire Hart-Palumbo. As both actress and director, she is part of our history and history in the making. She was the "original" Heidi in THE HEIDI CHRONICLES. The plotting and ruthless Regina in THE LITTLE FOXES. And of course there are the countless Noel Coward hits that she has directed for us over the years.

Currently she can be seen in the one woman tour-de-force THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING (left), that closes this Sunday, February 13th. Let's get to know a little more about Claire as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Claire Hart-Palumbo

Hometown: Lexington, TX

Zodiac sign: Taurus

First Houston show ever saw: TUTS production of Oliver, the summer of 1973 or 1974.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Candida at Classical Theater, with our own Shannon Emerick.

Favorite post-show meal: Soup, or a grilled chicken snack wrap.

Favorite show tune: All the music from Scarlet Pimpernel

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Alan Rickman

MAC or PC? PC, but I was a Mac person for years.

But Not Goodbye

Last book you read: Play it as it Lays

Must-see TV show: Bones, House, and Royal Pains

Last good movie you saw: True Grit

Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit

Who would play you in the movie? The late Madeleine Kahn.

First stage kiss: long ago to remember

Worst onstage mishap: a champagne glass too vehemently in the first production of Heidi Chronicles. I cut my palm open, onstage.

The Heidi Chronicles

Worst job you ever had: Cleaning hotel rooms for Help People.

Speaking of Coward, Claire will once more helm our revival production of BLITHE SPIRIT.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Hear the Lion Roar

2011-02-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Making his Theater for Youth debut as Aslan (left), creator of Narnia, is Patrick D. Earl in THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW.

Parents might remember Patrick as a sort of "everyman" in this season's THE HEIDI CHRONICLES on the MainStage. If they didn't, they will get a second chance as he takes on the role of Charles II in the regional premiere of OR, this March.

Let's learn a little bit more about Patrick as he fills out the MST Q&A ...

Full given name: Patrick Damien Earl

Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI

Zodiac sign: Aries

First Houston show ever saw: The Bacchae - Nova Arts Project

Favorite post-show meal: Wings

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Ian McKellen

MAC or PC? Mac

Most played song on your iPod: Mac

The Heidi Chronicles

Last book you read: Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia)

Must-see TV show: The Office, Bones, Weeds, and 30 Rock in any order

Last good movie you saw: The Town

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Stargate SG-1 (nerdy right?)

Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit

Favorite cereal: Coco Puffs, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Count Chocula in any order

Special skills: I can juggle and do aerial silk...but not at the same time.

Who would play you in the movie? A Superhero...Especially Robin, but only if it was a Batman directed by Christopher Nolan.

Worst onstage mishap: Split my pants swing dancing in Midsummer... butt facing the audience.

My guess is Patrick meant he would like to play Robin in the movie. I can assure you, Patrick doesn't go around in tights and a cape usually. My next question though, is which Robin? Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, or Tim Drake?

And that's the word on the street ...

The MST Q&A: Masquerade!

2011-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this season, we learned a bit about Richard Solis the actor. Now we learn a bit more about Richard the artist. His talents have been put to the test with our current show THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW. The picture to the left was the model on which Richard based his own plan.

Producing Director Vivienne St. John says, "Richard Solis, Theater for Youth props, mask and puppet designer, created the mask Aslan wears in The Magician’s Nephew. Below are some photos documenting his process in creating the mask. In the show several of the actors wear masks. It is Richard’s job to make sure that they not only represent the director’s vision for the characters but also that they fit comfortably for the actor so they don’t inhibit the actor’s performance. Creating masks is time-consuming and requires lots of patience and creativity. Great job, Richard!"

Take a look at the progress of Aslan's mask as Richard once again fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Richard Solis

Hometown: San Antonio

Zodiac sign: Aries

What inspired you while preparing for this production? In this production I had to really multitask, Not only was I responsible for the props, I was also responsible to build the puppets and masks used in the production. The Masks were ultimately designed by Troy Scheid and I was the artisan who constructed them. Origami inspired the puppets. And Aslan was inspired by the costumer Macy Perrone and I brainstorming different ideas. In productions utilizing puppets and masks usually they are work shopped weeks before the show begins rehearsals sometimes longer. The Lion King for example work shopped the puppets for almost 5 years before the production began. In our case we just do not have the time so all these mask and puppets have to be done quickly. A good example is I built ASLAN in TWO DAYS. In this case not one idea or inspiration was used but many from different people and different sources. The hard part is deciphering all the ideas and inspirations given and putting them into one Idea and then interpreting them into a object that satisfies everyone involved. But that is one of the exciting challenges of theater.

First Houston show ever saw: The first show I saw at Main Street was the first show I worked on in the youth theater in 2002, It was SIDEWAY STORIES FROM THE WAYSIDE SCHOOL.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: MAGICIANS NEPHEW of course, But I am also in The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee at Country Playhouse, I play Barfee. Come see my Magik Foot!

Favorite post-show meal: I really do not like to eat before a show, So I eat small snacks, Beef Jerky, Gummie candy etc.

Favorite show tune: I like almost all musicals.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: The Cure, Lady GaGa, Of course Im not paying 800.00 for two tickets!!! to her April show here in Houston.

MAC or PC? Either as long as it works, I have an old Sony Vaio right now.

Most played song on your iPod: Deadmau5 Afterhours

Last book you read: Barkers The books of Blood on my I-Phone

Must-see TV show: Kill it Cook it Eat it..If you havent seen this you really have too, Anything with Chef Ramsy!

Last good movie you saw: TRON in IMAX 3d

Pop culture guilty pleasure: INVICTA WATCHES, STAR WARS, TATTOOS

Favorite board game: I really get BORED when I play these games so I stay away from that.

Favorite cereal: All of them!

Special skills: I can litterally make anything out of Masking Tape! I know WEIRD!

Most “happy mistake” on a production: I really dont know I make so many mistakes that turn out to be somewhat happy?

Worst job you ever had: Lets See? HEB, Mail Boy, PLASTIC INJECTION FACTORY worker, Pharmacutical plant worker

Richard, thanks for the progress report! I would say you certainly passed the test with flying colors!

And that's the word on the street...

The MST Q&A: It May Be Cold, but the Costumes Are Hot!

2011-02-03T12:23:00.001-08:00

How do we love Macy? Let me count the ways! Ms. Perrone is dressing up MST in fine fashion this season. She brought the 80s back in THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, provided scarves and hats for MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS, and this week she brings Narnia to life in THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW (left).

Macy was also the force behind our recent hit, A CATERED AFFAIR. From a beautiful wedding gown, to dressing the neighborhood gossip mongers, to the everyday cab driver, 1953 Bronx, NY was dressed up wonderfully.

Let's learn a bit more about Macy as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Macylyne Malmstrom Perrone

Hometown: Price, Utah

Zodiac sign: Leo {before all this uproar, now I'm just confused :) }}

What inspired you while preparing for this production? The music, definitely! As well as, the other design elements. I have also, previously, worked with quite a few of the actors, and I particularly enjoyed collaborating with them to find the heart of each of their characters.

The Light in the Piazza

First Houston show ever saw: Ages, and ages ago I saw Agatha Christie's THE UNEXPECTED GUEST as part of The Alley's Summer Chills Series...it was great!

Current show you have been recommending to friends: A Catered Affair

Favorite post-show meal: Tacos!

Favorite show tune: The Ballad(s) of Sweeney Todd

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Gary Allan

MAC or PC? MAC!!

Most played song on your iPod: at the moment...anything Damien Rice

Last book you read: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Must-see TV show: Modern Family

Last good movie you saw: True Grit

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Reality Television...those Real Housewives and Toddlers wearing Tiaras are a real trip!

A Catered Affair

Favorite board game: Clue

Favorite cereal: Oh's!

Special skills: I can complete many tasks with my feet...picking up seam rippers and other sewing objects, turning on and off the bath tub faucet, petting my cat, etc.

Most “happy mistake” on a production: I had to come up with a quick/temporary pregnant belly for Lucy Brown in THREE PENNY OPERA, and the closest round object was a bowler hat. It turned out to be a great schtick when she revealed the "non pregnancy" and pulled it out of her dress on stage. Win. Win!

Worst job you ever had: VHS production warehouse...not my forte BUT I was the Shrink Wrap Queen.

Thanks Macy! Tomorrow we learn more about Richard Solis, fellow designer on THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW and his fantastic masks!

And that's the word on the street

The MST Q&A: Christina is a Wonder!

2011-01-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

When we last saw Christina Stroup at MST, she was wacking Jamie Gieger, the husband with the roving eye, with flowers as the firey Franca in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. This month you can catch her once more paired with Jaime in A CATERED AFFAIR as the ever practical Janey looking for a quick wedding to earn a free honeymoon. Learn more about Christina as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Christina Michelle Stroup

Hometown: George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Zodiac sign: Pisces

Audition Monologue/Song: "But the world goes round" by Kander and Ebb, "Is it really me?" from 110 in the shade, and "Alone" by Heart.

First Houston show ever saw: Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf at the Alley.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: "The Marvelous Wonderettes" at Stages. I'm going back to the show in February but those girls are powerhouses don't miss it!!!

Favorite post-show meal: As many dairy products as my body can take with a giant diet coke.

Favorite show tune: "The Miller's Son" from A Little Night Music

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Josh Groban

MAC or PC? Mac

Most played song on your iPod: Josh Groban's new cd.

Last book you read: The Runaway Jury by John Grisham

Must-see TV show: CSI, NCIS, and Law and Order SVU

Last good movie you saw: Going The Distance.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: The Nanny and Roseanne

Favorite board game: Apples to apples

Favorite cereal: Special K with strawberries

Special Skills: Knitting, high notes, impersonations (julie andrews, cher, celine dion, britney spears), accents/dialects, looks exotic with mystic tan.

Who would play you in the movie? Jennifer Garner

First stage kiss: Will Luton, my constant costar in high school.

Worst mishap on stage: In high school I played Cinderella in Into The Woods and after my quick change into my ball gown I completely popped out onstage had no idea until the end of the finale. That's the night we taped for archives. Ha ha lucky me!

Worst job you ever had: Working at Build A Bear.

We will miss you when you go back to THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES. Know you are welcome anytime!

And that's the word on the street!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that 2011 is, literally, only days away? December is always a great time of year. Not only is the world looking back on the year that was 2010, but so many of us have a month full of holidays that make you brim with happiness and joy from the inside out.

Many of these holiday traditions carry with it an annual trip to the theater. Whether is be time honored productions like A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker ballet, or seeing the latest production at your favorite theater like The Heidi Chronicles at MST, these trips help create special memories for us all.

While growing up in Massachusetts, my family and another clan took a trip from Williamstown to Boston to see a production of A Christmas Carol. There was some snafu in the box office, for when we arrived there was no matinee production of the show that day! A holiday disaster in the making, yes?

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the theater’s box office, disaster was averted! Though they had no production for us that afternoon, they did know that the Boston Ballet was presenting a school matinee that afternoon. A few quick phone calls, and we were redirected to the ballet’s theater and ushered in for what would be my first viewing of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.

Do you have any favorite theatrical holiday memories? Be it New Year’s, Christmas, or the Fourth of July, sit down by the fireside and tell us the tale!

And that’s the word on the street! Happy New Year!

The MST Q&A: Hello Heidi Holland

2010-12-17T13:39:00.001-08:00

We have known for years the directing talent of Cheryl Kaplan, but THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, closing this Sunday, December 19th, marks Cheryl's first opportunity to trod the boards at MST. And aren't we glad she did! After winning raves from both critics and theater goers alike, I think it is time to learn a bit more about Cheryl as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Cheryl L. Kaplan Zachariah

Hometown: New Jersey/Iowa split

Zodiac sign: Libra

First Houston show ever saw: Copenhagen at Main Street Theater

Current show you have been recommending to friends: The Heidi Chronicles, of course

Favorite post-show meal: Granola bar and an apple - I have to be able to fit into the pants by the end of the run!

Favorite show tune: "Lullaby of Broadway"

Performer you would drop everything to go see: I basically drop everything to see shows as it is!

MAC or PC? PC but considering converting

Most played song on your iPod: podcasts of "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and "This American Life." Total nerd.

Last book you read: "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks

Must-see TV show: Re-runs of "Quantum Leap", currently "Medium," "Caprica" and "The Closer"

Last good movie you saw: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Favorite cereal: Granola or grape nuts with yogurt on good days, Froot Loops or Lucky Charms on bad.

Special Skills: I can cross only one eye at a time, but can't do it for long. Odd that this has never come in handy.

Who would play you in the movie? Drew Barrymore

Worst mishap on stage: The baby burning in "Wondergirl" I think is tied with the time I fainted on stage in front of about 300 Kindergartners and made them cry because they thought I died. Is the worst over?

Worst job you ever had: Picking up animal carcasses and dropping them off at the incinerator. Also the psychology experiments were pretty awful. I only worked for one day on each job so the damage wasn't too steep. Made waiting tables a luxury.

Hmmm... I just think Cheryl won the "Worst Job Ever!" prize for the fall!

And that's the word on the street!

Everyone's a Critic! The Heidi Chronicles

2010-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

THE HEIDI CHRONICLES opened Thanksgiving weekend to all but sold out houses. Did you see it? What did you think? We would love to hear your opinion, so comment away!

One patron via email said, "We saw it last night. Great performance. Keep up the good work."

Another saw the same performance, and promptly called and donated $1000.00!

Way to go Heidella!

The MST Q&A: Bonne Annee Madeline!

2010-12-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our last day of Family Matinees for MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS. It has been a wonderful run at this most wonderful time of the year.

Madeline is played by Caroline Menefee. Many of you know her from last year's Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. As we bid Madeline bon voyage, let's learn a bit more about Caroline as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Caroline Ashton Menefee

Hometown: Alvin

Zodiac sign: Leo

Audition Monologue/Song: Still Hurting- The Last 5 Years or Show Off- The Drowsy Chaperone

First Houston show ever saw: Macbeth at The Alley

Current show you have been recommending to friends: I don't get to see too much theater with my crazy schedule, but I recently saw Blithe Spirit at my old Community College and loved it!

Favorite post-show meal: Normally finishing my coffee and I'm a cracker fanatic.

Favorite show tune: I did Into the Woods earlier this year and fell in love with No One Is Alone.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Muse, John Legend or Judy Garland if it were possible.

MAC or PC? PC unfortunately.

Most played song on your iPod: Dancing by Elisa

Last book you read: I just finished a Greg Iles thriller.

Must-see TV show: Weeds or How I Met Your Mother

Last good movie you saw: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Trash Tabloids or reality t.v.

Favorite board game: Me and my family always play this card game Nerts.

Favorite cereal: Bran.

Special Skills: My eyes can do some crazy tricks, I can get rid of anyone's hiccups, and I can recite the entire movie Home Alone...maybe that will come in handy one day.

Who would play you in the movie? I would hope Meghan Fox but probably someone like Anne Hathaway or Rachel McAdams

First stage kiss: Senior year in 42nd Street and it was an old friend who was too scared to kiss me so my dad yelled from the audience during a rehearsal, "Just kiss her already!"

