THEATRE + COMEDY

 Houston Family Arts Center (HFAC) presents Love & Marriage Texas Style, a rollicking comedy set in Tomball, TX in 1910.

The show is very loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Audiences, however, will not be hearing any of the Bard’s language. Houston-based playwright Elaine Edstrom, has written this play using what she calls “Texanese” idioms with lines like “She’s a pretty a sight as a Jersey heifer in a field of bluebonnets” and “That filly is as uppity as a Siamese cat and about as cold as a Basset Hound’s nose.”

“We are honored to be able to produce Elaine Edstrom’s world-premiere of Love & Marriage Texas Style,” said Bob Clark, HFAC Executive Director. “We are privileged to have a director with her credentials.”

Elaine Edstrom is a very accomplished actor and director, with a BFA in Theatre and an MFA in Directing. She has appeared in over 150 onstage roles across the US, in addition to numerous TV, movies and commercials. After moving to Houston in 1995, Elaine toured with Texas Theatrical Productions and has been seen onstage at Texas Rep., Main Street Theater, Ashland Street Theatre, Mystery Café, Dionysus Theatre, Houston Family Arts Center, Country Playhouse, Theatre Suburbia, Playhouse 1960, Theatre Lenz, Lone Star College Cy-Fair, and Kingwood College.

“Directors often set Shakespeare's plays in different locales and time periods from which they had originally been written. Taming of the Shrew has seen productions that have been completely transported to the movies and Musical Comedy stage. It has also been set in America's Wild West several times,” said Elaine Edstrom, playwright and director. “In all of these Wild and Wooly West onstage incarnations, because they were part of the various Shakespeare Festival productions, the Bard's words were always used verbatim.”

“I love Shakespeare, but it has always bothered me when his plays were transported to other time periods—especially America’s frontier—and his 16th century language remained the same. Who in American history ever spoke Elizabethan poetry or iambic pentameter?” Edstrom remarked, “So I decided to take Shrew and rewrite it using every day language, Texas idioms, and resetting the play in Tomball, Texas during the city’s early days.”

“We have a very talented cast that travels from all over the greater Houston area to be able to perform in this show,” said Clark. “The 14 actors live in Cypress, Hempstead, Houston, Humble, Huntsville, Kingwood, and Spring.” The cast includes Sapha Arias (Caite McQuinn), Joshua Clark (Peter Anthony), Karen Clayton (Mrs. Miranda Vincent), Bradley Gaul (Bronco Davis), Katt Gilcrease (Travis Nelson), Brian Heaton (Horace Genaro), Marck Isaacs (Greg Dawson), Alan Kendall (Dusty Garcia), Zachary Lewis (Luke Vincent), Brittany McLeod (Nadine Wilson), Candyce Prince (Becky McQuinn), Glenn Ropiequet (Mr. Barney McQuinn), Stephanie Rose Thaine (Charlene Garcia) and Scott Thornton (Marcus the Great).

Love & Marriage Texas Style opens May 7 and runs through May 29, 2010. Performances will be on the Garza Mainstage at Houston Family Arts Center, 10760 Grant Road, Cypress, TX.

“We are pleased the world-premiere of Love & Marriage Texas Style will be on our new Garza Mainstage,” said Bob Clark. “The Garza Mainstage is a state-of-the art theatre space featuring 147 comfortably upholstered theater seats, a mid-sized 30-foot by 20-foot proscenium stage equipped with the latest in lighting and sound equipment.” Clark continued, “The Garza Mainstage is named in honor of Dr. Mario and Lisa Garza, founding partners, board members, season sponsors, and dear friends of HFAC.”

Performance dates and times:
Friday, May 7 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 8 at 8:00 PM
Friday, May 14 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 15 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 16 at 3:00 PM
Friday, May 21 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 22 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 23 at 3:00 PM
Friday, May 28 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 29 at 3:00 PM

HFAC SEASON SPONSORS
National Oilwell Varco
Dr. Mario and Lisa Garza

About Houston Family Arts Center
Houston Family Arts Center (HFAC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, founded in November 2005 to provide a fun outlet for creative community involvement through the production of high-quality, family-friendly, affordable entertainment. HFAC is the recipient of the 2009 Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks Award for “Houston’s Best Theater or Theatre Group for Kids,” and the 2008 Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks for “Houston’s Best Artsy Class for Kids.” Their core values are: Fun, Integrity, Excellence, Respect, Family, Diversity, Teamwork and Love. Each year, HFAC produces family-friendly musicals, comedies, and dramas. The Actors’ Academy provides numerous acting, singing and dancing classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults.

To sign up for classes, purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.houstonfac.com  or call 281-685-6374.