Purlie Victorious

Written by

Production Sponsor

Carolyn J. Keating

 

Production Angel
Janet Hansen

Artist Bios
Read the Houston Press review
Read the BroadwayWorld Houston interview with actor Krystal Uchem
Read the Houston Press interview with director Errol Anthony Wilks

Purlie Victorious:
A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch

By Ossie Davis

Directed by Errol Anthony Wilks

Dynamic traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save Big Bethel, the community’s church, and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on oppressive Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee’s plantation. With the help of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, Purlie plans to wrench from Ol’ Cotchipee the inheritance due his long-lost cousin and use the money to save his town! “We still need togetherness; we still need each otherness – with faith in the futureness of our cause. Let us, therefore, stifle the rifle of conflict, shatter the scatter of discord, smuggle the struggle, tickle the pickle, and grapple the apple of peace!” A truly hilarious and joyful comedy by the incomparable Ossie Davis.

Purlie Victorious premiered on Broadway at the Cort Theatre on September 28, 1961. Directed by Howard Da Silva, the production starred Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. A Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious opened at the Music Box Theatre on September 27, 2023. Directed by Kenny Leon, the show starred Leslie Odom, Jr.

“Blazing and hilarious… every bit as scathingly funny as the 1961 reviews said it was.” – The New York Times, 2023

“Raucous… uncompromising… A joyous affair, broad in comedy and in spirit.” – TimeOut New York

“Marvelously exhilarating… Keeps you chuckling and guffawing. It won’t let you wipe that grin off your face.” – The New York Times, 1961

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“‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’ Ossie Davis’s wild ride of a revenge comedy from 1961, in which a Black preacher named Purlie and his intrepid recruit, Lutiebelle, snatch back an inheritance from a white plantation owner. (Sept. 7-Oct. 12, Main Street Theater, Houston)….The “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr., center, returned to Broadway in a 2023 production of Ossie Davis’s “Purlie Victorious.” Now the play will be revived at Main Street Theater in Houston.” – Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times
Read The New York Times Article

LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

September 13 – October 12, 2025
Previews: September 7, 11, 12

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm

Tickets: $45 – $64

Open Captioning

September 14 at 3:00pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes including one 15 minute intermission.

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.

Tuesday, August 19 at 6:45pm: Join us for a free, first read-thru of Purlie Victorious at our Rice Village location, 2540 Times Blvd. You get to be a fly on the wall for the very first rehearsal, hearing the cast read the play aloud for the first time together. Connect with the production from it’s very beginning and then see the arc of the process when you come back to see the full show. RSVP here.

Sunday, September 28: Stay after the matinee for a conversation with Tracie Jae, facilitator of meaningful community dialogues on race, culture, empathy, and connection. Tracie is the Owner and Lead Rebel of The Quiet Rebel, LLC, where she helps people navigate hard conversations with heart.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you are seeing the play on these dates. Just plan to arrive at the theater about 5:00pm. Free to all.

Pride Night: Sept. 25 at 6:15pm Join us for our pre-show Happy Hour & the SingOUT Cabaret starting at 6:45pm! Special thanks to media sponsor OutSmart Magazine and event sponsor Riven Productions HTX.


Closing Weekend Party: Oct. 11 in the lobby after the show

Free Beer Fridays, sponsored by Saint Arnold Brewing Company! Have a beer on us after the show!

Season Sponsor

Saint Arnold Logo

The Grippe

Written by

BroadwayWorld Houston interview with James Mirrione

Since 1978, Dr. James P. Mirrione has been the playwright-in-residence for the Creative Arts Team (CAT), the resident educational theatre company at New York University. In addition, he has written for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway as well as regional theater. His commissioned plays include The Ghost Café for Carnegie Hall (1992) and The Last Stop, Will and Testament of Saint Jack Kerouac for New York University (1995). He is the 1995 winner of the Spokane Playwrights Festival for his play Area Code 212. 

His latest projects were Assistant Director for the 2019 revival of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies, directed by the 2019 Tony Award winner Andre De Shields, which was presented at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and produced by Crossroads Theatre Company. He is also the solo actor in Angie Aquavitae Is Aggravated and She’s Gonna Tell You About It, Whether You Like it or Not which premiered in January 2020 at The Black Box Theatre in New York City and at the Triad Theatre in November of 2022.

The Grippe

A Staged Reading (2 performances only)

By James P. Mirrione

Directed by James P. Mirrione
Music Direction & Arrangements by Eugene Gwozdz

Main Street Theater’s staged reading is part of the development of this new work that will be fully produced later this season in New York.

