The Coast Starlight

Written by

Production Partners
Janet Hansen
Patricia VanAllan

Additional Support from Katie Ritcheske

Artist Bios

THE COAST STARLIGHT is presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com

The Coast Starlight

Regional Premiere

By Keith Bunin

Directed by Robin Robinson

6 passengers. 6 choices to make. 1 story of how life just keeps moving forward… A young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. As it happens, both he and his fellow travelers are all facing life circumstances that demand decisions, and they have roughly one thousand miles to figure out what each of them wants to do. The “what-if’s” of life are weighing on them all – including “what-if they’d made a real connection with the other passengers?” THE COAST STARLIGHT is a compassionate story about our capacity as human beings for invention – and re-invention when life takes its twists and turns. Recommended for mature audiences due to some profanity. This play is performed without an intermission.

“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

PURCHASE SINGLE TICKETS

LOCATION

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

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

February 7 – March 1, 2026
Previews: February 1, 5, 6

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: 90 minutes without 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, January 12 at 6:45pm: Join us for a free, first read-thru of The Coast Starlight 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. 

Sunday, February 22: Join us for a post-matinee discussion led by Ronald E. Acierno, PhD, Executive Director, Trauma and Resilience Center, Vice Chair for Veterans Affairs and Professor, Louis Faillace Department of Psychiatry, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you are seeing the play on these dates. Just plan to arrive at the theater about 4:45pm. Free to all.

Pride Night: Feb. 19 at 6:15pm, join us for our pre-show Happy Hour & then the SingOUT Cabaret starting at 6:45pm! Special thanks to media sponsor OutSmart Magazine and event sponsor Riven Productions HTX!


Closing Weekend Party: Feb. 28 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

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 SINGLE TICKETS

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
No performance Sunday, April 5

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.

Monday, March 2 at 6:45pm: Join us for a free, first read-thru of Leopoldstadt 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, April 12: Join us following the matinee for a discussion with Marilyn Hassid, President of the Jewish Creativity International, about presenting Jewish Arts and Culture in the present days. Ms. Hassid is also the former Assistant Executive Director at Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston.

Sunday, April 19: Join us following the matinee for a discussion with Amy Frake about the history and the impact of the first 50 years of the 20th Century on the Jewish people. Ms. Drake is the Senior Associate Director of Education at the Boniuk Center for the Future of Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Studies at Holocaust Museum Houston.

Everyone is welcome at these post-show discussions, regardless of when you are seeing the play. Just plan to arrive at the theater about 5:00pm. Free to all.

Pride Night: Apr. 16 at 6:15pm, join us for our pre-show Happy Hour & then the SingOUT Cabaret starting at 6:45pm! Special thanks to media sponsor OutSmart Magazine and event sponsor Riven Productions HTX!


Closing Weekend Party: Apr. 25 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 True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Written by

Wednesday, March 11
12:00 – 1:00pm
at the MATCH

It’s time for a party!

Join us for crafts, a photo booth, a scavenger hunt and the Wolf’s favorite food – cheeseburgers! PLUS a special appearance by Alexander T. Wolf himself!

$35 per child/$25 per adult

(does not include admission to the production)

Tickets go on sale 2/17/26

Piggypalooza Tickets

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.

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

Theater for Youth Season Sponsor

Tour Sponsor

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, 2026 at 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

You asked, we heard! For one day only, Monday, April 20, 2 performances The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! are now available for school groups! 9:30am and 11:30am

AND

Monday, June 15 – Friday, July 10, 2026 at 9:30am or 11:30am
(No performances June 19, 22 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.

Main Street Theater JEDI Events

Written by

The evening will also include a discussion with this season’s Fellows, facilitated by JEDI Council member Tracie Jae
along with Council members Brandon Mack, Dr. Dabrina Sandifer, and Manuel Soares.

Special thanks to our Community Partner, BLACKSTAGE HTX.

We hope you’ll join us! All are welcome.

RSVP here by Feb. 13

Summer Camp at MST!

Written by

MST Summer Camp 2026: Performing Arts Playground

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 15!