Worst mishap on stage: When people trip it's normally bad because I cannot keep it together after that but once during a youth theater show, a co-star had a booger on his face and we couldn't seem to tell him so we tried not to crack up the whole rest of the show.

Worst job you ever had: When I was about 13 I twisted and stripped iron one day for my dad in 105 degree heat. Worst job ever.

Thanks Caroline! Hey, maybe you can replace Meghan Fox in the next Transformers film!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Light Floods in Stage Left

2010-11-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Say hello to Carrie Cavins! Newly transplanted to the Houston area, lighting designer Carrie Cavins makes her Main Street Theater debut with our MainStage production of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES.

Let's learn a bit more about Carrie (and take a look at previous work) as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Carrie D. Cavins

Hometown: Fort Worth and many others

What inspired you while preparing for this production?
The complex issues that Heidi has to move through to get to a place that she feels she has a place in a world full of one-sided thinking. The courage she has to be able to stand up in what she believes in and the ability to help make a change in a world that is resistant to change.

First Houston show ever saw: An India Festival

Current show you have been recommending to friends: The Heidi Chronicles

Favorite post-show meal: Anything that sets right.

Favorite show tune: Master of the House - Les Miserable’s

MAC or PC? PC

Last book you read: The Colorado Kid

Must-see TV show: HBO - True Blood

Last good movie you saw: Red

Favorite board game: Monopoly – Trivia Pursuit

Favorite cereal: Most any that isn't good for you.

Special skills: Can out talk most anyone and annoy them.

Carrie also tried to introduce us to the greatness she knows as Grippos Potato Chips. I got Cheddar with a touch of jalapeno. A touch? I think I am still feeling the heat! Ooooo-Weeeee!

And that's the word on the street

Everyone's a Critic! Madeline's Christmas

2010-11-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS opened last week for both school and family matinees. Did you see it? What did you think? We would love to hear what you thought! Just leave a comment here....

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines."

One teacher wrote saying, "I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of my school, it was a wonderful experience for the students! I look forward to bringing my school back in the spring for the Magician's Nephew."

Time to Shoop! Shoop!

2010-11-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

The female cast of "The Heidi Chronicles"

Alright girls (and boys), it's time to take a trip down memory lane and get your "Shoop! Shoop!" on.

I know the first thing many of you will ask me when you see THE HEIDI CHRONICLES (which opens THIS Friday in the Rice Village) is, "What are all those fantastic songs in the show?" Well, your wish has been granted ahead of time! Below is a play list of all the songs featured during the performance. Now, this is only a list of the 25 songs actually IN the show. Pre-show and Intermission music is a whole 'nother list.

I will make you a deal: Post a comment here that you want a play list for Pre-show and Intermission too, and I will do it after Thanksgiving.

And a quick poll: Are those ladies in the pic rocking out or protesting?

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: The Magic Carpet Man

2010-11-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

Fans of the Theater for Youth program already know Richard Solis pretty well. He maintains a constant presence on stage, not only because he is a fantastic actor, but because he is responsible for all the amazing props you see show after show.

He is now onstage in our soon to be sold out hit MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS teaching the girls how to fly as Harsha, the carpet vendor! Let's learn a bit more about Richard as he fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Richard C. Solis

Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Zodiac sign: Aries

First Houston show ever saw: Jekyll and Hyde (Years before Broadway)

Current show you have been recommending to friends: MADELINE of course!!!

Favorite post-show meal: Well as much as I like to eat (ha ha) I usually try not to eat before a show, maybe snacking on beef jerky and or candy.

Favorite show tune: All the big no brainer mechanized shows. CATS yes CATS. Le Miz, Phantom, Wicked.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Lady Gaga! The Cure, Catherine O'Hara.

MAC or PC? PC.

Most played song on your iPod: Anything by THE CURE or Deadmau5 (Google him)

Last book you read: BUSYTOWN (seriously)

Must-see TV show: , HELLS KITCHEN, HOW ITS MADE (the science channel) SHOP NBC (INVICTA WATCHES)

Last good movie you saw: Taxidermy

Pop culture guilty pleasure: STAR WARS!

Favorite cereal: ALL!

Special Skills: I can make anything out of an old box and masking tape!

Who would play you in the movie? Why ME of course!

Worst mishap on stage: I've had so many but just recently I accidentally clocked Caroline Menefee (MADELINE) in the eye while onstage... She was okay but I was so scared!

Worst job you ever had: Lets see that is a hard question, HEB, Plastic Injection Molder, Pharmaceutical company assembly plant worker to name a very few...

Thanks Richard! Hey, have you ever made an Invicta watch out of on old box and masking tape? Just asking...

And that's the word on the street

The MST Q&A: Oh, the Places We'll Go!

2010-11-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Fans of Main Street Theater are very familiar with Set and Properties Designer Liz Freese. Last season she created the world of Willy Wonka for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and took us to an English country manor (past and present) for Arcadia (pictured left).

This season, Liz is working for us on back to back projects! In October she took us uptown for the set of BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, and now she is giving us a whimsical look at Paris, France for MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS! Let's learn a bit more about Liz as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Elizabeth Kathleen Freese

Hometown: Houston

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

What inspired you while preparing for this production?
For Breakfast at Eight: West U architecture and lots of interior design magazines. Yeah for decorating!

The Set for Breakfast at Eight

First Houston show ever saw: Hmmmm... Lucia at Houston Grand Opera

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Peter Grimes at HGO

Favorite post-show meal: Amy's Ice Cream or Coco's Crepes

Favorite show tune: Children will Listen- Stephen Sondheim "Into the Woods"

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Steve Bono

MAC or PC? I'm bilingual and have both a Mac and PC laptop.

Most played song on your iPod: Amazin Blue (a capella group) CD

Last book you read: "What to Expect when you are Expecting"

Must-see TV show: ... don't really watch TV. I like House. Ever catch all the Sherlock Homes comparisons?

Last good movie you saw: see below

Pop culture guilty pleasure: pop culture illiterate.

Favorite board game: Apples to Apples

Favorite cereal: I'm a peanut butter on toast morning person

Most “happy mistake” on a production: For Madeline's Christmas: A black light is used for effects and scene changes during the show. When on, it makes the windows on the back drop look like they "light up" from the inside. Very cool!

Set Model for Madeline's Christmas

Worst job you ever had: Selling chocolate at Arsenal soccer games in London.

We won't be seeing Liz for a while because she is having a baby this spring, but one thing we all want to know: How long before that kid can hold a paint brush!?

And that's the word on the street

Who or What is Miss Clavell?

2010-11-10T14:09:00.001-08:00

MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS opened this week at MST's Theater for Youth. An interesting question came up at our staff meeting: "What's up with Miss Clavell? Is she a nun or what?"

"Well, as it so happens", responded Vivienne St. John (our Theater for Youth Producing Director), "That question can be answered in our Educational Materials for the show!"

And indeed it can!

"Is Miss Clavell a nun? If she is a nun, why is she called “Miss” Clavell instead of “Sister” Clavell?"
At the time when Madeline is set, it was common practice to call nuns “Madame” and not “Sister” similar to the Italian tradition of calling priests “Don” instead of “Father”. “Madame” translates in English to “Miss”!

So there you have it! Answers to other questions can be found in the Educational Materials as well as some great activities not only for the classroom, but that families can do together as well.

Get a preview below of Miss Clavell, Madeline and the girls in action and then head on down for the heartwarming MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS. We added a show on December 11th because seats are filling up, so don't delay!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: By Popular Demand

2010-11-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Okay! I know! We just heard from a Sound Designer, but there have been so many questions about the music choices for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, it is clear the audience demands to know more!

Most of you are familiar with David Wald for his work on stage (A NUMBER, THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA), but what you might not know is David is also an accomplished musician as well. His background in jazz turned out to be a perfect fit for his maiden voyage into the field of Sound Design. Let's learn a bit more about David as he fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: David Wald

Hometown: Houston

Zodiac sign: Taurus

What inspired you while preparing for this production? It was my goal to use alternative versions of popular standards: alternate takes, or performances by jazz greats that were different from the more popular recordings. Antonio Carlos Jobim, for example, was a heavy presence in the script. For the intermission music, I found a recording of "Corcovado" performed by Miles Davis and "Girl From Ipanema" performed by Oscar Peterson. Other finds included Diana Krall performing Tom Waits' "Temptation" and Frank Sinatra performing Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns." I also tried, in the pre-show and intermission music, to select songs that reflected the sentiments of the characters in the play. For example: Dianne Reeves' beautiful rendition of "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" began the intermission set, and I thought it was a lovely summation of the state of John and Abby's minds at the end of the first half; or Oscar Peterson's arrangement of "Where Do I Go From Here?", a song cut from the original score of FIORELLO!, which is about a woman in love with a man that didn't seem to adequately notice her, which I thought was a nice summary of Abby's state of mind when John storms out at the end of Act/Scene 1.

Abby mentions Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" when she describes how she and John first met. This song is about overcoming a toxic circumstance, and I thought it would be an ideal selection for the end of the show. However, the original Gabriel recording was a bit too out of sync with the rest of the selections in the show, so I took the opportunity to arrange and record a version myself that was much sparser, and at the same time more harmonically dense in keeping with the jazz selections in the rest of the show.

First Houston show ever saw: Klein Forest High School's CAMELOT, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1980.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: In New York a few weeks ago, upon Becky Udden's recommendation, I saw Roundabout Theatre's BRIEF ENCOUNTER, an extraordinary mix of theatre, film, music, and even puppetry. I'd recommend it to absolutely anyone.

Favorite post-show meal: Being a diabetic, I don't tend to eat post-show. However, pre-show and pre-rehearsal, they know me very well at Chicken Kitchen in Rice Village.

Favorite show tune: Sondheim's "I Remember Sky," from the TV miniseries EVENING PRIMROSE. Barely qualifies as a show-tune, but it's Sondheim.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Bobby McFerrin. I caught him at a jazz festival in the Midwest some years ago with a small combo and it was the most extraordinary live musical performance I've yet to see. I doubt a single person left that show without feeling that he'd looked them right in the eyes and delivered some of his performance right to them.

MAC or PC? Mac. Always and forever.

Most played song on your iPod: Thanks to a recommendation from the incomparable Miss Janel Badrina, I can't get enough of Crazy Logic (Gnarls Barkley vs. Supertramp vs. Rockwell) by Arty Fufkin, from the "Best of Bootie 2006" mash-ups album.

Last book you read: Recently re-read Hunter Thompson's "The Great Shark Hunt."

Must-see TV show: Masterpiece/Mystery's "Sherlock Holmes" miniseries on PBS is quite fun.

Last good movie you saw: Howl. I caught this on my trip to New York a few weeks ago. It's a film about the writing of and events surrounding the Ginsberg poem starring James Franco.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Star Trek: TNG. I'm a Picard man.

Favorite board game: Krull: The Board Game. Better than the movie. Barely. But, oh, the childhood hours wasted...

Favorite cereal: Cookie Crisp. It's been years since I ate any, but I sometimes stop and stare longingly at a box in the cereal aisle.

Special skills: 3 years Modern, 2 yrs Jazz/Tap.

Most “happy mistake” on a production: While recording "Solsbury Hill" for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, I found that the verse for another song prominently featured in the script, Gordon Lightfoot's "Softly," fit perfectly within the chord progression of "Solsbury Hill." So, if you really listen to the song at the end of the show, you can hear strings playing the melody of "Softly" at the beginning and beneath the last verse.

Worst job you ever had: Driver for a courier service in Indianapolis. Horrible, lonely work spent largely in rush hour traffic. I lasted about 3 weeks.

For all you Mr. Wald fan's out there, not to worry! David will once again tread the boards at MST in our upcoming productions of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES and A CATERED AFFAIR. For more information about the music for BREAKFAST AT EIGHT, check out the iTunes iMix below. We look forward to hearing Dave's musical selections again soon!

And that's the word on the street!

Peer to Peer Shakespeare!

2010-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Main Street’s Kids On Stage department is presenting its second workshop for Peer-to-Peer Shakespeare, a new interactive workshop targeted for middle and high school students.

Peer-to-Peer Shakespeare is a short, lively, participatory introduction of Shakespeare’s life and works for middle school and high school audiences. Stranded without half their cast and any of their props, a traveling troupe of actors proves that the show must go on—with the audience’s help. With audience members filling in, we will stage scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and others.

The learning doesn’t end after 45 minutes, though. After the workshop, students have an assignment to complete. The results will be in the comments of this post!

To book Peer-to-Peer Shakespeare for your middle school or high school class, please call Lauren Smith at 713-524-9196 x 104.

The MST Q&A: Music the Doctor Ordered

2010-09-12T12:12:00.001-07:00

Janel Badrina has been working with MST since 2000. As both Stage Manager and Sound Designer, she has made quite a mark on our productions. You might remember her rockin' sound track for The Pie Dialogues a couple of seasons back, the swinging touches she added to last season's The Last Night of Ballyhoo or the bluegrass sound of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in Driftwood.

This season, Janel starts us off in the classical mode as she fills turn of the LAST Century London with the sounds of composers like Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff for THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA. Let's learn a bit more about Janel as she fills out the MST Q&A...

Full given name: Janel Joy Badrina

Hometown: Houston born & bred!

Zodiac sign: Gemini

What inspired you while preparing for this production? The composers from this era (Impressionism & late Romantic) - which also happens to be my favorite time period in classical music. I was especially inspired by Claude Debussy (my favorite composer) and Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. I love the way Mussorgsky paints with music - you can almost see the pictures just by listening to the music!

First Houston show ever saw: National Tour of The King & I (with Yul Brynner) - I know it's not a Houston show, but it was the first show I remember seeing in Houston.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: The Doctor's Dilemma of course!

Favorite post-show meal: Champagne (does that count?)

Favorite show tune: It varies - at the moment it's "Breeze Off The River" from Full Monty

Performer you would drop everything to go see: John Mayer and Yo-Yo Ma

MAC or PC? MAC! (was that a serious question?)

Most played song on your iPod: You're asking me to pick 1 song??? 4 of my most played (at the moment) are "Tainted Love" (Marilyn Manson cover), "Jesusland" (UNC Loreleis cover), "All Will Be Well" (Gabe Dixson Band) and "Encore" (Jay-Z + DJ Danger Mouse)

Last book you read: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (I'm prepping for the movie!)

Must-see TV show: Glee, West Wing, Gossip Girl, Battlestar Galactica (the recent remake)

Last good movie you saw: It's been so long since I've seen a movie, I can't remember...

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Twitter and Foursquare

Favorite board game: Cranium

Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries

Special skills: Doing just about anything in stilettos (scaling ladders, hanging lights, scene changes, chasing down actors, etc.)

Most “happy mistake” on a production: Finding muzak versions of Tool, Marilyn Manson and Led Zepplin which I then used as background music for the restaurant scene in Pie Dialogues. I was determined to get some Tool and Manson somewhere in that show!

