Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter

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EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 12!

Available to watch online through June 5

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter

Based on the novel by Mario Vargas-Llosa

English-Language Premiere
A play by Caridad Svich

WATCH ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT THE THEATER!

Based on the autobiographical novel by Nobel Prize-winning Latin-American writer Mario Vargas-Llosa, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter follows the passionate love story between a young Vargas-Llosa and an older divorcee in 1950s Lima, Peru. A boisterous, high-spirited comedy with a big-hearted romantic story at its center, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter is what playwright Svich calls “a coming-of-age story about the performance of everyday life, the wonderfully disordered nature of love, and an homage to the golden age of radio and the spirit of classic screwball comedies.”

TO VIEW ONLINE:

  1. Click the Buy Tickets button below and choose the Aunt Julia Streaming option.
  2. You do NOT need to choose a date.
  3. Soon after you purchase your online ticket, you will receive an email from us with a code and the link to follow to watch the play.
  4. You’ll select Aunt Julia, and when you get to the payment page, USE YOUR CODE (you are NOT being asked to pay again!).
  5. You will be able to watch online starting today! Once you activate your code, you will have 24 hours to watch the production.

BUY TICKETS!

Click here for the production’s dramaturgy.

Click here to read the Houston Press interview with playwright Caridad Svich.

Click here to read notes from the playwright.

Click here to read the rave review from Doni Wilson at the Houston Chronicle.

Click here to read Robert Donahoo’s great review.

Click here to read an interview with actor Michael Sifuentes.

LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

Previews: May 8, 12 & 13, 2022

Opening Night: May 14, 2022
Playing Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm
Extended through June 12, 2022
There is no performance May 29.

Tickets: $35 – $59

Open Captioning

Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 3pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts

Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes including a 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.

Part of the Art Series Post-Show & Panel Discussions

May 22 at 5:45pm: Join Main Street Theater and TEATRX, a Latinx Theatre Company based in Houston, on May 22 for a post-show discussion about the importance of sharing stories by Latinx artists and showcasing the range of Latinidad in the Latinx community and in MST’s production. TEATRX co-founders Benito Vasquez and Marissa Castillo, also a cast member of Aunt Julia, will be guiding the discussion. Director Amelia Rico, cast members Ricardo Hernandez-Morgan and Amanda Martinez, and costume designer Laura Moreno will be joining the discussion as well. As always, you are welcome to join us for the discussion even if you aren’t seeing the play that day. Just plan to arrive at the theater around 5:45pm.

May 24 at 6:30pm: Join Main Street Theater and MECA (Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts) for a panel discussion about what it means to be fully committed to sharing Latinx culture through the arts.

with

Armando Silva, Arts Program Director, MECA

Amelia Rico, director of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter and MST Director of Digital Production

Sloane Teagle, MST Artistic Inclusion and Community Engagement Director

Melissa Molano, Houston theater artist

Vivienne M. St. John, Main Street Theater Theater for Youth Artistic Director

Rebecca Greene Udden, Main Street Theater Founding Artistic Director

Free Beer Friday Sponsor

The Real Inspector Hound

Written by

Cast & Creative Team

Explore the Dramaturgy

Houston Press review

Conroe Courier review

BroadwayWorld review

Houston Press interview with director Claire Hart-Palumbo

The Real Inspector Hound

By Tom Stoppard

 

EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 13!

Attending the premiere of a new murder mystery, two feuding theater critics soon find themselves drawn into the play-within-a-play! In the hilarious spoof of Agatha Christie-style mysteries that follows, the mists roll in around isolated Muldoon Manor, and the critics become implicated in the lethal activities of an escaped madman. It’s brilliant comedy as only Tom Stoppard can do!