The Great Influenza of 1918-20, which caused the deaths of fifty million people worldwide and over 600,000 Americans, has been forgotten as it was subsumed within the greater context of World War I. Thus, how to address this issue through the medium of theatre; one that resonates with our most recent experiences of the previous pandemic?

Based on actual events, The Grippe, written by James P. Mirrione, is a new play with music that chronicles the Great Influenza of 1918-1920 – the so-called “Spanish Flu.” The work, with a cast of 11 actors who play more than twenty-five characters, weaves several stories throughout the context of the play to capture the potency of those times and to reveal its relevancy for today. Through both words and music, The Grippe follows the valiant efforts of John Pascal, an astute reporter who uncovers the early warning signs of the Great Influenza of 1918 prior to it becoming a pandemic. With the help of a young nurse, Helen Adams, they work together to try to alert the Wilson administration to the oncoming pandemic before it is too late – and, of course, they fall in love along the way.

The play also presents a time when the role of African-Americans was erased from the historical record. The character of Mr. Sweets – the head butler in the White House – serves as a narrator and guide to the events unfolding in the words and music of the play.

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LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

October 5 & 6, 2025 at 7:30pm

All Tickets: $50
A Benefit for Main Street Theater

General Admission

HELPFUL INFO

Parking/Dining

Running Time: TBD

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.

Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley

Written by

Production Partners

Efraín Corzo and Andrew Bowen
Rodney & Mary Koenig

 

Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley

By Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon

Directed by Jessica Jaye

Back by popular demand! The final installment of the Christmas at Pemberley series follows two close friends: Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana, and the youngest Bennet sister, Kitty. It is Christmastime at Pemberley and the pair impatiently await the imminent arrival of Henry Grey, Georgiana’s shy, secret correspondent and love interest. When Henry enters a family holiday in full force and is met by the unwelcoming presence of Mr. Darcy, Georgiana fears her chance at love will be lost forever. But somehow, love always finds a way!

Main Street has previously produced all 3 plays in the trilogy, including Miss Bennet and The Wickhams, all of which became hits and holiday favorites for many families across Houston and beyond.

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Purchase Single Tickets

LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

November 22 – December 21, 2025
Previews: November 20 & 21

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm
Wednesday, November 26 at 7:30pm
No performance Thursday, November 27

Tickets: $45 – $64

Open Captioning

November 30 at 3:00pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes including one 15 minute intermission.

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.

Monday, October 27 at 6:45pm: Join us for a free, first read-thru of Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at our Rice Village location, 2540 Times Blvd. You get to be a fly on the wall for the very first rehearsal, hearing the cast read the play aloud for the first time together. Connect with the production from it’s very beginning and then see the arc of the process when you come back to see the full show. RSVP here.

Pride Night: Dec. 11 at 6:15pm Join us for our pre-show Happy Hour & the SingOUT Cabaret starting at 6:45pm! Special thanks to media sponsor OutSmart Magazine and event sponsor Riven Productions HTX.

Closing Weekend Party: Dec. 20 in the lobby after the show

Free Beer Fridays, sponsored by Saint Arnold Brewing Company! Have a beer on us after the show!

Season Sponsor

Saint Arnold Logo

The Coast Starlight

Written by

Production Partner
Patricia VanAllan

The Coast Starlight

Regional Premiere

By Keith Bunin

Directed by Robin Robinson

Armed with a secret that could land him in terrible trouble, a young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. With the help of his fellow travelers, all of whom are reckoning with their own life circumstances, T.J. has roughly one thousand miles to figure out how he wants to live the rest of his life. THE COAST STARLIGHT is a smart, funny, and compassionate story about our capacity for invention and re-invention when life goes off the rails. Recommended for mature audiences due to some profanity.

“A gentle, rueful play…. the ride it offers is as smooth as it is wistful. Because Bunin knows that any trip involves leaving something or someone behind. [It] sends up sparks … So let it do what any train should, which is to move you.” — The New York Times

“THE COAST STARLIGHT is [a] funny, moving dramatic jewel… Keith Bunin’s luminous play focuses on a group of strangers on a train … and what they say to each other (very little) in contrast to the thoughts, confessions, and fantasies that run through their heads and which they convey direct to the audience (a lot).” — The Daily Beast

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LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

February 7 – March 1, 2026
Previews: February 1, 4, 5

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm

Tickets: $40 – $63

Open Captioning

February 8 at 3:00pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: TBD

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.