Worst job you ever had: Data entry for a research project at MD Anderson. That was one of the most boring and mind-numbing jobs I've ever had! I dozed off a few times mid-entry. Thank goodness I never fell asleep on the keyboard!

Preview audiences really wanted to know what the music selections for THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA were. Here is a list from Janel of the pieces selected for the production proper. Sorry, no preshow or intermission here.
First Half
Top of Show - Camille Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals - No. 10 "Aviary"

Act 1 – 2 - Sergei Rachmaninoff: Preludes, Op. 32/5 - Prelude In G

End Act 2 - Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25 (‘Classical’), 4. Finale: Molto Vivace

Second Half
Top of Act 3 – Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque, IV. Passepied

Act 3 – 4 - Franz Liszt: Consolation in E Major, S. 172

Act 4 – 5 – Antonín Dvořák: Serenade In E Major Op.22, 2. Tempo Di Valse

End of Show/Curtain Call - Camille Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals - No. 14 "Finale"

And that's the word on the street!

A Penny Saved

2010-09-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay all you discount seekers, penny pinchers, starving students and just plain paupers. Do you think the cost of a theater ticket is out of your reach? Does even buying a “slightly obstructed” seat at $26 break your weekly budget? Maybe you are a fan of musicals or comedies, but not sure you want to risk it on a new or a classical drama?

Well, MST is here to help! We have done away with some of our old MainStage discount programs like Half Price Rush and Pay What You Can and replaced them with some new and exciting ones. Read on if saving that buck is the difference between a great theatrical experience or curling up with the DVR ... again ...

GUARANTEED SEATS
Probably the hardest thing about discount policies in the past is you didn’t know what you had until you got there. “You mean, I have to drive 20 – 30 minutes, find a place to park and still, I might not have a ticket?” Torture! I know!

That risk is now entirely GONE! Take advantage of the new discount programs and be rest assured, there will be a seat for you in the theater when you get here!

$10 PREVIEWS
For years now we have offered $10 previews in advance of the press opening. That’s as good as the price of a movie and cheaper than the new “3-D spectaculars”. And it is in the original 3-D format. No glasses required! What’s a preview you ask? Check out my previous blog for that answer.

$5 FRIDAY
Replacing our Pay What You Can performance is $5 Friday. The day after opening has always been a slow day. We used to just take the day off! Now we are performing that day and every seat in the house is only $5! Get out you say! Yes, you can get a $40 seat for only $5 on $5 Friday.

Well, not for The Doctor’s Dilemma. Those seats are already gone.

You can get a $36 seat for only $5 on $5 Friday! And I don’t mean just at the door. Go now and buy it on-line or call our box office and grab that ticket, and know your efforts to get here will be rewarded with a seat.

BUY EARLY AND SAVE
The ART Discount (or Advanced Rush Ticket) can save you $5 or $10 per ticket for a regular performance IF you buy the ticket before the show’s opening night. Beat the rush, get the best seats and save big before that rave review hits newsstands and everyone wants a seat.

STUBDOG IS A THEATER-GOER’S BEST FRIEND
Are you tired of calling the theater the day of, hoping for a chance to get half-priced tickets at the door? Well, throw that worry out the window because we have thrown the Half-priced Rush ticket out the door.

But, if you are still looking for that half-priced ticket, try our friends over at StubDog.com. If available, a small allotment of tickets will be made available through the discount ticket site for the run of the production about a week before it opens. And these half price tickets are guaranteed seats. Basically, we take the guess work out of Half-price Rush by giving you the chance to get the tickets ahead of time!

But act fast! Once those seats are gone, they are dog gone.

... AND STUDENTS
Don’t forget, students are ALWAYS only $10 for regular performances for any MainStage show. That price cannot be beat, especially if you have a paper due the next week.

All these discounts are available for THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA which starts previews tonight!

Previews are SOLD OUT!

ART – Deadline to use this discount is Thursday, September 9th. Use on-line code DOCART to buy the tickets on-line. (Find the other ART discount codes on our website.)

$5 Friday is September 10th. Tickets are still available!

Half-priced Seats have been sent to StubDog.com. They are beginning to go, so get on it!

And that’s the word on the street!

What is a Preview?

2010-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that the new season is upon us? I hope everyone has had a wonderful, if not steaming hot, summer. With no shows running, you would think we were taking it easy here at MST, but between our popular Kids On Stage summer camp program and preparations for our upcoming 15 SHOW SEASON, we have been anything but slow!

The first show up in September is in the MainStage Subscription Season: THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA by George Bernard Shaw. If you have been checking out the schedule for this show, you will have noticed we offer three “previews” before opening night.

Over the years, many of you have asked, “What is a Preview?” “Is it a rehearsal?” “Do we get to see the whole show?”

In live theater, the audience is just as important and as dynamic as any actor’s performance, set piece, costume, lighting effect, sound effect or prop. After preparing all those elements on our end, adding the audience is the last piece of the puzzle.

Is it a rehearsal? In a way, yes! The actors need a chance to perform in front of an audience before the Press reviews the production. What is funny? What is NOT funny? When will the audience gasp, cry or lose interest all together?

This is where the preview performance comes in. We offer our previews at the amazing low price of $10, practically the same as a movie! The idea is to pack the house and get a real feel for how an audience will react to the production. It also gives any theater lover, who might not be able to afford a more expensive ticket, the opportunity to see the production.

Do we get to see the whole show? Absolutely! When it is time to preview the show, we have done everything on our end to prepare the show EXCEPT perform it for a live audience. Lines are learned, sets are painted, costumes are sewn, lights are hung, sound levels are set and the props are ready to go.

Now all we need is you! THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA previews September 4th, 5th and 8th. Seating is limited, so if you want to be part of the creative process, order your tickets today!

And that’s the word on the Street!

Beyond Arcadia Part 2

2010-06-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here is another little bit from the on-line E-zine discovered by our stage manager Debs. The Sidley Park garden is practically another character in ARCADIA. Just beyond our view through the windows (looking out over the East Section) is the garden being reborn to much controversy in the 1800s and resulting in much mystery in the present. Here is a little more reflection on the changing styles of the Sidley Park Garden.

Classicism vs. Romanticism in the Sidley Park Garden

Hannah: “The whole Romantic sham. It’s what happened to the Enlightenment, isn’t it? A century of intellectual rigor turned in on itself. The history of the garden says it all beautifully.”

The grounds of Sidley Park, the house which provides the setting for Arcadia, are a canvas on which all three of the main styles of eighteenth and early nineteenth-century landscape gardening have at one time or another been inscribed.

These three different styles of gardening were treated by some contemporary commentators as mere changes in fashion, and they were frequently compared with changing fashions in dress, particularly in women's dress. For others, however, they were like fashion itself -- part of a complicated story of social and political change.

The Classical Italian Garden
The formal Italian garden reflects the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment. It was probably planted by Thomasina’s great-grandfather.

Until the 1740s, the garden was laid out according to an aesthetic which saw beauty only in symmetry, in the geometrical pattern made by circular pools and the intersecting straight lines of avenues, alleys, terraces, hedges.

Hannah says: “The house had a formal Italian garden until about 1740 …that makes you want to weep. Paradise in the Age of Reason….topiary, pools and terraces, fountains, an avenue of limes. sublime geometry…the best box hedge in Derbyshire….”

1740-1809: The Natural English Park
The formal Italian garden is replaced by the “natural English park” for which Launcelot “Capability” Brown was famous. This was probably done at the instigation of Thomasina’s grandfather.

Around 1740 or so tastes changed and this formal Italian design was dug up and “improved” by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Brown’s goal was to create open vistas which made the park and its surrounding countryside seem part of one harmonious landscape which ran unbroken to the horizon and beyond.

One way to make the landscape appear to flow seamlessly, was to remove anything that appeared “unnatural” or “man made” like topiary, pools and terraces, fountains and an avenue of limes. The” best box hedge in Derbyshire” was dug up and replaced by a “ha ha” (a ditch used to keep cows off the lawn.) “The grass went from the doorstep to the horizon… so the fools could pretend they were living in God’s countryside….”

This is the way the garden looks in Lady Croom’s time, and it is just to her taste.

1810 The Fake Gothic Wilderness
The Gothic Garden reflects the Age of Romance.
Lord Croom, Thomasina’s father, has hired Mr. Noakes, the landscape gardener to tear up the natural English landscape that Lady Croom so cherishes and replace it with a faux Gothic wilderness in the “picturesque” style.

As Arcadia opens in 1809, the English park that Lady Croom so admires is about to give way to the "picturesque" or “Romantic” style favored by Mr. Noakes. The picturesque was an aesthetic of irregularity, of "Romantic" wildness, in which the natural, flowing lines of Capability Brown were deliberately broken and obscured by sudden declivities, jagged shapes, ruined buildings and statuary, and the shadows of rocks and unkempt trees.

Lady Croom finds it utterly distasteful but her protests were obviously in vain, because by 1812, the process of transformation is under way, under the auspices of Mr. Noakes and his noisy “Newcomen steam pump”. .

Hannah, who is all geometry and reason, hates the whole “Romantic sham” of the Gothic landscape. She particularly dislikes the fact that the Gothic landscape, when plunked down in England, stands out like a sore thumb -- stagy and fake and artificial.
“…a setting of cheap thrills and false emotion”.

Playing to sold out houses, ARCADIA has been extended until June 20th!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Philip Lehl

2010-05-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Philip Lehl makes his MST debut playing Bernard Nightingale in our hit production of ARCADIA. Get to know a little more about Philip as he answers MST's Q&A ...

Full given name: Philip Eric Lehl

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Audition Monologue/Song: "Why Don't We Do It In the Road?"

Special skills: making a living as an actor

First Houston show ever saw: "Art" at the Alley

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Arcadia!

Favorite show tune: Finishing the Hat from Sunday in the Park with George

MAC or PC? MAC!!!!!

Most played song on your iPod: Murder in the City - Avett Brothers

Last book you read: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary

Must-see TV show: don't watch TV much, but, um, when I did, I really liked Hill Street Blues

Last good movie you saw: District 9

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Gilligan's Island

Favorite board game: blebracS, er, I mean Scrabble

Favorite cereal: carbs? are you kidding?

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Richard Burbage

Who would play you in the movie? Richard Dreyfuss 20 years ago

First stage kiss: well, it was backstage, and I was 14, and I was playing a lost boy in Peter Pan, and she was an Indian Princess. But onstage, as Lt. Cable in South Pacific in high school. Ah, Liat. She was a senior, I was a sophomore - also the answer to: why did you first get into theatre?

Worst onstage mishap: Playing Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Worst “day” job you ever had: taking telephone polls for the Louis Harris company.

Favorite post-show meal: carbs

ARCADIA, by Tom Stoppard, has been extended through June 20th! Don't miss out on the greatest play of the 20th Centruy!

And that's the word on the street!

Beyond Arcadia Part 1

2010-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Stage Manager for ARCADIA and Tom Stoppard aficionado Debs Ramser discovered a little gem of an on-line E-Zine with some interesting insight on the play. Here are some interesting reflections from the director of that production.

“What we know is not much. What we do not know is immense.”

Rehearsal is a process of discovery. And interestingly enough, what we discovered, as we rehearsed Arcadia is that the play itself is about the process of discovery.

It asks the questions mankind has been asking ever since we wiped the primordial soup of our shoes. Who are we? Why are we here? What’s it all about?

But fear not. Since it’s Tom Stoppard who’s doing the asking, the funny bone is engaged as frequently as the mind.

Part detective story, part love story, part comedy of errors, Arcadia is also a crash course in mathematics, landscape gardening, literature, Romantic poetry, the second law of thermodynamics, oh, and lest things should get dull, chaos theory. The action is set in the schoolroom of Sidley Park, Derbyshire, inhabited by the Coverly family in the early 19th century, and simultaneously in the present day by their descendants Valentine, Chloe and the ever-silent Gus.

While a wildly comic series of events unfolds in 1809 and 1812, involving, among other things, Romantic trysts in gazebos, duels at dawn, mysterious hermits, rice pudding, mediocre poets, steam heated engines and overheated aristocrats, a pair of rival literary researchers works doggedly and with haphazard success, to unravel them in the present.

Will we ever find out what really happened? Is it possible to really know the past?

Is it possible to really know anything? What Arcadia taught us is it’s not the answers that matter. It’s asking the questions. As Hannah Jarvis observes, “It’s wanting to know that makes us matter.”

It doesn’t matter that we’re all looking for different things. And that being human and fallible, we don’t always get it right. That we chase after red herrings and chimera, led by our hearts as often as our heads. Faced with the possibility that, after all our striving, we may never know the answers. That the “theory of everything” will always elude us. That there will always be an unknowable mystery at the heart of things -- like a fifteen year old boy who never speaks.

But we keep looking because we want to know.

We hope you find the search as exhilarating as we do.

Ave Lawyer

ARCADIA plays at our Rice Village Location through June 6.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Matt Tramel Reduex

2010-04-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last year Matt Tramel answered our Q&A while appearing in our Theater for Youth production of THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. Matt returns this year as the wacky and mysterious Willy Wonka in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, now playing at our Chelsea Market location. Let us see how much has changed for Matt as he once again answers MST's Q&A ...

Full given name: Matthew Shane Tramel

Hometown: Mesquite, TX

Zodiac sign: Leo

Audition Monologue/Song: Still haven't settled. Open to suggestions .

Special skills: Aquatic Sports (skiing/knee-boarding/tubing), Juggling, Running, Frisbee, Horseback Riding, Vehicle Maintenance, Whip Cracking, Hiking, Singing (Tenor), Swing Dancing, Basic Harmonica

First Houston show ever saw: I really do have a horrible memory.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: I'm looking forward to ARCADIA!

Favorite show tune: "Purpose" from AVENUE Q.

MAC or PC? MAC

Must-see TV show: Lost, 24, US of Tara, Firefly

Last good movie you saw: The Hurt Locker

Favorite board game: Balderdash or Apples to Apples

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Eddie Izzard

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Facebook

First stage kiss: I think it was when I was a freshman in college and played Anthony in THE HOUSE OF YES, but like I said before... I have a horrible memory.

Favorite post-show meal: A cold beer.

Worst onstage mishap: I'd have to say it was the time I was performing WORDS, WORDS, WORDS by David Ives with John Dunn at The Country Playhouse and he sliced open his hand on our tire swing (which was part of the set) while we were in the middle of a performance. He was a trooper though and saw it through until the end... clenching his fist the entire time with smears of blood painting the papers we used in our typewriters.

Worst costume ever: I once played a frog prince with an over-sized paper-mâché head that was lined on the inside with obituaries.

Favorite cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats

Who would play you in the movie? Well, Tyson Ritter is my doppelgnger .

Worst job you ever had: I was not a big fan of mowing yards when I was growing up. Does that count?

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Well, if we're sticking to only TV or commercial gigs and excluding film then I'd probably go with a Darque Tan commercial that I was featured in. No, I did not play the role of "before".