“The Real Inspector Hound is an exceedingly clever lampoon, sharply in focus…” —The New York Times “What absurd fun Tom Stoppard created when he let fantasies run wild.” —Evening Standard “Witty and delicious parody of the fog bound whodunit.” —Guardian “A tour de force of theatrical metaphysics.” —Daily Mail “A masterpiece…. Stoppard mines murder mystery conventions and strikes gold.” —Independent on Sunday

Special 2021-22 Season Celebration on August 6!
Join us on August 6 at 6:30pm for The Real Inspector Hound, a VIP reception, and an exclusive preview of the 2022-23 Season! Individual tickets: $150 (FMV $60). Sponsorships available. Contact marlen@mainstreettheater.com for sponsorship details.

TICKETS FOR THE AUG. 6 SPECIAL EVENT

BUY REGULAR TICKETS TO THE SHOW!

LOCATION

Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Directions

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS

Previews: July 10, 14 & 15, 2022

Opening Night: July 16, 2022
Playing Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm
through Aug 13, 2022

Tickets: $35 – $59

Open Captioning

Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 3pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance

HELPFUL INFO

Seating Charts

Running Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes with no 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.

PRODUCTION GUARANTORS

Ken Bohan & Dean O’Kelley

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

Jane Evans & Jack Blaylock

The Book of Magdalene

Written by

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM BIOS
(printer friendly version)

Read the New York Times Review

Read the Wall Street Journal Review

Read the Houston Press Review

Read the CultureVulture Review

The Book of Magdalene

Initial Digital Premiere

By Caridad Svich
Directed by Amelia Rico

EXTENDED! Now through February 28
February 11 – 28, 2021 ONLINE ONLY

In the edge-lands, in the weird times (after a worldwide catastrophic event), it’s nighttime until it’s not. These nights, Magdalene misses Ru and who they could have been together. Magdalene cares for Elder. Magdalene visits the local church to look at the sky. Magdalene works the call lines of the lonely and encounters Suit. Call this a quest. Call this a life waiting to be born again, haunted by a past when another Magdalene lived and was misunderstood. The Book of Magdalene is contemporary drama of sharp encounters, winding faith, tough love and tenderness suffused with grace and magic. A story about finding the courage to move on when life feels as if it is stuck in place.

About the Playwright

Caridad Svich is a playwright, screenwriter, translator, editor, lyricist, essayist, educator and freelance arts journalist. Her first independent feature film (as co-screenwriter) Fugitive Dreams, based on her play, premiered at the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival, 2020 Austin Film Festival and the 2020 Tallinn Black Nights Festival. Three of her plays were on the 2020 Kilroys List. She has received the 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement, the 2011 American Theatre Critics Association Primus Prize for The House of the Spirits, based on Isabel Allende’s novel, and NNPN rolling world premieres for RED BIKE and Guapa. She has also been a Harvard/Radcliffe Institute Fellow, Tanne Foundation Fellow, NEA and Pew Fellow, and Visiting Research Fellow at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Read Ms. Svich’s full bio here.

About the Production

Director: Amelia Rico. The cast: Mariam Albishah, Andrea Boronell, Pablo Bracho, Maria Schenck, and Jennifer Wang.

Set design by Afsaneh Aayani. Costume design by Victoria Nicolette Gist. Lighting design by Grey Starbird. Sound design by Janel Badrina. Stage management by Megan Brooks.

 

IMPORTANT TICKET INFORMATION BELOW.

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
USE A CREDIT FROM A PAST PERFORMANCE

IMPORTANT:

You may watch The Book of Magdalene any time between February 11 and February 28. After you purchase your tickets, you’ll receive a viewing code via email. Once you receive that code, you may watch the play any time you wish from February 11 – February 28. The only thing to be mindful of is that once you activate your code, you’ll have 48 hours to watch.

Your 48 hour watch period begins AFTER entering your access code. The code can only be used on one device at a time. If the code is entered on a second device, the first device will be logged out automatically. You can Airplay or Cast the stream to a television using the following instructions: Stream to a TV

PLEASE NOTE:
The last opportunity to register with a credit is noon on Sunday, Feb. 28. 

Production Sponsor

THE HUMPHREYS FOUNDATION

2020-2021 MainStage Premier Season Sponsor

Pay What You Can Ticket Info for Our RFK Virtual Performance

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About Pay What You Can Tickets

Bringing you the theatrical experience you love in the comfort and safety of your home.

