Purlie Victorious

Posted on April 22, 2025 at 9:39 am.

Written by Shannon Emerick

0325_MST_PurlieVictorious _Artwork_Concepts (1)

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

PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS

PURCHASE SINGLE TICKETS

“‘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

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

The Grippe

Posted on April 22, 2025 at 9:38 am.

Written by Shannon Emerick

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.

Purchase Single Tickets

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

Posted on April 22, 2025 at 9:37 am.

Written by Shannon Emerick

Production Partners

Efraín Corzo and Andrew Bowen
Rodney & Mary Koenig

Artist Bios

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.

PURCHASE SINGLE TICKETS

HOUSTON THEATER COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE

Main Street Theater is part of the Houston Theater Community Food Drive happening through the end of 2025. When you come to Georgiana and Kitty, please consider bringing non-perishable food items to help struggling families and individuals put food on the table. Here is a list of the most-needed items: https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/most-needed-items/

Thank you!

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

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

The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!

Posted on April 21, 2025 at 4:54 pm.

Written by Shannon Emerick

TM &

Hidden Pigeon, LLC

Artist Bios

Theater for Youth Season Sponsor

Pigeon Holiday Merchandise for Sale correct

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
Deborah Wicks La Puma, Composer/Arranger/Orchestrator
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.

SINGLE TICKETS FOR FAMILY PERFORMANCES

SCHOOL GROUP RESERVATIONS

Help Houston’s Children Keep Warm This Winter

During the run of Pigeon, we will be collecting children’s coats, scarves and mittens for Star of Hope. Just like the Pigeon gets! Items can be dropped off in the lobby at the MATCH when you come to see the show.

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)