This

Presented by Main Street Theater at Main Street Theater - Rice Village

April 2-April 24, 2011

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Main Street Theater presents the regional premiere of This by Melissa James Gibson. Directed by Steve Garfinkel. This runs April 7 - 24, 2011 (Previews April 2, 3, and 6, 2011), at Main Street Theater – Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. Performances are on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

This is a tart, witty un-romantic comedy. This...

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Main Street Theater presents the regional premiere of This by Melissa James Gibson. Directed by Steve Garfinkel. This runs April 7 - 24, 2011 (Previews April 2, 3, and 6, 2011), at Main Street Theater – Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. Performances are on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

This is a tart, witty un-romantic comedy. This is the deepest of human feeling, honesty, grief. This is the raw and human tale of 5 friends trying to find their way through mid-life and face reality.

SYNOPSIS:
Jane is not okay. She’s a promising poet without a muse, a single mother without lessons to pass along. Her dating life’s a shambles, and her helpful friends are only helping make things more complicated. This bright, witty, un-romantic comedy captures the uncertain steps of a circle of friends backing their way into middle age.

This had its world premiere production in New York at Playwrights Horizons in 2009. New York Times theatre critic Charles Isherwood wrote that with This, Gibson “graduates into the theatrical big leagues with this beautifully conceived, confidently executed and wholly accessible work.”

This was a 2009-10 finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

About Playwright Melissa James Gibson
Canadian-born, Melissa James Gibson currently resides in New York. She graduated from Columbia University and then the Yale School of Drama with an M.F.A. in playwrighting. She has received fellowships from the Jerome Foundation and the MacDowell Colony. In 2002, she won the Obie for playwrighting and the Whiting Writers’ Award. Her work has been commissioned by Steppenwolf, La Jolla Playhouse, and the Adirondack Theatre Festival, among others. Other works include Six Fugues, God’s Paws, Nuda Veritas, and Current Nobody.

About the Production
Houston favorite (onstage and off) Steve Garfinkel returns to MST to direct after directing last season’s runaway hit The Last Night of Ballyhoo. The cast includes Carolyn Johnson (Driftwood, Mr. Pim Passes By, Translations) as Jane, Daria James as Marrell, Mark Roberts (Machinal, The Weir, Chekhov in Yalta) as Tom, Seán Patrick Judge (The Doctor’s Dilemma, The House of the Spirits) as Alan, and Justin Doran (The Heidi Chronicles, Breakfast at Eight, Arcadia) as Jean-Pierre.

The design team includes Jeffrey S. Lane (set design), Eric Marsh (lighting design), Shawn W. St. John (sound design), Ruth Dentel (costume design), and Pamela Miltenberger (Properties Design/Set Dressing). Rob Babbitt is the production stage manager.

Since 1975, Main Street Theater has produced high quality professional theater for audiences of all ages through its MainStage productions and Main Street Youth Theater. The Main Street Theater Kids On Stage program offers performing arts classes and camps for children 5 years to 14 years of age. The organization produces plays at two locations, 2540 Times Boulevard in Rice Village and 4617 Montrose Boulevard at Chelsea Market.

Main Street Theater is a member of the Fresh Arts Coalition, a collaboration of 25 arts organizations that work collectively to raise awareness of the size and diversity of the arts in Houston, and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theaters. Main Street Theater offers a lively year-round repertory of classic and contemporary plays for audiences of all ages and provides a much-needed showcase for Houston theater professionals.

Main Street Theater is also a member of Actors’ Equity Association and of ASSITEJ, the world theatre network of theatre for children and young people. Main Street Theater is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Pictured above: seated L-R are Jean-Pierre (Justin Doran) and Jane (Carolyn Johnson) and background Marrell (Daria James).

All images: by www.RicOrnelProductions.com.

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Main Street Theater - Rice Village

2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005

Full map and directions

Tickets:

Tickets range from $26 - $40, depending on date and section. The preview performance is $10. Discounts available for students, seniors, and groups, and Advance Rush Tickets (ART Discount – use code THISART online or call 713-524-6706, and mention the ART Discount to get $10 off per ticket; valid through Apr. 7).

-$5 Friday is April 8: all tickets are $5 – no discount required.

Tickets are on sale in person at the Main Street Theater Box Office, 2540 Times Blvd., via phone at 713.524.6706, or online at MainStreetTheater.com.

Times:

April 7 - 24, 2011 (Previews April 2, 3, and 6, 2011)

Performances are on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

Discussion Series
Main Street is pleased to continue its Post-Show Discussion Series. Details/date TBD.

Phone: (713) 524-6706

Parking: Parking in the Village can be difficult, especially for Sunday Matinees. MST recommends that you arrive at least 20 minutes early to allow time to park and get to the theater. Remember, there is no late seating once the show starts.

Limited off street parking is available directly in front of the Rice Village Theater, and there is street parking all through out the village. Parallel parking can also be found on the east side of Kirby.

When the weather is nice, you might chose to park in the Village parking garage. The closest entrance can be found at Kelvin and Amherst, one block east and one block south of the Theater. There may be a nominal fee, but parking is free should you choose to dine at one of the Village Arcade eateries before the show.

We do ask that you be respectful of our neighbors and not park in any off street parking that is in front of open businesses. What's more, because of the nature of Village parking, many businesses will enforce towing.

The best way to beat the parking blues is to come early, find a convenient place near the theater and walk to a Village eatery for dinner or brunch!

From Southwest Houston (Sugar Land Area)
Take 59 North, pass the 610 Loop, and exit Kirby (just after The Compaq Center). Turn right onto Kirby. Cross Bissonnet and Sunset. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).

From North Houston (The Woodlands/Downtown)
Take 45 South to 59 South and exit Kirby (if you see The Compaq Center, you've gone too far). Turn left onto Kirby. Cross Bissonnet and Sunset. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).

From Southeast Houston (Clear Lake/Galveston)
Take 45 North to 59 South and exit Kirby (if you see The Compaq Center, you've gone too far). Turn left onto Kirby. Cross Bissonnet and Sunset. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).

From I-10 coming from the West (Katy)
Take 610 Loop South to 59 North and exit Kirby (just after The Compaq Center). Turn right onto Kirby. Cross Bissonnet and Sunset. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).

From I-10 coming from the East (Beaumont)
Take 59 South and exit Kirby (if you see The Compaq Center, you've gone too far). Turn left onto Kirby. Cross Bissonnet and Sunset. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).

From Main Street Theater at Chelsea Market
Turn left onto Montrose. Make a right on Bissonnet. Pass Shepard and Greenbriar. Turn left onto Kirby. Pass Sunset Blvd. When you reach Rice Blvd., go one more block to Times Blvd. (there's no traffic light). Turn left onto Times. MST is the third business on the left (next to Ovations).