$25 Ticket (Suggested)
Enjoy the show with your entire household for less than the price of a single ticket when you come to the theater.

$40 Ticket 
When you pay a bit more for your ticket, you help sustain Main Street Theater and support the work of our artists. Your support creates theater that inspires and uplifts in these challenging times.

$15 Ticket
Times are tough right now. If a $15 ticket is best for you, please select this option. We just want you to share in the experience with us!

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
USE A CREDIT FROM A PAST PERFORMANCE

PLEASE NOTE:
The last opportunity to register with a credit is noon on Sunday, Oct. 25. 

Pay What You Can Ticket Info for Our Flat Stanley Virtual Performance

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About Pay What You Can Tickets

Enjoy The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley with your family
from the comfort and safety of your home!

$20 Ticket (Suggested)
This is the average price of just one ticket if you were coming to the theater. Watch with your whole family for the price of a single ticket.

$35 Ticket
We strive to make theater accessible to children and families, especially in these uncertain times. When you pay a bit more for your ticket, you help to sustain Main Street Theater and support the work of our artists.

$10 Ticket
Times are tough right now. If a $10 ticket is best for you, please select this option. We just want you and your family to share in the experience with us!

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

IF YOU BOOK BEFORE 10/24, PLEASE USE PASSWORD MSTFLAT

USE A CREDIT FROM A PAST PERFORMANCE

PLEASE NOTE: The last opportunity to register with a credit is noon on Nov. 14.

Main Street at the Mic

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Main Street at the Mic

Performed and filmed on our Rice Village stage, Main Street at the Mic brings you 3 unique, hour-long events that you can stream from home! In October, it was Things That Go Bump in the Night. November was a classic cabaret event. December – well, it’s time to celebrate the holidays – including ones we missed over the last few months! Each event features local, professional actors whom you’ve come to know and love.

Each Main Street at the Mic is live streamed on Thursday at 7:30pm on YouTube, and is available to watch on YouTube through Sunday night. All you need to do is register for the free event and you will receive full details on how to view online.

All the events are free, though, of course, donations are always appreciated!

REGISTER HERE

Main Street at the Mic: 2020 Holidays: Passover through New Year’s

Let’s share some joy as 2020 winds down and we catch up on the holidays!
December 17 – 20, 2020

Featuring Tamara Siler, Kara Greenberg, Chaney Moore, Gerardo Velasquez, Amanda Passanante, Rodrick  Randall, Celeste Roberts, and Jim Salners. Directed by Andrew Ruthven with Claudia Dyle on the piano.

REGISTER HERE

2020 – 2021 Premier Season Sponsor

Personal Pod Classes & Camps

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REGISTER ONLINE FOR YOUR PRE-ARRANGED POD

“We had Main Street Theater bring one of their pod camps to our neighborhood during Thanksgiving week. It was simple to set up once we had our group assembled and Cindy showed up with all the materials and great activities planned. The kids met in an open area, practiced safe social distancing and conceived, directed and performed  their own play! They also played games, learned a bit of improv and did some crafts. The pod was super fun for them. Something a bit magical happened too because all of the kids really wanted to be there. It was really convenient for us parents because no time was needed to drive anywhere. We got to enjoy our children’s creative work at the end of the session, and they got a wonderful structured play time for creative expression with their friends. We would highly recommend Main Street Theater’s Pods to anyone interested.”  -the Hall family

Personalized Pod Classes & Camps!