Season Sponsor

Saint Arnold Logo

Leopoldstadt

Written by

Production Guarantors

Kenneth Bohan & Dean O’Kelley

 

Production Angels
John Drewer & David Jaqua

Leopoldstadt

Regional Premiere

By Tom Stoppard

Directed by Rebecca Greene Udden

Vienna in 1900 was the most vibrant city in Europe, humming with artistic and intellectual excitement and a genius for enjoying life. A tenth of the population were Jews. A generation earlier they had been granted full civil rights by the Emperor, Franz Josef. Consequently, hundreds of thousands had fled from the East and many found sanctuary in the crowded tenements of the old Jewish quarter, Leopoldstadt.

Spanning fifty years and multiple generations, Leopoldstadt follows a family’s reckoning with a past – and a heritage – it cannot escape and a future it cannot control. An intense drama of the first half of the 20th century, Stoppard’s customary wit and beauty shine through the enduring spirit of a family tested by the most dire situations. “This is a momentous new play. Tom Stoppard has reached back into his own family history to craft a work that is both epic and intimate; that is profoundly personal, but which concerns us all.” – The Financial Times

Winner of the 2023 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Foreign Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play.

“A heart-rending epic.” —The New York Times

“Brilliant and gorgeous. A masterpiece.” —Deadline

“Breathtakingly brilliant.” —Chicago Tribune

“Ranks among Mr. Stoppard’s greatest works…an inexpressibly moving, majestic play.” —Wall Street Journal

PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS

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LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

March 28 – April 26, 2026
Previews: March 22, 26, 27

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm

Tickets: $45 – $64

Open Captioning

March 29 at 3:00pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: TBD

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.

Season Sponsor

Saint Arnold Logo

The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!

Written by

TM & ©️Hidden Pigeon, LLC

Theater for Youth Season Sponsor

The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!

Rolling World Premiere
Based on Books and Characters by Mo Willems
Script and Lyrics by Mo Willems and Adam Tobin
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
Dramaturgy by Megan Alrutz
Produced by special arrangement with Hidden Pigeon, LLC.
Directed by Robin Robinson

 

When Mo Willems’ characters get together for the holidays, it’s bound to be the biggest extravaganza ever! The Unlimited Squirrels deck the halls and Elephant and Piggie come ready to celebrate! But will The Pigeon join in the festivities, or will he run all the way to the North Pole in search of the greatest gift ever? Terrific tunes, silly stories, goofy gifts, audience antics: it’s all in this brand-new musical party that sleighs!

Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and older.

PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS NOW!

SINGLE TICKETS FOR FAMILY PERFORMANCES

SCHOOL GROUP RESERVATIONS

LOCATION

MATCH
3400 Main St.
Houston, TX 77002
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

Weekend Performances:
Ticket Prices: $24 – $38

Sundays, November 16, 23, & December 21, 2025
12:30pm & 3:30pm

Monday – Wednesday, November 24 – 26
Friday, Nov 28, 2025
Saturdays, November 29, December 6, 13, 20, 2025
10:30am & 1:30pm

School Matinees:
School Group Tickets: $9.00 each (discount for Title I schools)

Mondays – Fridays: November 13 – December 19, 2025
Performances are at 9:30am & 11:30am
(No performances Nov. 24 – 28)

Sensory Friendly icon

November 24 at 1:30pm
Relaxed / Sensory-Friendly Performance

Low Vision icon

November 24 at 1:30pm
Audio-described Performance

Audio Described

December 6 at 10:30am
ASL Performance

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes, including one 20 minute intermission

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show at PUBLIC performances.

Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and older.

Children under the age of 3 (including sleeping babies) are not allowed in the theater.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Written by

Theater for Youth Season Sponsor

Tour Sponsor

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Book and Lyrics by Robert Kauzlaric
Music by Paul Gilvary and William Rush
Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Directed by Chad Fontenot

There are two sides to every story, and when the Big, Bad Wolf takes the stand in Piggsylvania’s Trial of the Century, he finally gets his say. But will he get a fair trial in a corrupt piggy court? Join us as we discover what really happened and who was to blame. A whodunit for all ages!

Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and older.

PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS NOW!