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, from the book by Roald Dahl plays our Chelsea Market location Saturdays, now through May 15th.

And that's the word on the street!

A Word from the Playwright

2010-04-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

DRIFTWOOD, by playwright Lans Traverse, is making its world premiere now at Main Street Theater. Here are a few notes from Lans, who now lives in London with her husband, actor Ronald Pickup, and their family.

I began writing Driftwood in 2008. It is my third play, and like the two preceding it, it is loosely autobiographical. Or rather, the protagonist is based on someone in my family. In Driftwood, it is my grandfather that prompted the story.

Although I am an American, grew up in Oklahoma, I have lived almost all of my adult life in England, with the exception of a few months spent in Rome. Whilst living there I once met an Italian gentleman who travelled to London regularly on business and he told me how much he loved England. “You English people are so lucky”, he said, “your country is so new and exciting and Italy is so old”. I found that amusing, to love England for its modernity. Every day I look out on London and feel the centuries of kings and queens and age-old empires and am reminded constantly of just how new my America is. It is incredible to think that my own grandfather, age six, sat next to his father on an old buckboard and raced for one hundred and sixty acres of Oklahoma territory and that I grew up with this rich and wondrous piece of oral history handed to me on a plate.

If I were making a film, I would begin with the actual race. Alas, on stage, Orville can only tell and re-tell the story to his three children. But his passion for the land, and his relentless struggle to hold onto it, runs throughout the play. The story is just that, a fiction, for the most part. But the dust storms happened. And the soil erosion was a fact. And people survived the years of the Great Depression.

The present global financial crisis that is staring us all in the face began in 2007, and I wish that it had been my prophetic vision to see this coming and write my play as a cautionary tale. But I must admit to ignorance and cannot take credit for that. However, as greed (both personal and national) drives the plot and leads to tragedy ultimately, hopefully it might strike some as relevant at this particular moment in time. I have quoted novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren, in the frontispiece of the script: “The past is always a rebuke to the present”. History is, indeed, cyclical and here we come round again, eighty years on, to recessions and threats of depressions and man’s abuse of the land and we wonder: of what use is a rebuke if we are never able to learn from the past?

First and last though, this is a story about the family, about the foolishness of some, and the heartache caused by others, about acts of betrayal that are sometimes committed by our nearest and dearest, and about strength and loyalty and steadfastness.
--Lans Traverse

DRIFTWOOD plays at our Rice Village Location through April 24. Some performances are sold out, so don't delay when getting your tickets!

And that's the word on the street!

The Answer My Friend, is Blowing in the Wind...

2010-04-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Many audience members have commented on the soundtrack for Lans Traverse’s DRIFTWOOD, now having its world premiere at Main Street Theater.

Sound designer Janel Badrina sent us some of her sources for the bluegrass, country, swing and gospel music of the 1930s-1950s.

Oklahoma Hills by Jack Guthrie

Can the Circle Be Unbroken?: Country Music’s First Family by the Carter Family

Swing From Paris by Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli

The Essential Bob Wills 1935 – 1947 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

The Best of the Andrews Sisters by The Andrews Sisters

Blues Stay Away from Me by the Delmore Brothers

Selected Sides 1947 – 1953 by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers

Born to Lose by Ted Daffan and His Texans

Molly O'Day and the Cumberland Mountain Folks

DRIFTWOOD plays at our Rice Village Location through April 24. Some performances are sold out, so don't delay when getting your tickets!

And that's the word on the street!

The Origins of Driftwood

2010-03-30T09:31:00.001-07:00

Playwright Lans Traverse and director Cheryl L. Kaplan give us some great insight and background on MST's world premiere of DRIFTWOOD. Based in both family fact and fiction of the imagination, an Oklahoma family deals with the worst economic downturn of the last century!

DRIFTWOOD plays at our Rice Village Location April 1 - April 24.

And that's the word on the street!

The Show Must Go On!

2010-02-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Below is the set model of the Up Right Corner of our Rice Village Theater (as designed by Jodi Bobrovsky) for Sophie Treadwell's Machinal.

Set Model

Seems simple enough, yes? Couple of walls, shaded windows and a door. Well, this weekend, during previews, it wasn't so simple!

Somehow, the door went past its closing point during Sunday afternoon's preview and could not be opened normally. A couple of actors had to force it open the wrong way just to get off stage. Shortly after, with some quick thinking from Technical Director (and Machinal Actor) Mark Roberts, the door was quickly pried off at the hinges and stowed back stage! After all, the show must got on, right?

Today, all is well. Door is restored and problem fixed in anticipation of Thursday's opening night.

MACHINAL (along with Caryl Churchill's Houston Premiere of A NUMBER) plays the Rice Village location now through March 19th. Tickets are only $10 for the final preview this Wednesday the 17th!

And that's the word on the street!

Junie B. Jones is Back!

2010-02-09T09:03:00.001-08:00

Junie B. Jones returns to MST this week with an all new production of Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. To give you a sneak peek of what to expect, take a look at the set and costume renderings by the wonderfully talented Meghan C. Hakes (Sets) and Macy Perrone (Costumes).

Set Model

Costume Renderings

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business plays on the Theater for Youth stage at our Chelsea Market location on Saturdays at 1pm and 4pm, February 13th - March 27th. Special Spring Break performances March 15th - 18th at 11:30am.

Target Family Day on Friday, March 19th. All tickets are 2 for 1! Special pre-show activities begin at 10:30am with snacks provided by Target.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Celeste Roberts

2010-01-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

She may play one of the greatest Diva's of all time on stage, but off stage Celeste is far from it. A busy mother of two she balances acting, recruiting and schooling and still manages to simply wow us with her performance as Maria Callas in MASTER CLASS. Get to know a little more about Celeste as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Celeste Cheramie Roberts

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Audition Monologue/Song: What? Argh…The claw from Search and Destroy and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady. And don’t even ask when is the last time I did those!

Special skills: What? Acting? Maybe? Ok, I can sing and dance but nobody every really asks me to. Oh and I’m a decent recruiter. You know, the “day job”.

First Houston show ever saw: The Heidi Chronicles at MST. Made me want to act again and especially on the MST stage.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Master Class :>

Favorite show tune: Oklahoma, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning”

MAC or PC? PC, MAC is way too expensive

Most played song on your iPod: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

Last book you read: Kate Chopin, The Awakening (for like the fourth time! Depressing but oh so worth it)

Must-see TV show: Anything on The History Channel

Last good movie you saw: The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and I loved it!!

Favorite board game: Pictionary

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Meryl Streep

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Taylor Swift

First stage kiss: Ugh! Not even worth mentioning.

Favorite post-show meal: Wine with everything!

Worst onstage mishap: Opening my mouth to say my line and no sound comes out, during An Ideal Husband on stage with Erica Garrison. I left the stage to get water and she thought I’d simply left!

Worst costume ever: Must we do this? Ok, probably the 80’s red satin prom dress/supposed to be early 1900 period costume with a scarf draped round the top just in case anyone was paying close attention in Experiment with an Air Pump. Hope the costumer isn’t reading this? And it wasn’t Becky so I know I’m kinda safe here.

Favorite cereal: Granola

Who would play you in the movie? Maria Callas

Worst job you ever had: Washing police cars at the Mississippi River Bridge Authority. Ugh!

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Murphy’s Deli commercial where I got to copy the famous When Harry Met Sally line: “I’ll have what she’s having”. Though not nearly as good as the movie’s bit.

MASTER CLASS is playing a limited engagement at our Chelsea Market location, now through January 24th. You will not want to miss one of Houston's favorite actresses in a performance of a lifetime!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Kathryn Noser

2009-12-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

If you have been to the Theater for Youth this year, you have seen Kathryn Noser. Whether playing a chicken, a snooty pre-teen or redefining what it means to be an angel in a Christmas pageant, she has lit up our Chelsea Market stage. This Spring you will enjoy Kathryn as the preening princess Lucille in JUNIE B. JONES AND A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS! Get to know a little more about Kathryn as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Kathryn Sue Noser

Hometown: Houston, TX

Zodiac sign: Scorpio

Audition Monologue/Song: an excerpt from My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life, Song - Notice Me Horton (from Seussical).

Special skills: ummm... I can touch my tongue with my nose... Is that special? I also make really funny faces.

First Houston show ever saw: Way too long ago to remember what show - but it was at Company OnStage theatre.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Spring Awakening, Wicked

Favorite show tune: Defying Gravity

MAC or PC? I like both, but currently have an iMac.

Most played song on your iPod: don't have an iPod!

Last book you read: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Must-see TV show: NCIS and So You Think You Can Dance

Last good movie you saw: The Blindside

Favorite board game: Pictionary

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Jason Mraz

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Reality TV

First stage kiss: Still waiting for my first kiss.

Favorite post-show meal: Burgers or Mexican food

Worst onstage mishap: I was a featured dancer in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in high school. My dance partner and I went up into a lift and he lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, he did his best to catch me and kept me from hitting the ground too hard.

Worst costume ever: I can't think of one I hated. I've had a lot of fun costumes... I seem to be bird-like. I've played a bird 3 times!

Favorite cereal: Cheerios

Who would play you in the movie? Sarah Jessica Parker

Worst job you ever had: In college I worked for the Great American Cookie Company, it was fun, but - I couldn't eat cookies for years after that!

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Web commercial for Gordon & Elias Attorneys At Law - I got to work with my 6 year old niece on that commercial. It was so much fun to work together!

Tickets are on sale now for JUNIE B. JONES AND A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS. Don't forget you can get Two for One tickets on Target Family Day, Friday, March 19th at 11:30am!

And that's the word on the street!

Taking a Look Back

2009-11-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away? The season is already just about half gone! I thought it might be nice to take a quick look back at the 09-10 Season thus far.

The House of the Spirits

Alexander Garza and Eva De La Cruz

Chelsea McCrudy and Alexander Garza

Rosarito Rodriguez and Seán Patrick Judge

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Alan Hall, Katie Harrison, Micah Stinson, Rebecca Cansler and Kathryn Noser

Kathryn Noser, Micah Stinson and Katie Harrison

Kathryn Noser, Katie Harrision and Rebecca Cansler

The Afternoon of the Elves

Alison Coriell, Sarah Beth Roberts, Katie Harrision and Kathryn Noser

Alison Coriell and Jared Carlin

Alison Coriell and Katie Harrison

The Last Night of Ballyhoo

Jamie Gieger and Bethany McCade

Rebecca Greene Udden, Liz Cascio and Matt Tramel

The Cast of The Last Night of Ballyhoo

THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO, still playing at our Rice Village location, has been extended through December 20th! We hope to see you for the rest of the season!

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Liz Cascio

2009-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

You might remember Liz Cascio as a member of the quick changing ensemble last season in The Light in the Piazza, or maybe she was your child's teacher recently for our KOS classes. Tonight Liz takes a bow as the Gone with the Wind obsessed Lala Levy in MST's revival of THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO! Get to know a little more about Liz as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Elizabeth Anne Cascio

Hometown: Orange, TX

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Audition Monologue/Song: "Rosa" from The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams and "I Wish I Were In Love Again" from Babes in Arms

Special skills: Classically trained soprano who can turn any hip-hop song into an operatic aria

First Houston show ever saw: Les Miserables at Jones Hall when I was in the Second Grade

Current show you have been recommending to friends: The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Main Street Theater, of course.

Favorite show tune: "Being Alive" from Company

MAC or PC? PC

Most played song on your iPod: "Life is Wonderful" by Jason Mraz

Last book you read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Must-see TV show: The Tudors

Last good movie you saw: District Nine

Favorite board game: Celebrity

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Audra McDonald

Pop culture guilty pleasure: I love to watch old '90s reruns, like Full House and Saved by the Bell. My boyfriend hates it.

First stage kiss: 6th Grade, Brent Kyle in Sagebrush, essentially a knock-off of Oklahoma. He played Willie White and I played Sarah Allgood. It was quality.

Favorite post-show meal: Anything deep fried and a beer. I'm a Southern girl, after all.

Worst onstage mishap: Falling down a flight of stairs center stage at the very beginning of a morning matinee of Seussical. The kids kept laughing about it for like five minutes.

Worst costume ever: A turquoise blue unitard and a swim cap with giant sequins hanging from it. Seussical, again.

Favorite cereal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Who would play you in the movie? Parker Posey

Worst job you ever had: Retail during Christmas season. I was actually thankful that I got mono, so that I could quit.

Liz and the rest of the hysterical ensemble cast have delighted one sold out performance after another, and that was only previews! This weekend is already sold out, so don't delay in getting your tickets for this holiday charmer. THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO, originally set to close December 12th, has been extended through December 20th to meet demand. Playing at our Rice Village location. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Stuart Little Hits the Road

2009-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

MST's touring production of STUART LITTLE presented its first performance today in Huntsville! Here is a little peek as to how Set Designer Jeff Lane, Scenic Artist Meghan Hakes, and Costume Designer Macy Perrone will transform the school stage into Stuart's world.

STUART LITTLE will be touring throughout Texas this fall and spring. For more information about how to bring this charming production to your school or community center, contact Lauren Smith at 713-524-9196 x105, or visit the web site and complete a request form online.

And if you can't bring us to you, the touring production will have a special presentation in the summer of 2010 at our Chelsea Market location. Look out for information on that this spring!

And that's the word on the street!

A Picnic with Click, Clack, Moo!

2009-10-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we had a FUN-tastic day with Chick-Fil-A. Farmer Brown’s barnyard had a special visit from the Chick-Fil-A cows after the 4:00pm show on October 3rd. After the show, the cast, cows and audience enjoyed a free Chick-Fil-A meal in the lovely Chelsea Market courtyard. And all BEFORE it started to rain!

The Baby Cow with two MST fans!

The fantastic crew from Chick-Fil-A.

Is that the CFA Cow trying to "horn in" on someone's lunch?

The Chelsea Market courtyard is the perfect place
for a sold out house to have a picnic!

The Cows of Chick-Fil-A and the Cast of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type!

CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE plays our Chelsea Market location through October 10, 2009.

And that's the word on the street!

Could Ps and Qs be more timely?

2009-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

In the wake of PS AND QS: THE ABCS OF MANNERS winning Best Original Theater Show from the Houston Press, comes this little gem of an article from the New York Post.

Apparently, even New York audiences still need a lesson in how to turn their cell phone off when entering a Broadway theater. Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig stop the show to allow an audience member the opportunity to answer the phone.

Click here to read the New York Post article and see video!

Where is Mike Hardline when you need him!

BTW - Daniel Craig was in the original cast of A NUMBER when it premiered in London in 2002!

A NUMBER / MACHINAL plays our Rice Village location February 18 - March 14, 2010. Tickets go on sale October 31st.

And that's the word on the street!