Age groups: 6-8, 9-12; 13 & up
Minimum: 5 children (10 maximum)

Contact Mr. Jonathan to Arrange Your Pod Today! jonathan@mainstreettheater.com

Main Street Theater Pods – Theater Delivery Service!
Main Street Theater’s specialized theater pods bring all of the fun of our popular, award winning camps and classes to you!
What are MST Pods?
An MST professional actor/teaching artist will come to your house to facilitate a theater experience for your child and 4-9 other children. We meet for 10 classes, 90 minutes to two hours per class, in a large indoor space or backyard. We work towards a final showcase based on the needs of the particular group.
What do I need to provide?
We need a main contact, names and emails of the 5-10 participants, and a designated space for classes and performance. We will provide the rest!
MST Pods provide:
P-Personalized Instruction. With a group size of 5-10 and one instructor per 5 students, your child will get specialized attention in theater skills of voice, body, and imagination!
O-Open curriculum. Our classes run 90 minutes to 2 hours and feature theater games and exercises as well as a final project/play/dance that fits your group’s needs. We can do original plays, musical revues, dance, stage combat, arts integration, even Shakespeare! We will work with you to tailor the best theater arts experience for your group. We even bring our own stagecraft tub!
D-Dynamic teachers!  Our teachers are thoroughly vetted and background- checked, consisting of veteran teaching artists who work professionally as performers and technicians. They are skilled, experienced with kids of all ages, fun, and flexible!
S– SAFE! We adhere to all state and local guidelines, including wearing masks, social distancing, temperature checks, and hand sanitizing and washing. We adhere to our COVID policies as much as possible/feasible at your location.

MST Pods Delivery Service Menu:
MST ORIGINAL PLAY
The sky’s the limit! Based on our popular summer camp model, young artists collaborate to create an original play and/or dance.
MST MUSICAL THEATER LAB
Students create an original play incorporating popular songs and dances created by the teaching artist in collaboration with the ensemble.
SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL
Students are introduced to the Bard in a fun, physical way, exploring either fantasy (A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM) or fun and frightening (MACBETH)
ARTS INTEGRATION/ STEAMWORK!
Using our games and exercises from our programs that have had successful runs in HISD schools to promote literacy and help solidify STEAM concepts.
CREATE YOUR OWN!
Our professional staff is very flexible, and we have a big tool kit of theater offerings. Email Mr. Jonathan at jonathan@mainstreettheater.com for a consultation to help identify what is best for you and your group!

Contact Mr. Jonathan to Arrange Your Pod Today! jonathan@mainstreettheater.com

INSPIRE: MST Learning Lab

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Register Now for WEEKLY Lab! »

Register Now for DAILY Lab! »

 Discounts available for Military Families, First Responder Families, or Educator Families.
Double discounts do not apply.

Extended Day Registration »

Register Now for WEEKLY Lab! »

Register Now for DAILY Lab! »

 Discounts available for Military Families, First Responder Families, or Educator Families.
Double discounts do not apply.

Extended Day Registration »

Speak of Me as I Am

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Speak of Me as I Am: a Celebration of African American Contributions to Shakespeare

A Partnership with Harris County Public Library

July 23 at 6:30 – 8:00pm
https://www.facebook.com/harriscountypl/live/
You do not have to have Facebook to watch!

on July 23 from 6:30 – 8:00pm, in partnership once again with Harris County Public Library (HCPL), Main Street will lift up the contributions of historical African American actors to Shakespeare.  Speak of Me as I Am: a Celebration of African American Contributions to Shakespeare created by Jonathan Minchew-Gonzalez, Director of Education & Youth Engagement for this partnership as commission by HCPL. This will be the 3rd time the piece has been presented by the partnership, and it will, of course, be virtual.

While many African Americans of yesteryear such as Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, and Hattie McDaniel are well known for contributions to America’s art scene, fewer people know about the great black Shakespearian actors of early America. Figures such as Ira Aldridge, Henrietta Vinton Davis, and Paul Robeson may not be household names, but they enthralled audiences with their truth, dignity, and passion as they embodied characters such as Hamlet, Juliet, Lady Macbeth, and Othello. In this one-of-a-kind reading, actors from Main Street Theater’s Shakespeare for All program will share historic accounts, stories, and, of course, scenes and speeches from Shakespeare in an interactive, audience-friendly presentation that reminds us that Shakespeare is, indeed, for ALL. Local professional actors Ansonia Jones and Ernest Neal are featured in the performance. The actors will answer questions posted in the chat section of the live stream! Link to event coming soon.

Ansonia Jones

Ernest Neal