SINGLE TICKETS FOR SPRING BREAK FAMILY PERFORMANCES

SINGLE TICKETS FOR SUMMER FAMILY PERFORMANCES

SCHOOL GROUP RESERVATIONS FOR IN-HOUSE SHOWS

Book the TOUR to come to your school

LOCATION

MATCH
3400 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

Weekend & Holiday Performances:
Ticket Prices: $24 – $34

SPRING BREAK:

Tuesday, March 10 – Friday, March 13 at 1:30pm

Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, 2026at 1:30pm

Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 12:30pm & 3:30pm

Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 10:30am & 1:30pm

SUMMER:

SATURDAYS: June 13, 20, 27 and July 11, 2026 at 10:30am & 1:30pm

SUNDAYS: June 21 & July 12, 2026 at 12:30pm & 3:30pm

Open to the Public

At the MATCH for Schools:
School Group Tickets: $9.00 each (discounts for Title I schools)

Tuesday, March 10 – Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11:30am

Monday, March 16 – Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 9:30am or 11:30am

Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, 2026 at 11:30am

AND

Monday, June 15 – Friday, July 10, 2026 at 9:30am or 11:30am
(No performances June 19, 20 and July 3)

On Tour for Schools:
(separate pricing)

Jan. 14 – May 22, 2026

Sensory Friendly icon

March 15 at 12:30pm
Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed Performance

Audio Described

March 15 at 12:30pm
Audio Described Performance

ASL Performance icon

March 12 at 1:30pm
ASL interpreted Performance

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining

Running Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, with one 20 minute intermission

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.

Recommended for Pre-Kindergarten and older.
Children under the age of 3 (including sleeping babies) are not allowed in the theater.

The Best School Year Ever

Written by

Theater for Youth Season Sponsor

The Best School Year Ever

By Jahnna Beecham & Malcolm Hillgartner
Based on the book The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
Directed by Vivienne M. St. John

They’re back… When anything goes wrong at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, a Herdman probably did it! So when the teacher assigns a project that forces the students to think of compliments for their classmates – including the Herdmans – we learn a valuable lesson of not judging a book – or a Herdman! – by their cover!

Recommended for 3rd Grade and older.

PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS NOW!

SINGLE TICKETS FOR FAMILY PERFORMANCES

SCHOOL GROUP RESERVATIONS

LOCATION

MATCH
3400 Main St.
Houston, TX 77002
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

Weekend Performances:
Ticket Prices: $24 – $34

Sundays, April 19 & 26, 2026 at 12:30pm & 3:30pm

Saturdays, April 11, May 2 & 9, 2026 at 10:30am & 1:30pm

School Matinees:
School Group Tickets: $9.00 each (discount for Title I schools)

Mondays – Fridays, April 9 – May 15, 2026
Performances are at 9:30am & 11:30am

Sensory Friendly icon

April 11 at 10:30am
Relaxed / Sensory-Friendly Performance

Low Vision icon

April 11 at 10:30am
Audio-described Performance

Audio Described

May 2 at 10:30am
ASL Performance

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.

Running Time: TBD

Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show at PUBLIC performances.

Recommended for 3rd Grade and older.

Children under the age of 3 (including sleeping babies) are not allowed in the theater.

ON TOUR: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Written by

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

On Tour for Schools: January 14 – May 22, 2026

Book and Lyrics by Robert Kauzlaric
Music by Paul Gilvary and William Rush
Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Directed by Chad Fontenot

When the Big, Bad Wolf takes the stand in Piggsylvania’s Trial of the Century, he finally gets to tell HIS side of the story! But will  Big ‘n’ Bad get a fair trial in a Piggy Court? Will the Pigs’ splashy puppet show sway the jurors? Is the Wolf’s razzle-dazzle song and dance about a sneeze-gone-wrong only just a weak excuse? Enter the jury box, and help decide the fate of Big ‘n’ Bad in this musical adaptation of the hit children’s book!

Recommended for Pre-K and older.

Tour Performances

  • Performance Times arranged with each school
  • Performance length is 45 minutes 
  • $1,000.00 for a single performance
  • $1,500.00 for back-to-back performances
  • Travel fees are not included in the performance price and are determined based on the location of the venue
  • Audience Limit: 450
  • Technical Requirements

SCHOOL GROUP RESERVATIONS FOR THE TOUR

“The book, Click Clack Moo, has not stayed on the library shelves since you came and presented. It is always checked out.”

“Our kindergarten and PK students thoroughly enjoyed the play, but we were most impressed by how our students with special needs were locked in on the singing and dancing!”

“Thank you so much for making Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type come to life for our students! The production crew was so polite, professional, and punctual naming every step of the way to performance time and clean up.”

“This goes out to send a heartfelt thank you to the cast and crew of Click, Clack, Moo.  Our campus had a wonderful time at the performance. Curmira was delightful and the actors and actresses were absolutely wonderful. We thoroughly appreciated the play and hope to see y’all in the future. We are looking forward to receiving the picture of the cast when you get a chance to send it. Thank you for everything!”