Announcing the Cast of Romeo and Juliet

2009-09-24T09:26:00.001-07:00

Mark McCarver - Romeo/Sampson
Lauren Dalk - Juliet/Gregory
Norelia Reed - Lady Capulet/Tybalt/Watch 1
Jonathan Gonzalez - Nurse/Friar Laurence/ Abraham
Steven Laing - Capulet/Friar John/Benvolio/Balthasar
Alexander Garza - Escalus/Mercutio/Paris/Watch 2

ROME AND JULIET will be available to tour to your school from March 1 - April 30, 2010. Call 713-524-9196 x105 and talk to Lauren Smith for more information.

And that's the word on the street!

6 Degrees of Clark Gable

2009-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article about "The Clark Gable House" from the Houston Press. Gable lived in Houston doing theater for a year in the 1920s. When he left Houston, it was to appear in the New York production a MACHINAL by Sophie Treadwell.

This spring MST is producing MACHINAL (coupled with Caryl Churchill's A NUMBER)!

I just thought that was an odd little set of connections.

A NUMBER / MACHINAL plays our Rice Village location February 18 - March 14, 2010. Tickets go on sale October 31st.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Eva De La Cruz

2009-09-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Eva De La Cruz appears as Clara in THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, making its English language premiere at our Rice Village location. Get to know a little more about Eva as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Eva Cristina De La Cruz

Hometown: born in Guayama, Puerto Rico!

Zodiac sign: Libra

Audition Monologue/Song: Lolana Aerobics from “Latins Anonymous”

Special skills: I play the flute, and speak Spanish fluently

First Houston show ever saw: “Dinner with Friends” at the Alley Theatre

Current show you have been recommending to friends: “In the Heights”

Favorite show tune: “For Good” from Wicked

MAC or PC? MAC, but I still have a PC at home (I know, I’m a traitor!)

Most played song on your iPod: “On My Way” from Violet

Last book you read: “House of Spirits” to prep for the show

Must-see TV show: The Office

Last good movie you saw: Pixar’s “Up”

Favorite board game: Taboo

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Bernadette Peters

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Spongebob Squarepants

First stage kiss: When I was in 9th grade, I performed in a new musical called “Relatively Speaking”, and was staged to kiss my boyfriend at the time. Needless to say, we had broken up by the time we opened but had to kiss anyway – awkward!

Favorite post-show meal: La Tapatia

Worst costume ever: I played Nell in “Endgame”, and was dressed in this horrible ratty nightgown and bonnet, made up with white and purple makeup to where I looked like a zombie, and shoved into a trashcan. Need I mention that Nell dies partway during the show and there was no way for me to get out of the trashcan until the end of the show??

Favorite cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats

Who would play you in the movie? Tia or Tamera Mowry (from “Sister, Sister”)

Worst job you ever had: waitressing at Bennigan’s (summer before I started college)

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: I had a lot of fun playing a bride in a friend’s commercial project for school – we mimicked the VW Jetta commercial (“Big Day”) where the bride’s true love shows up at the last minute.

THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS plays our Rice Village location through October 11, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

And the Tyrannical Farmer!

2009-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe Farmer Brown just doesn't know what to make of the mysterious notes that appear on his door, but Liz Freese's rendering certainly shows a no nonsense agrarian!

Farmer Brown

CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE plays our Chelsea Market location from September 26 to October 10, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Take a Peek at Click Clack Moo!

2009-08-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal's start next week for CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE, our Theater for Youth Season opener. In order to give the director and the cast an idea of what the costumes will be like for everyone playing a farm animal, Costume Designer Liz Freese provided the following scketches.

Get a sneak peek at how Liz will be transforming the actors into the rebellious farm animals demanding a warm night's sleep!

The Hen

The Duck

The First Cow

The Second Cow

CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE plays our Chelsea Market location from September 26 to October 10, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Take a Peek at The House of the Spirits

2009-08-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal's started this week for THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, making its English language premiere as MST's Season opener. In order to give the director and the cast an idea of what the set would be like for this existentialist take on Allende's novel, Set Designer Jodi Bobrovsky provided a model.

Get a sneak peek on how Jodi Bob will be transforming the Rice Village location for this wonderful and dark premiere!

A bird's eye view of the set. Where will you sit?

Looking across the model from the East side.

The South-East Corner

The South-West Corner

The North-West Corner

THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS plays our Rice Village location through September 5 to October 11, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Announcing the Cast of The House of the Spirits!

2009-08-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Alba - Laura Michelle Salas
Clara - Eva De La Cruz*
Rosa/Blanca - Chelsea Ryan McCurdy
Esteban Trueba - Seán Patrick Judge
Esteban Garcia - Richard Solis
Pancha/Transito Soto - Rosarito Rodríguez
Nivea/Ferula/Count of Satigny - Luisa Amaral-Smith*
Severo/Pedro Garcia/Father Antonio - Orlando Arriaga
Pedro Tercero/Guard/Barabbas - Alexander Garza

And that's the word on the street!

Ps and Qs on YouTube!

2009-08-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Ps and Qs: the ABCs of Manners yet? There is only one weekend left!

I know it is sometimes hard to try something new at the theater, especially when buying tickets for the whole family.

Click here to get a peek at the opening number so you can see how charming this show really is.

The show is a lot of fun, and what's more interesting is that it is a big hit with the boys! So take a break this summer before "start of school year prep" takes over your life and do something that EVERYONE in the family will enjoy! (Just be mindful of your Ps and Qs least the Manners Police track you down!)

And that's the word on the street!

Announcing the Theater for Youth Company

2009-07-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

MST is proud to announce the casting of its Theater for Youth Season! Returning favorites as well as some great new talent will grace the stage this season. Who can you not wait to see?

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Farmer Brown - Alan Hall
Duck - Micah Stinson
Cow 1 - Rebecca Cansler
Cow 2 - Katie Harrison
Hen - Jennifer Gilbert

Afternoon of the Elves
Mrs. Lenox/Mrs. Connolly - Zona Jane Meyer
Mr. Lenox - Jared Carlin
Jane - Sarah Beth Roberts
Alison - Kathryn Noser
Hillary Lenox - Allison Coriel
Sara-Kate Connolly - Katie Harrison

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Bob Bradley/Leroy Herdman - Jared Carlin
Grace Bradley - Kayleen Clements
Charlie Bradley - Julian Brashears
Beth Bradley - Meghan Hakes
Imogene Herdman - Katie Harrison
Gladys Herdman - Kathryn Noser
Alice Wendleken - Jennifer Gilbert
Ralph Herdman - Jovan Jackson
Elmer Hopkins/Reverend Hopkins - Micah Stinson
Claude/Ollie Herdman - Joey Melcher
Maxine - TBA

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Junie B - Caroline Menefee
Lucille - Kathryn Noser
That Grace - Brittny Bush
Crybaby William/Principal/Dad - Alan Hall
Meanie Jim/Grandpa - Micah Stinson
Mrs./Mom - Meghan Hakes
Female Swing - Jessica Knapp
Male Swing - Jared Carlin

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Narrator/Willy Wonka - Micah Stinson
Augustus Gloop/Grandpa George - Richard Solis
Veruca Salt/Grandma Georgina - Katie Harrison
Violet Beauregarde/Grandma Joesphine - Meghan Hakes
Mike Teavee/Mr. Bucket - Josh Taylor
Mrs. Bucket/Mrs. Salt - Jessica Knapp
Grandpa Joe - Jovan Jackson
Charlie Bucket - George Harris
Mr. Teavee - Alan Hall

TOURING PRODUCTION
Stuart Little
Richard Solis - 3rd Actor (George/Snowbell/Dog (1st)/Leroy/Mr. Clydesdale/School Superintendent/4th Child (Henry).
Brittney Holdgraf - 4th Actor (Doctor/Bureau Chief/2nd Person/Margalo/Babette’s Voice/3rd Child (Katherine)
Walter Baker - 1st Actor (Mr. Little/Dr. Carey/Malty’s Voice/Angie/2nd Child (Harry)/Repairman)
Carolyn Ortiz - 2nd Actor (Mrs. Little/Woman (Voice)/1st Person/Dog(2nd)/Tige’s Voice/Pigeon/1st Child (Mary)
Jessica Knapp - Stuart Little

And that's the word on the street!

Catch a Glimpse of a New Film Class at KOS

2009-07-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

This fall, Kids On Stage will be introducing a new film class to the class schedule to be taught by KOS regulars Art Ornelas and Amelia Rico. If you want to get a preview of the kind of work they do, you may want to attend the special screening of "Alex Mulray and the Stolen HeART". This independent RicOrneal production was created by Art and Millie and stars all recent KOS alumni!

Film Premiere
Alex Mulray and the Stolen HeART

July 25th at 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm
$7 presale/$10 at the door
FREE FOOD AND DRINKS
Main Street Theater - Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005

Seating is limited so reserve your tickets today at www.ricornelproductions.com.
(MST is not taking reservations)

A RicOrnel Productions film starring Luke Loftin, Susannah Mitcham, Megan Routbort, Savannah Scardaville, and Valerie Paige Zubel

Alex Mulray and company are young sleuths ready to help anyone who walks in the door. But when Miss Wakefield storms into the office like a tiny little tornado, they will uncover more than a thief. Will Alex be able to uncover the secret behind the stolen HeART, or will this be Alex Mulray's final case? In this new juve-noir film we will discover the secret life of smart young teenagers who have to choose between helping others or helping themselves.

Some come on out Saturday night with your budding film makers and see what all the fun is about!

And that's the word on the street!

Another Voice Heard From

2009-05-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

We invited our Kids On Stage students to attend AWAKE AND SING! and tell us what they thought. Megan Routbort (of SCAPINO! and THE HOBBIT to name a few) was one of the responders. Here is her review!

Awake and Sing! is a drama about a Jewish family and their friends living in the Bronx during the Great Depression. All of the characters struggle to achieve their goals in life, despite the challenges they face. The main characters are the Berger family and Moe Axelrod. Bessie Berger, the mother of Hennie and Ralph Berger, has sacrificed many of her own hopes to make sure that her children are taken care of, making her bitter and quick-tempered. Her husband, Myron Berger, drinks to escape his own negative emotions. The two children also face problems. Bessie forces Hennie to marry a man whom she does not love, while she forbids Ralph to marry his girlfriend. Bessie’s father, Jacob, is an immigrant who has been disappointed with capitalist society and seeks relief in the Communist teachings. Throughout the course of the play the characters face many difficulties that spring from conflicting ideas about the true course to happiness.

Awake and Sing! sends the message that even though the small conditions of every day life can often feel all-consuming, people must choose their own paths to ultimate happiness. Awake and Sing was written to show real life on stage rather than to distract from every day issues. The actors in Awake and Sing! were challenged to give the audience the impression that the characters they played were real struggling people dealing with issues of the time. All in all, I think that the actors did a wonderful job of getting the message of the play across to the audience. Key elements such as eating actual food on stage, period furniture and costumes, and a theater in the round setting, set the tone for the show. The audience was made to feel as if they were peeking in on the life of struggling family in the mid 1930’s, rather than watching a group of performers.

I would recommend Awake and Sing! to people who are looking for a deep and engrossing play that will make them contemplate the true meaning of happiness. Awake and Sing! is not a typical comedy or tragedy, but rather a realistic tale of human struggles. Many people today can relate to the situations that the characters face. Bessie and her brother Monty are caught up in the idea that money leads to happiness. But, as Ralph Berger said, “We do not want life printed on dollar bills.”

This is Megan Routbort, blogging for Main Street Theater!

You might also want to take a look at these other reviews:
The Houston Chronicle
The Houston Press
The Wall Street Journal

AWAKE AND SING! plays our Rice Village location through June 7, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Charles Swan

2009-05-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Charles Swan appears as Ralph Berger in AWAKE AND SING!, playing at our Rice Village location. Get to know a little more about Charles as he answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Charles Thomas Swan

Hometown: Houston, TX

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Audition Monologue/Song: Mono: “All in the Timing” – David Ives; Song: “Run Away With Me” Kerrigan / Lowdermilk

Special skills: Can set houses on fire in Germany (On stage! Not in real life!), works with horses, bungee jumping (is that a skill….?) plays piano, and body-rolling (Did I ever tell you about time I lost out on the national tour of “The Wedding Singer” for my lousy body roll…..? Needless to say, I’ve MASTERED it now!)

First Houston show ever saw: Miss Saigon when I was 8 – what were my parents thinking?! Loved every second of it!

Current show you have been recommending to friends: ummmm….Awake and Sing! Duh! But I also loved Mauritius at the Alley….they always do great work.

Favorite show tune: Anything from Parade….and have you heard the latest recording of “South Pacific” - Good lord! Gorgeous.

MAC or PC? MAC. Forever.

Most played song on your iPod: “Easy (acoustic)” – Barenaked Ladies

Last book you read: Relentless Pursuit – A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America

Must-see TV show: who has time for TV?!?!

Last good movie you saw: Shelter – a little cheesy, but so incredibly poignant – a profound look at family, what it could be, and the direction we need to move as a nation.

Favorite board game: Taboo – though I loose every time I still like to refer to myself as the Taboo-King – oh! And Uno. Can’t forget Uno….!

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Gary Beach still continues to inspire me. I think he is a terrific role model and a great actor.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: OK, I’ll admit it…I love Hilary Duff’s “Wake Up”. There I said it.

First stage kiss: My first stage kiss was also my first kiss ever! So wonderfully awkward! It was my sophomore year of high school in the musical “Anything Goes.” I was so nervous I think I almost passed out. What a nerd!

Favorite post-show meal: The nearest chips and queso joint.

Worst onstage mishap: I fall a lot on stage! I’m not sure why….it’s like that narcoleptic dog on Youtube – down he goes…maybe I should have that looked at. And one time – at the Great Caruso R.I.P. - I was trying to kick my face in “Footloose” and split my pants – all I was wearing was a dance belt so the audience definitely got their money’s worth that night!!! (Or perhaps they all wanted their money BACK!)

Worst costume ever: Easy. Being a RAT at HGO was the most ridiculous costume…and job I’ve ever had. We crawled around the Wortham Center for a good three hours in rat helmets and these big hula-hoop lookin’ rat suits…..ugh. It was like Tweedle-Dee and Dum for rodents.

Favorite cereal: Frosted Flakes – they’re grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

Who would play you in the movie? A combination of Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Mandy Moore, Sutton Foster, and Vern Troyer.

Worst job you ever had: My worst job was also one of my favorites. Last summer I was performing in Germany which was phenomenal because the country is stunningly beautiful and the people were so wonderfully interesting. But we shared a stage with a live animal ‘spectacular’. Our shows were back to back so there was no time to clean up any of the “messes” left behind from the horses, birds, and dogs before us. The working conditions were awful – we were constantly adjusting choreography to not step in anything….I will forever be grateful for that “unique” opportunity, and I am keenly aware of the beauty that is Actor’s Equity!
TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: A few of us were hanging out at Harvard one day when we were asked to be in a Sam Adams Commercial. The guidelines were to drink beer all afternoon and have fun. How can you not love that? It was one of the most special, fun days I’ve ever had. We ended up being that commercial for all of .25 seconds!! Totally worth it.