Ages 4 – 18

And check out our BILINGUAL SESSION! (English/Spanish) – Session 3 at MATCH! AND our new FIRST COLONY location!

Register Now!

JEDI Artist Fellowship Program

Written by

JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
Artist Fellowship Program

Main Street Theater’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Artist Fellowship Program is a paid artistic leadership development program for early-career artists of color. Applicants submit a resume and portfolio. The selected fellows will be assigned to a production either with the MainStage or Theater for Youth programs in their area of interest (Directing, Design, or Stage Management) while being given access to additional professional development opportunities within the Main Street Theater organization.

2025 – 2026 JEDI Artist Fellows

Mariana Pérez (she/her) is a Mexican actress, director, and educator passionate about creating theater that bridges cultures and generations. She has directed Captain Star / Capitán Estrella, a bilingual play for young audiences performed at the Consulate of Mexico, The Music Inside of Me, a short film featured at La Vida es Cortos Festival. She also served as Assistant Director on El Llano en Llamas with HAPAA Houston and is currently Assisting Directing Duermevella with Teatro Loft. Mariana is especially interested in theater for youth and in the imaginative possibilities of theater with objects. She is committed to nurturing curiosity, creativity, and cultural pride in young audiences while continuing to grow as a director and storyteller.

Sha’Na “Shay” Lynnette Smith is a Houston-based multidisciplinary artist, arts educator, and wellness practitioner whose work centers on poetry, storytelling, and community care. A graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, Shay’s creative practice spans writing, directing, performance, painting, music, and somatic sound healing.

Shay has performed in a wide range of roles—including Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Vera in Seven Guitars—and directed acclaimed productions such as Black Nativity by Langston Hughes, Mirandy and Brother Wind by John Cornelius and Michael Bobbitt.

As an educator and certified wellness practitioner, Shay blends creativity and healing to foster inclusive spaces for growth. Her contributions to Houston’s arts scene have earned her support from The Idea Fund and the Art and Survival Fellowship.

 

Application Information & Important Dates

Application Deadline | Rolling
Candidate Interviews | Rolling
Fellowship Date Range | September 2026 – August 2027 Candidates will be selected for one production on either the MainStage or Theater for Youth during the 2026/2027 season.

See full application below.

Eligibility

  • Identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
  • Resides in Houston or the surrounding area
  • Applicant’s experience must indicate their intention to pursue a professional career in directing, stage management or design for the theater.
  • Directing fellows will attend auditions, production meetings, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and Opening Night of their designated production.
  • Stage Management fellows will attend auditions, production meetings, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and all performances of their designated production.
  • Design fellows will attend production meetings and assist their design mentor as needed, both on and off site, and be present for all technical rehearsals.
  • Min. age: 22

Compensation

  • $1,500 stipend is provided to each Fellow

Benefits 

  • Professional development and networking opportunities
  • Complimentary tickets to Main Street Theater productions
  • Mentorship opportunities at Main Street Theater and in the Houston theater community

For more information or if you have questions about the Fellowship, please contact Rebecca Greene Udden, Executive Artistic Director, at rudden@mainstreettheater.com

Apply:

MST JEDI Fellowship Program Application

Name(Required)
Address(Required)
Do you have daytime availability?(Required)
Do you have reliable transportation?(Required)

REFERENCES:

Input three employment references in the field below (if not already included in your resume or CV) Please include each reference's Name and Contact Information (phone and email)

First Reference
Name(Required)
Second Reference
Name(Required)
Third Reference
Name(Required)

APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR UPLOAD:

  • Letter of Interest, no longer than two (2) pages, that addresses the following:
    • Why are you interested in the Fellowship? What attracts you to this particular Fellowship?
    • What are your goals as an artist? Where do you want to be in a year? How will this Fellowship help you achieve your goals?
    • Tell us about yourself: your experiences, dreams. What do you bring to this cohort of Fellows, mentors, and Main Street Theater staff?
    • Why are you a fit for this particular Fellowship?
    • Have you been mentored, or mentored someone before?
  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation from arts professionals
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