AWAKE AND SING! plays our Rice Village location through June 7, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Take a Sideways Look

2009-05-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day for public performances for SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL. Let's take a look back at the season closer for the Theater for Youth!

Micah Stinson as Myron, Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Jessica Knapp as Leslie, Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon, Richard Solis as Louis, the Yard Teacher and Meghan C. Hakes as Mrs. Jewls.

Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Alan Hall as Miss Waloosh, Richard Solis as Louis, the Yard Teacher, Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon, Jessica Knapp as Leslie and Micah Stinson as Myron.

Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Micah Stinson as Myron, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon, Alison Coriell as Mr. Gorf, Jessica Knapp as Leslie, and Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe.

Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Micah Stinson as Myron, Alison Coriell as Mr. Gorf, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon, Jessica Knapp as Leslie and Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe.

Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Micah Stinson as Myron, Meghan C. Hakes as Mrs. Jewls, ennifer Gilbert as BeBe, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon and Jessica Knapp as Leslie.

Meghan C. Hakes as Mrs. Jewls.

Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Micah Stinson as Myron, Meghan C. Hakes as Mrs. Jewls, Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon and Jessica Knapp as Leslie.

Meghan C. Hakes as Mrs. Jewls, Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe, Micah Stinson as Myron, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon and Jessica Knapp as Leslie.

Alison Coriell as Mrs. Gorf and Jennifer Gilbert as BeBe.

Jessica Knapp as Leslie, Caroline Menefee as Rondi, Richard Solis as Louis, the Yard Teacher, Micah Stinson as Myron, Andrew Ruthven as Dameon and Jennifer Gilbert as Bebe.

SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL
Directed by Mark Adams
Set Design by Liz Freese
Costume Design by Macy Perrone
Lighting Design by Frank Vela
Properties Design by Richard Solis
Sound Design by Andrew Harper
Photography by RicOrnel Productions

And that's the word on the street!

How do you throw spaghetti?

2009-05-07T13:28:00.001-07:00

What does one have to do when they do a farce set in Italy? Toss around a few plates of spaghetti of course! Our KOS students get a lesson from their director. We shall see this Friday how much of a mess they really make!

SCAPINO! plays our Chelsea Market location May 8 - 9, 2009 at 7:30pm and May 10, 2009 at 3:30pm. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Theater for Youth Season Announcement

2009-04-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

MST is excited to announce its Theater for Youth 2009 – 2010 Season! (Rights Pending)

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Based on the book by Doreen Cronin
Adapted for the stage by James E. Grote
Music by George Howe – Lyrics by George Howe and James E. Grote
Family Performances: September 26, October 3 & 10, 2009
Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and up

Afternoon of the Elves
Based on the book by Janet Taylor Lisle
Adapted for the stage by Y York
Family Performances: November 7 & 14, 2009
Recommended for Third Grade and up

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Based on the book by Barbara Robinson
Adapted for the stage by Barbara Robinson
Family Performances: November 27, 28, December 5 & 12, 2009
Recommended for Kindergarten and up

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Based on the book by Barbara Park
Adapted for the stage by Joan Cushing
Book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing
Family Performances: February 13, 20, 27, March 6, 15-19, 20, 27, 2010
Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and up

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Based on the book by Roald Dahl
Family Performances: April 17, 24, May 1, 15, 2010
Recommended for First Grade and up

I know many of you will be eager to subscribe. As soon as we can get information out to our current subscribers we will let you know when you can call, download and mail in your requests!

Watch for details at www.mainstreettheater.com.
To book a school matinee call 713-524-9196 x 101.

And that's the word on the street!

Take a Look Back

2009-04-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

The start of April brought about the end of the Theater for Youth's whimsical production of Kenneth Grahame's THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. Take a walk down memory lane as we take a look back at the show!

THE RELUCTANT DRAGON
Directed by Meghan C. Hakes
Musical Direction by Miriam Daly
Set Design by Kevin Holden
Costume Design by Fernando Chavo & Sonia Elizabeth Lerner
Lighting Design by Eric Marsh
Properties Design by Richard Solis
Sound Design by Shawn St. John
Photography by RicOrnel Productions

And that's the word on the street!

Dragonly Fun!

2009-03-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

At each of Main Street Theater’s public Theater for Youth performances, audiences and can meet the cast and get autographs after the show. Wee ones often get a thrill from this – see 5 ½ Madeline Strug in the attached photos with St. George (Roc Living) and a Townsperson (Jessica Knapp) from our current production of THE RELUCTANT DRAGON.

Tickets to Main Street Theater --- $20
Oufit to wear to the thearer --- $50
Lunch and shopping the rest of the day --- $100
The smile on a grandchilds' face during and after the performance --- PRICELESS
There are some things money can buy, watching children enjoy live theater -- now that is truly priceless! - Marian Strug, Proud Grandmother of Madeline and MST Board Member.

THE RELUCTANT DRAGON plays our Chelsea Market location Saturdays through April 4, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Matt Tramel

2009-03-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Matt Tramel appears in our new Youth Theater production of THE RELUCTANT DRAGON, now playing at our Chelsea Market location. Get to know Matt a little more as he answers MST's Q&A ...

Full given name: Matthew Shane Tramel

Hometown: Mesquite, TX

Zodiac sign: Leo

Audition Monologue/Song: Haven't settled.

Special skills: Aquatic Sports (skiing/knee-boarding/tubing), Juggling, Running, Frisbee, Horseback Riding,Vehicle Maintenance, Whip Cracking, Hiking, Singing (Tenor), Swing Dancing, Basic Harmonica

First Houston show ever saw: I have a horrible memory.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: THE PIE DIALOGUES

Favorite show tune: Currently, "Purpose" from AVENUE Q.

MAC or PC? I own PC's, but I'm learning the ways of MAC.

Must-see TV show: Lost, 24, US of Tara, Firefly

Last good movie you saw: The Babysitters (more intriguingly interesting than "good")

Favorite board game: Balderdash or Apples to Apples

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Eddie Izzard

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Facebook

First stage kiss: I think it was when I was a freshman in college and played Anthony in THE HOUSE OF YES, but like I said before... I have a horrible memory.

Favorite post-show meal: A cold beer.

Worst onstage mishap: I'd have to say it was the time I was performing WORDS, WORDS, WORDS by David Ives with John Dunn at The Country Playhouse and he sliced open his hand on our tire swing (which was part of the set) while we were in the middle of a performance. He was a trooper though and saw it through until the end... clenching his fist the entire time with smears of blood painting the papers we used in our typewriters.

Worst costume ever: I once played a frog prince with an over-sized paper-mâché head that was lined on the inside with obituaries.

Favorite cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats

Who would play you in the movie? If not myself then maybe Tyson Ritter. I hear we look alike.

Worst job you ever had: I was not a big fan of mowing yards when I was growing up. Does that count?

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Well, if we're sticking to only TV or commercial gigs and excluding film then I'd probably go with a Darque Tan commercial that I was featured in. No, I did not play the role of "before".

THE RELUCTANT DRAGON, from the book by Kenneth Grahame plays our Chelsea Market location Saturdays, now through April 4, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Announcing the Cast of Awake and Sing!

2009-03-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the cast of AWAKE AND SING!, the final show of our 2008-2009 MainStage Season!

Myron Berger - George Brock
Bessie Berger - Luisa Amaral-Smith*
Jacob - Steve Garfinkel
Hennie Berger - Natalie Arneson*
Ralph Berger - Charles Swan
Schlosser - Walter Baker
Moe Axelrod - Jamie Geiger
Uncle Morty - Jack Young*
Sam Feinschreiber - Josh Morrison
*Member of Actors' Equity Association,
the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Directed by Cheryl L. Kaplan

AWAKE AND SING! plays our Rice Village location May 7 to June 7, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

A Second Look at The Pie Dialogues

2009-03-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

THE PIE DIALOGUES, the world premiere now playing at MST's Rice Village location through March 22, 2009.

The production features two actors, Josh Morrison as Sean and Gwendolyn McLarty as Dawn, in a series of eight scenes that chronicle not only their relationship, but the life of their daughter, Pie, always talked about but never seen.

Scene 3 - The mercy rule

Scene 4 - Grandma’s sweater blue

Scene 5 - Perjury at the prom

Scene 6 - Malmsey

Scene 7 - The whistling groundhog

Scene 8 - Class

THE PIE DIALOGUES
Directed by Andrew Ruthven
Set and Properties Design by Liz Freese
Costume Design by Tiffani Fuller
Lighting Design by John Smetak
Sound Design by Janel J. Badrina
Photography by RicOrnel Productions

And that's the word on the street!

MST comes to you!

2009-03-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Through the generous support of the NEA and Arts Midwest, Main Street Theater is going on tour with Shakespeare for the third straight year. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is touring the Greater Houston region, and even beyond, for the rest of March and the top of April.

Josh Taylor as Demetrius, Kristen Trahan as Helena
and Steven Laing as Lysander.

Alan Hall as Bottom.

The tour of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will continue through April 3rd. You can call 713-524-9196 x101 for information on how the show can come to you.

The tour will also be presented to the general public on April 4th and 5th at our Rice Village location. Click HERE for information, or call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Main Street Theater's production is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national theater initiative sponsored by
the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation
with Arts Midwest.

It's Later Than You Think

2009-03-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

One theme in THE PIE DIALOGUES (now playing at our Rice Village location) is the song referenced in the play as "It's Later Than You Think". Sound designer Janel J. Badrina looked long and hard for recent versions of the song. Paul Reddick's recording was discovered right away, but was soon discovered to not be the old standard, but one of his own creation.

Unfortunately, there is no usable recording in recent times, and given the 80s - 90s soundtrack of the show, we could not include it in the show. But here is Doris Day's recording. Enjoy yourself!

THE PIE DIALOGUES plays our Rice Village location through March 22, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

And Now a Word From Our Audience

2009-03-07T08:43:00.001-08:00

Here are just a few things our audience have been telling us...

"Once again you have spotted an amazing little play that deserves to be seen. The writing was so perfect!!! (I'm not ordinarily an exclamation point kind of guy.) Keep up the good work." - H.S.

"The Pie Dialogues was a real pleasure to see. Great acting, set design, and thoughtfully chosen '80s interlude music. Parts of this play really got to me, and I was quite impressed with the performance. Thanks to MST for a great show. Go see it!" - W.G.

"I gave up my Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang tickets to see [Pie Dialouges] instead!" - Friend of Board Member

Why don't you tell us what you thought? Leave a comment here on the blog!

And that's the word on the street! (Quite literally in fact!)

The MST Q&A: Josh Morrison

2009-03-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Josh Morrison as Sean and Gwendolyn McLarty as Dawn.

Josh Morrison plays Sean in MST's world premiere of THE PIE DIALOGUES, now playing at our Rice Village location. Get to know Josh a little more as he answers MST's Q&A ...

Full given name: Joshua Neal Morrison

Hometown: Baytown, Texas

Zodiac sign: Virgo

Audition Monologue/Song: Depends on the show

Special skills: I make the best omelettes like ever!

First Houston show ever saw: Angels in America/Alley Theatre

Current show you have been recommending to friends: The Pie Dialogues...duh

Favorite show tune: Aren't they all the same?

MAC or PC? PC, but I'd love a MAC

Most played song on your iPod: Elton John's All the Young Girls Love Alice

Last book you read: Yao Ming's autobiography

Must-see TV show: Heroes

Last good movie you saw: Burn After Reading

Favorite board game: Operation...I got mad skills

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Dancing monkeys

Pop culture guilty pleasure: I don't think I'm cool or young enough to know anything from pop culture

First stage kiss: Taming of the Shrew/High school

Favorite post-show meal: Firewater

Worst onstage mishap: My sword almost rolled into the audience during R and J at Miller

Worst costume ever: Any with lots of layers

Favorite cereal: Fruity Pebbles

Who would play you in the movie? That orangutan from Any Which Way But Loose

Worst job you ever had: Selling gas lamps door to door

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Voice over for the University of Mexico...I spoke like the guy from Telemundo

THE PIE DIALOGUES plays our Rice Village location through March 22, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

The Music of Pie

2009-03-04T11:38:00.001-08:00

When was the last time you went to a play and grooved to the mix of the scene changes? Audiences not only have loved to new comedy drama THE PIE DIALOGUES, now playing in the Rice Village, but they have come out literally singing the praises of the jamming soundtrack! Check out the play list on iTunes, or visit our Amazon Widget below!

Sound Design by Janel J. Badrina

And that's the word on the street!

Take a Look Back

2009-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is March already? Where did February go? It seems like only yesterday we were closing THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. Take a walk down memory lane with us and this spectacular production.

Set Design by Liz Freese.

The Company of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli and Haley Dyes as Clara Johnson.

Jamie Geiger as Giuseppe Naccarelli, Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli and David Grant as Signor Naccarelli.

Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli, Jamie Geiger as Giuseppe Naccarelli and Christina Stroup as Franca Naccarelli.

Bob Boudreaux as Roy Johnson and Susan Shofner as Margaret Johnson.

Haley Dyes as Clara Johnson and Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli.

Susan Shofner as Margaret Johnson and Haley Dyes as Clara Johnson.

Jamie Geiger as Giuseppe Naccarelli, Luisa Amaral-Smith as Signora Naccarelli, Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli, David Grant as Signor Naccarelli and Christina Stroup as Franca Naccarelli.

David Grant as Signor Naccarelli and Susan Shofner as Margaret Johnson.

Haley Dyes as Clara Johnson and Ross Chitwood as Fabrizio Naccarelli.

The Company of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
Directed by Ron Jones
Musical Direction by Glenn Sharp with Steven Jones
Set and Properties Design by Liz Freese
Costume Design by Macy Perrone
Lighting Design by John Smetak
Sound Design by Bryan Nortin
Photography by RicOrnel Productions

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Cast of The Magic City

2009-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Jazmine Blas and Georgia Marie Hutto-Friman appear in the Kids On Stage production of THE MAGIC CITY, presented at Chelsea Market this weekend, February 13, 14 and 15. Get to know a little more about Jazmine and Georgia as they answers MST's Q&A...

Full name: Jazmine Blas

Age: 12

Talents and hobbies (besides acting): Guitar playing and singing

Pets: None

First live play you ever saw: Hello Dolly

Most played song on your iPod: Hot and Cold by Katy Perry

Favorite book: The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo

Book that hasn’t been adapted as a play but should be: Twilight

Actor you would most like to be in a movie with: Emma Roberts

Favorite thing to do to celebrate opening night: Getting together with the crew and wishing luck.

Funniest onstage mishap: A main character almost falls on a red carpet during a performance.

Worst costume ever: An elf costume I wore in a Christmas play.

Future career: A professional actress or a lawyer if the future allows me to.

_________________________________________________

Full name: Georgia Marie Hutto-Friman

Age: 10 ½

Talents and hobbies (besides acting): I really enjoy modeling, ice skating (even though I broke my ankle ice skating), and reading. I pretty much like sports and fashion shows and I love to do photo shoots (I am very comfortable in front of a camera). Oh, and I like to pogo stick.

Pets: I have 2 dogs, Molly and Pearl, and 3 cats, Betty, Jack and Lola.

First live play you ever saw: Dragontales (LOL) I was like 4 when I saw that and I thought it was just the coolest thing ever.

Most played song on your iPod: Actually, I don’t have an iPod but my life theme songs would probably be La La Lana (by Demi Lavato), Sin Wagon (Dixie Chicks), Hot ‘n Cold (Katy Perry) and TimMcGraw (Taylor Swift).

Favorite book: The Cique by Lisi Harrison (it’s awesome)

Book that hasn’t been adapted as a play but should be: Harry Potter (that would be awesome)

Actor you would most like to be in a movie with: Queen Latifa or Miley Cyrus

Favorite thing to do to celebrate opening night: Hmmm… have cupcakes (LOL) from some expensive bakery.

Funniest onstage mishap: Ummm… When I was 8 I was an elephant and my elephant nose kept falling off.

Worst costume ever: Well, when I was like 3 I played a chicken and had wear rubber gloves on my feet (it was hilarious even though I didn’t think so at the time).

Future career: I would love to be a famous model/actor.

THE MAGIC CITYplays our Chelsea Market location Feb 13-14, 2009 at 7:30pm and Feb 15, 2009 at 3:30pm. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Haley Dyes

2009-01-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

Haley Dyes appears as Clara Johnson in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, playing at our Chelsea Market location. Get to know a little more about Haley as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Haley Jane Dyes

Hometown: Houston, TX

Zodiac sign: Virgo

Audition Monologue/Song: um. . . .Three Tall Women by Edward Albee, and My White Knight from Music Man

Special skills: howling with my dog, Ernie. shamelessly, I might add.

First Houston show ever saw: whew, that's a tough one . . . can't recall. probably Christmas Carol at the Alley

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Light in the Piazza :)

Favorite show tune: humph, i don't really have one??

MAC or PC? MAC, baby!

Most played song on your iPod: probably Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Last book you read: Working on "Three Cups of Tea," "The Shack" before that

Must-see TV show: House!

Last good movie you saw: Australia (x2 actually)

Favorite board game: Scattegories, if I am playing with Laura Kaldis!

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Eddie Izzard, Billy Joel, Bette Middler

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Trash Magazines

First stage kiss: 4th grade, I played Eve in one of the shows put on by my Baptist school

Favorite post-show meal: cheese and wine!

Worst onstage mishap: ya know, i have no clue

Worst costume ever: I played a CareBear once. . .that was pretty terrifying

Favorite cereal: oooooooooooo, cocoa pebbles, but I never eat them.

Who would play you in the movie? Anne Hathaway! I like her. . .she would have to go blonde!

Worst job you ever had: flight attending or waiting tables. . .same thing

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: NOT Clash of the Choirs!!

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA plays our Chelsea Market location through January25, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

If You Fall In Love With Italy

2009-01-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

We recognize that after you see THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, you might desire to learn more about Italy, its beautiful countryside and its people. Here are just a few suggestions from the staff at MST.

The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales (Banner Books)
Elizabeth Spencer’s original short story, on which the musical was based. (SPOILER ALERT! This Amazon listing gives away crucial plot details!)

The Silver Spoon
If this production makes you hungry, consider the Italian “Joy of Cooking” classic from 1950.

Italy in Mind: An Anthology
or
Desiring Italy: Women Writers Celebrate the Passions of a Country and Culture
Two anthologies of the writings of famous tourists to Italy throughout the ages—the second one contains only women writers.

The Stones of Florence

The Agony and the Ecstasy:
A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo
Set designer Liz Freeman Freese recommends this “biographical novel” of Michelangelo, set in Florence and Rome.

Rome (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)

Florence and Tuscany (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Under the Tuscan Sun (Widescreen Edition)
If you haven't seen enough of Italy, this movie is a postcard for the beautiful country side, and a pretty great film!

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, plays our Chelsea Market location through January25, 2009. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

How Do You Make a Hat Fly?

2009-01-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

If you know THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, you know that they young lovers are brought together by a chance wind gust and an errant hat. So it was MST's challenge to create this moment in a theater without 40' ceilings and a rail system.

Technical director Mark Roberts was set to the task making this effect work. First attempt weren't the most successful.

Stage Manager Eva De La Cruz gives the hat trick a try during rehearsals for Main Street Theater's THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

Costumer Macy Perrone gives the hat trick a try herself.

So it was back to the drawing board to improve the effect for consistency. This is what it looks like now as Technical Director Mark Roberts presents the cast with a new and improved hat trick during technical rehearsals.

And that's the word on the street!

The Best of 2008!

2009-01-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

Main Street Theater had three of the Chronicle's Top 10 Best Shows of 2008! (Really it was 12 since The Ensemble and Catastrophic got 2 for 1 punches)

Caroline, or Change, Present Laughter and ... L.A. Is Burning all got honored. The great thing about this list is that it really shows the gamut of what MST does.

First you have what I think most people know us for, the classic, period piece that can charm or move just about any soul with effortless style. Noël Coward's Present Laughter might just be the epitome of that genre.

Then you have Caroline, or Change. I like to call this is a "new classic". A contemporary piece with a period setting (1963), the musical transports you to another time while showing us sides of the human experience that are very now.

Finally, there is ... and L.A. Is Burning. This was a world premiere! New, modern and delving deep into what makes people tick and Houston audiences (not New York or Chicago) got to see it first!

It is truly wonderful that we are so honored this year, but even more so that our range is recognized. Main Street Theater's mission has always been "to create theater that challenges its audience to think and its [professional] artists to grow ... by presenting an articulate and compelling product in an intimate setting ... creating memorable theatrical experiences for [its] audiences."

We know you want to laugh and forget the woes of today's world and we take great fun and pleasure in providing that escape throughout the year. But we also want to make you think and move your heart. Theater takes you places you don't go in your everyday life in ways that only the words of a playwright spoken by a live actor can take you.

Another really exciting thing about the article is that 7 producing companies got mentioned. 4 of the companies produce outside of the Downtown Theatre District. Houston really does have a thriving and varied theater community.

Happy New Year and go see a play!

And that's the word on the street!

Did MST Lead The Way?

2008-12-28T13:29:00.001-08:00

Great article in today's Chronicle Zest Section about Piazza. It is funny that Mr. Evans references the Weston Playhouse production. I was as surprised as anyone to see that their production included a smaller orchestra and a cast of only 8!

Back in April, when MST first began negotiations with the R&H Library to do the show, they were asking us about how we would support the full 11-piece orchestration. Our response was we couldn't! It was then that careful negotiations began for us to do it with a smaller orchestra of 6. The R&H Library, with a Tony award winning score to offer, were naturally apprehensive. But after a few conversations with our Musical Director, Glenn Sharp, who lead our glorious 2008 production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE with a 5-piece band, were they convinced we had the vision and passion to do THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA justice.

It was then, later that summer, when I read on Playbill.com about Weston's "chamber version" of the show. The production was created in direct collaboration with Adam Guettel, utilizing and orchestra of 6 and a cast of 8.

I can't help but wonder if MST didn't lead the charge in making the case that there was a long and beautiful life awaiting PIAZZA in the smaller regional theaters all over the country.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Claire Hart-Palumbo

2008-12-23T09:45:00.001-08:00

Main Street mainstay Claire Hart-Palumbo appears as Amy Griggs in BUT NOT GOODBYE, closing this weekend. Get to know a little more about Claire as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Claire Louise Hart (married name/Equity name Hart-Palumbo)

Hometown: Lexington, Texas

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Audition Monologue/Song: Lady Macbeth

Special skills: Twirling and roller skating

First Houston show ever saw: TUT's Oliver in 1974(?) at Miller outdoor theater.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Cyrano de Bergerac at the Alley.

Favorite show tune: Crazy World (right now)

MAC or PC? Formerly MAC, currently PC because of work.

Most played song on your iPod: I don't own one.

Last book you read: The Secret Lives of Bees

Must-see TV show: Grey's Anatomy and The Starter Wife

Last good movie you saw: Road to Rodanthe, even though it got bad reviews.

Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Well, I would say Bruce Stringstein, but the last time he was in town I couldn't go because I was in rehearsal.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: QVC

First stage kiss: With a man? That is way too long ago. With a woman? 8x10 Glossy at the Group Theater.

Favorite post-show meal: WhataBurger

Worst onstage mishap: I shattered a wineglass in my hand in "Heidi Chronicles" and cut my palm. Joe Kuykendahl (spelling?) was playing opposite me. We were having a lover's quarrel at HIS WEDDING to someone else. I tried to hide the blood, he calmly pulled out his pocket handkerchief and tied it around my hand and never missed a beat. Several friends later asked us how we did the 'blood' effect. HAAAA

Worst costume ever: Split riding skirt as Belle Starr in "Wilde West", I looked like a semi-truck.

Favorite cereal: Special K with berries

Who would play you in the movie? Claire Danes as the young me and Judith Ivey as the current me, but only if she put the weight back on.

Worst job you ever had: cleaning hotel rooms.

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Reliant commercial in a beauty shop.

BUT NOT GOODBYE, plays our Rice Village location through December 28, 2008. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Is This Hot Enough For You?

2008-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

We held our photo shoot for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA last night. This was the result.

Fabrizio (Ross Chitwood) and Clara (Haley Dyes) give into their passion in MST's production of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Is it just me, or is it hot in here?

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Alan Hall

2008-12-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Alan Hall appears as Pa Ingalls in A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS, closing public performances this week. Get to know a little more about Alan as he answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Alan Charles Hall

Hometown: Houston

Zodiac sign: Sagitarius

Audition Monologue/Song: Changes frequently

Special skills: Amazingly unmusical on a variety of instruments

First Houston show ever saw: Lost in the mists of time.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: A Little House Christmas

Favorite show tune: One Night In Bangkok

MAC or PC? PC

Most played song on your iPod: Xanadu by Rush

Last book you read: Smash Mouth by Elvin Bethea and Mark Adams

Must-see TV show: House

Last good movie you saw: Tropic Thunder

Favorite board game: Risk

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Rush

Pop culture guilty pleasure: What Not To Wear

First stage kiss: Some Agatha Christie play in high school.

Favorite post-show meal: Anything.

Worst onstage mishap: Fell asleep onstage once long ago. Best part was, I didn't end up looking bad, the lead did.

Worst costume ever: Tiger stripe fuchsia g-string.

Favorite cereal: Frosted mini wheats.

Who would play you in the movie? I would, of course.

Worst job you ever had: Lawyer.

TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Nutty professor selling a chia monitor in a Compaq industrial.

A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS, based on Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder plays our Chelsea Market location Saturdays, through December 13, 2008. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

From Page to Stage

2008-12-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

When creating the look for BUT NOT GOODBYE, costume designer Deborah Anderson started first with rough sketches to show director Steve Garfinkel how she imagined the show would look. Once that is agreed upon, the designer must then go and find what is available out in the world to match her/his design.

Here are a couple of Debi's "roughs" along side how the costumes were actually executed.

Amy (Claire Hart-Palumbo, left) accepts a rock specimen from boarder Howard (Kregg Alan Dailey, center) as Jen (Alison Coriell, right) looks on.

Ben (David Wald, left) stands aside while his son Sam (David Parker, right) attempts to haunt his old business partner Tom Carter (Jeffrey S. Lane, center) in vain.

Set by Trey Otis
Lighting by Bryan Nortin
Costumes by Deborah Anderson
Props by Richard Solis

BUT NOT GOODBYE is now playing on the MainStage at Main Street Theater - Rice Village through December 28th.

And that's the word on the street!

Yes, Laura, There Is a Santa Claus!

2008-11-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

If you attend our performance of "A Little House Christmas", you might be shocked to hear the statement, "You are too old to believe in Santa Claus!"

Yes, it's true! Nellie Olsen does her best to ruin Laura Ingalls' Christmas by denying a belief that Laura holds dear.

Laura's resolve is shaken a bit, but she does a little investigation of her own. First, she talks to her Uncle George. Does he believe in Santa Claus? Why, of course he does. Then later, Mr. Edwards arrives on Christmas to share with the Ingalls sisters his tale of meeting St. Nick himself in town earlier Christmas morning.

By my reckoning, that is 1 against and 4 for Santa! Santa wins!

And, really, who are you going to believe? Nasty old Nellie Olsen or Laura Ingalls? I bet you know the answer to that question.

Mr. Edwards (played by Roc Living) tells Laura and Mary (Brittney Holdgraf and Jennifer Gilbert) about his encounter with Santa Claus. (also pic. Alan Hall and Linda Royce)

For more information about the existence of Santa Claus, check out www.newseum.org.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Julia Ethier

2008-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Julia Ethier (pictured center with Sarah Thomas and Taylor Cruse) appears in the Kids On Stage production of NUMBER THE STARS, presented at Chelsea Market this weekend, Nov. 21, 22 and 23. Get to know a little more about Julia as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full name: Julia Louise Ethier

Age: 9 ¾-years-old

Talents and hobbies (besides acting): I like to play sports, my guitar, board games, and drawing.

Pets: I have 2 adopted dogs, Parker and Godiva.

First live play you ever saw: The first live play I saw was either “Pippi Longstocking” or “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” when I was in kindergarten.

Most played song on your iPod: “Burning Up” by the Jonas Brothers

Favorite book: “Marley and Me”

Book that hasn’t been adapted as a play but should be: “Roxi and the Hooligans”

Actor you would most like to be in a movie with: Selena Gomez

Favorite thing to do to celebrate opening night: This will be my first opening night so I’ll have to let you know!

Funniest onstage mishap: Trying to pronounce the German words during rehearsal for the first time

Worst costume ever: A Mini Mouse costume my mom made for a dance at camp

Future career: Actor : )

NUMBER THE STARS plays our Chelsea Market location Nov 21-22, 2008 at 7:30pm and Nov 23, 2008 at 3:30pm. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

But Not Forgotten

2008-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

This month, MST will start off the holiday season with the family comedy "But Not Goodbye". Written in the 1930s, Samuel French, a major publisher of play scripts, no longer publishes the script, but instead has a photocopy on file to copy and send to you.

Unfortunately, the copy is not the best, having had holes punched for its binding that went through the text itself.

When David Parker, leading character Sam Griggs, first did the show in 1950, he and fellow actors had to fill in the literal holes based on the surrounding text in a way that made sense.

So, imagine our surprise when Alison Coriell, playing Jennifer Griggs in our production, found a copy of the script in the MST library! Complete with actor notes and pictures from the original production, we can now fill in the proper words lost so long ago in the Sam French photostat room.

Come see "But Not Goodbye" as George Seaton intended. With all the words!

And that's the word on the street!

A Talk Back with Playwright Y York

2008-11-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

On October 25, "... and L.A. Is Burning" playwright Y York returned to see the finished production and give a talk back about her prize winning play. Here is a brief overview of the event from my notes. (sorry if they are a bit sketchy...)

Approx. 60 people from the sold out house stayed for the event, prompting Y to say, "Oh God! You guys all stayed!"

Y was thrilled with the cast and the production.

When asked if the character of Sylvia was based on her, Y said that she wasn't specifically based on her, but that the person she is will come out in all her characters.

When writing a play, Y thinks about what the character expects from a scene and then thinks about how that goal is thwarted. A writer must be careful as they can jump to conclusions about their characters. Her goal is to write something that you have never seen on stage before.

When writing a play, there is no rule of thumb as to how long it takes to complete it. It can take weeks of even years. "... and L.A. Is Burning" was originally conceived in '92 during the events in L.A. while Y lived in Seattle. But it sat dormant for years until the character of Haddie came to the forefront of her consciousness again 2006. At that point, the story just started to flow and the finished play took about 6 months.

Why did you choose "The King and I" as a running theme through out the play?
"The King and I" is so much about race and all of Y's characters get associated with it in some fashion. In the middle of "King and I" is the presentation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which is viewed very differently by both Alvin and Haddie.

Y was able to join the cast during the first week of rehearsal. Very little of the script was changed during that time as the team worked on the script. Only about 5 lines were changed and the phrase during Sylvia's Act 2 monologue about "people without clout" was changed to "people without power".

When asked about her characterization of Haddie, Michelle Britton said she made the specific choice for Haddie to be deliberate and still as she tries to understand the people around her. She thinks of Haddie as both a listener and mimic as exemplified by how she imitates phrases from her favorite TV show, "The Cosby Show".

One closing thought from an audience member was that the play was a "rarity", because they felt that the actors, whom many of the audience were familiar with from their acting work in many Houston theaters, disappeared into their roles, becoming the characters they portrayed.

And that's the word on the street!

From Page to Stage

2008-10-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Art Ornelas makes his MainStage debut at a Set Designer with ...AND L.A. IS BURNING, making its world premiere at MST now through November 9.

When developing the set design, the designer may first draw up conceptual pieces like the elevations below to show the production team what they are imagining the space will look like. Below each elevation as originally conceived by Art is followed by a photograph of how the set design was actually executed.

Alvin (Timothy Eric) plans a practical joke on his unit partner in the office.

Haddie (Michelle Britton) introduces her pet fish to its new home.

Haddie warns Sylvia (Gwendolyn McLarty) of the hazards of wearing skirts with too short of a hemline in the dressing room of Nordstrom's.

Haddie considers the apology of friend and neighbor Sylvia at the local Safeway deli counter.

Set by Art Ornelas
Lighting by Daniel Polk
Costumes by Macy Peronne
Props by McKay Talley

And that's the word on the street!

Looking Back at Third

2008-10-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

THIRD by Wendy Wasserstein made its Houston Premiere at Main Street Theater on September 4, 2008. Not to be undone by Hurricane Ike, THIRD persevered through storm, power outages and last minute venue changes. Here is a look back at the start of the MainStage season...

Laurie (Rebecca Greene Udden) introduces her class to King Lear.

Laurie learns that Nancy's (Rachel Dickson) cancer has returned.

Laurie confronts Third (Joshua Taylor) about plagiarizing his mid-term paper on Lear.

Third defends his paper to the committee.

Third meets Laurie's daughter Emily (Mollie Meagher) by chance in a townie bar.

Laurie and her father Jack (David Parker) dance under the stars.

Set by Jodi Bobrovsky
Lighting by Kent Arneson
Costumes by Troy Scheid
Props by McKay Talley

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Jennifer Gilbert

2008-10-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Gilbert appears as the Pig in IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY, starting public performances this week. Get to know a little more about Jennifer as she answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Jennifer Louise Gilbert

Hometown: Houston, TX

Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

Audition Monologue/Song: Varies depending on the specific audition. General go-tos are Catherine in Proof and the songs “Moonshine Lullaby” and “On the Other Side of the Tracks”

Special skills: singing “Anything Goes” in Mandarin Chinese

Current show you have been recommending to friends: August: Osage County

Favorite show tune: Changes with the seasons. Current faves: “How Glory Goes” from Floyd Collins and “Say it Somehow” from The Light in the Piazza

MAC or PC? I’m a PC.

Most played song on your iPod: “Warwick Avenue” and “Stepping Stone” by Duffy

Last book you read: I just finished all 9 Little House books; what an amazing series!

Must-see TV show: What Not to Wear and Project Runway (Buffy is my all-time fave though!)

Last good movie you saw: The Dark Knight

Favorite board game: Not quite a board game, but I am partial to Rummikub.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Mary Louise Parker

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Rock of Love (seasons 1 and 2)

Favorite post-show meal: Chocolate shake or anything fried.

Worst onstage mishap: I was in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and we had a small pool as part of the set. Water was splashed from it in one of the scenes, and as I made an exit one night, I slipped and fell straight on my bum while still on stage. Embarrassing and painful.

Worst costume ever: Both times I have performed in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, I played Woman 2 who sings “Always a Bridesmaid”. The dresses are meant to be awful and the costume designer did not disappoint either time. The most recent incarnation was a peachy, off the shoulder dress, with puffy sleeves, a tight bodice, and ultra full skirt with lots of tulle. In order to make it more hideous, the designer added four colorful bows to the bodice and gave me a comb for my hair that was decorated with a maroon flower, maroon tulle, and colorful ribbons. I was tres chic!

Favorite cereal: Quaker Oatmeal Squares (gotta love brown sugar!)

Who would play you in the movie? Laura Linney

IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY, from the series of books by Laura Numeroff plays our Chelsea Market location Saturdays, now through October 25, 2008. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

When You Walk Through a Storm...

2008-09-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a small account of how Main Street Theater survived Ike.

THURSDAY: The show will go one. Because of our experience with Rita, not only did Thursday night's show go on, we refused to cancel the rest of the weekend that early. The audience that night was a little smaller than it had been, but appreciative. Anything to take one's mind of the monster bearing down on us.

FRIDAY: Ike was still bearing down on us. We could no longer deny that Friday and Saturday's shows would have to be canceled. They say the show must go on, but not in 100mph winds!

SATURDAY: A call goes out from Caroline Scott, our Youth Theater Stage Manager, that the door at the back of the theater at Chelsea Market has been ripped off its hinges! Fearing the worst, I rush down to the theater to find Caroline (with friends Todd and Adam) trying to get the door up in its place. The theater is virtually untouched! I thought for sure that Jodi Bobrovsky's set, which is constructed mostly of paper, would be ripped to shreds by the wind that surly blew through the theater. All I can think is that the door, which had a core of press or particle board, soaked up water throughout the night and only in the morning did it fall off its hinges due to the added weight.

The lobby did get a lot of water. The second floor walkway that runs above us clearly has leak issues. Ceiling tiles throughout were water logged and water was pooled on the floor. But for the most part it seemed that the Chelsea Market weathered well. Power went out 13 times during the storm according to the credit card machine. BTW - Power remains out. Pray that the transformer that feeds the back of Chelsea Market runs on a separate line circuit from the front of Chelsea Market. Otherwise we could be in the dark a long time!

A tour of the Rice Village location that evening showed no power, downed phone lines and water in the front and back. The theater itself seemed okay. Due to the wind, water didn't pool on the roof, so the usual leaks didn't appear. We are thankful for that.

SUNDAY: With no power at either theater, not only was it impossible to have a show, it was impossible to tell anyone. The phone systems at both locations don't work without power so that means no message machine to tell you what is going on. And without an internet connection, I couldn't update the web site. I finally got one at home in the early afternoon and posted the changes.

A call came in from former Master Electrician that the door had fallen again, and a new effort was put in place to get it more secure.

THE NEW WEEK: Power is restored to the Village, but still not to Chelsea Market. We are slowly putting things back on track. First the curfew made it impossible to have evening shows (should we have power). We canceled shows as a result and moved Saturday's show to a matinee. Minutes later, the Mayor changes the curfew to Midnight and we move the show back to its regular time.

And in a swift move on the part of Education Director Troy Scheid, we put a "Hurricane Camp" together at St. Stephen's church to create a place for the kids to have some fun while the schools are closed.

If you missed a performance because of Ike, please see our web site for a reschedule date. If your performance is not rescheduled (like Thursday the 11th and Friday the 19th) please call the box office at 713-524-6706 and we can reschedule you to one of the remaining performances.

And that's the word on the street!

The MST Q&A: Josh Taylor

2008-08-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Josh Taylor, who plays the title character in Wendy Wasserstein's THIRD, is making his MST Debut. Get to know a little more about Josh as he answers MST's Q&A...

Full given name: Joshua Michael Ray Taylor

Hometown: Pasadena, TX

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Audition Monologue: It's All True by Jason Sherman

First Houston show ever saw: Christams Carol at the Alley

Current show you have been recommending to friends: August Osage County.. read it.. fly to New York and see it..

Favorite show tune: Purpose: Avenue Q

MAC or PC? MAC is the only computer

Most played song on your iPod: What Goes Around by Justin Timberlake... embarrassing

Last book you read: The Essential Chaplin: Charlie Chaplin Biography

Must-see TV show: The Office

Last good movie you saw: The Dark Knight

Favorite board game: Sports Scene It

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Carrot Top.. no i don't know

Pop culture guilty pleasure: MTV

First stage kiss: Comedy of Errors in 8th Grade.. I was Dromio and accidently kiss Antipholus.. Antipholus is a man

Favorite post-show meal: Chicken Fried Chicken.. I'm a texan

Worst onstage mishap: Noises Off.. At one point there's a cactus being thrown around the stage.. Opening Night we find out it's a real cactus and there's real dirt underneath it.. Our Tim get's stickers in his hand and dirt goes everywhere so to add to the chaos we are trying to sweep the dirt off the stage and pick stickers out of Tim's hand while doing the rest of the show..

Worst costume ever: I hosted a Male Beauty Pageant in High School.. So not a real show but I was in full Drag

Favorite cereal: Frosted Flakes.. Lucky Charms if we're talking just eating them dry from the box

Who would play you in the movie? Jeremy Piven.. but it would probably be someone like Steve Buschemi to match the looks

Worst job you ever had: Manual Labor/Grounds Crew for Lee College.. in the summer.. in texas.. wow.. it's what i'm gonna do in hell

THIRD by Wendy Wasserstein plays our Chelsea Market location now through September 21, 2008. For tickets, please call 713-524-6706.

And that's the word on the street!

Show the Chronicle You Care

2008-08-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Help show the Houston Chronicle that you value arts coverage in Houston.

If you attend arts events in Houston, you need to show the Chronicle that you value their coverage of the local performing arts scene – including MST! If the head honchos at the Chronicle gauge how readers’ value the coverage by how many comments are listed on the web site at www.chron.com. Things are so precarious over there that local arts coverage could get pulled unless attention is paid to the web site.

Here’s what you need to do:

Any piece you read and find interesting, for example the feature on MST’s THIRD in the Chronicle (see http://tinyurl.com/mst-third ), you need to LEAVE COMMENTS in response to the piece written. Reviews, features, anything.

At the bottom of the web page, there is a section where you can leave comments. That’s all you need to do! You may need to get a chron.com login but signing up for one is easy and gives you options to NOT receive information as a result. But you need to leave feedback to these arts pieces so that the Chronicle will see they are of value to the community and keep doing them!

Thanks, all. And spread the word.

Is It Fall Already?

2008-08-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is fall already? I barely feel like we got a break over the summer.

Our biggest project this past month was implementing a new software system that will integrate all our programs into one big shared database. It is taking a lot of time to transition, but it is a huge step forward in technology and will help us scads as we grow as a company.

This change does affect the box office, so please forgive us if things are a little slow to begin with. One small change for those who subscribe with friends under one name; we gathered information about your groups so we could assign tickets to members if the group got split up. At this time, our new system won't allow for that. Lots of great new features, but we lose this ability. We ask for patience as we make this transition.

But with the fall upon us, the new season starts now! Wendy Wasserstein's Third previews this weekend and opens on the 4th. Yes, Third opens on the 4th. Don't let that throw you!

And that's the word on the street!

Hitting the Web!

2008-08-14T12:57:00.001-07:00

Main Street Theater will be hitting the web with inside tidbits of what goes on at a small regional theater. Check back for our premiere post soon!

The Word on the Street

Read more about Russia and the heroes of Coast

We have moved!

The MST Q&A: Australia Here I Come!

Cultured Cocktails Give Away!

The MST Q&A: A One Woman Show

The MST Q&A: Hear the Lion Roar

The MST Q&A: Masquerade!

The MST Q&A: It May Be Cold, but the Costumes Are Hot!

The MST Q&A: Christina is a Wonder!

Happy New Year!

The MST Q&A: Hello Heidi Holland

Everyone's a Critic! The Heidi Chronicles

The MST Q&A: Bonne Annee Madeline!

The MST Q&A: Light Floods in Stage Left

Everyone's a Critic! Madeline's Christmas

Time to Shoop! Shoop!

The MST Q&A: The Magic Carpet Man

The MST Q&A: Oh, the Places We'll Go!

Who or What is Miss Clavell?

The MST Q&A: By Popular Demand

Peer to Peer Shakespeare!

The MST Q&A: Music the Doctor Ordered

A Penny Saved

What is a Preview?

Beyond Arcadia Part 2

The MST Q&A: Philip Lehl

Beyond Arcadia Part 1

The MST Q&A: Matt Tramel Reduex

A Word from the Playwright

The Answer My Friend, is Blowing in the Wind...

The Origins of Driftwood

The Show Must Go On!

Junie B. Jones is Back!

The MST Q&A: Celeste Roberts

The MST Q&A: Kathryn Noser

Read More About It: Jewish Life in the South

Taking a Look Back

The MST Q&A: Liz Cascio

Stuart Little Hits the Road

A Picnic with Click, Clack, Moo!

Could Ps and Qs be more timely?

Announcing the Cast of Romeo and Juliet

6 Degrees of Clark Gable

Read More About It: The Life and Times of Isabel Allende

The MST Q&A: Eva De La Cruz

And the Tyrannical Farmer!

Take a Peek at Click Clack Moo!

Take a Peek at The House of the Spirits

Announcing the Cast of The House of the Spirits!

Ps and Qs on YouTube!

Announcing the Theater for Youth Company

Catch a Glimpse of a New Film Class at KOS

Another Voice Heard From

The MST Q&A: Charles Swan

Take a Sideways Look

How do you throw spaghetti?

Theater for Youth Season Announcement

Take a Look Back

Dragonly Fun!

The MST Q&A: Matt Tramel

Announcing the Cast of Awake and Sing!

A Second Look at The Pie Dialogues

MST comes to you!

It's Later Than You Think

And Now a Word From Our Audience

The MST Q&A: Josh Morrison

The Music of Pie

Take a Look Back

The MST Q&A: Cast of The Magic City

The MST Q&A: Haley Dyes

If You Fall In Love With Italy

How Do You Make a Hat Fly?

The Best of 2008!

Did MST Lead The Way?

The MST Q&A: Claire Hart-Palumbo

Is This Hot Enough For You?

The MST Q&A: Alan Hall

From Page to Stage

Yes, Laura, There Is a Santa Claus!