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    Main Street Theater - Chelsea Market


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    In 1975, Houston was a booming, oil-rich metropolis with a growing, sophisticated populace eager for exposure to a wide variety of cultural activities. But with only one resident theater, patrons were inevitably limited in the number and range of theatrical voices they had the opportunity to hear. Furthermore, few professional opportunities existed for the city's growing community of theater actors, directors, writers and designers. Thus, Main Street Theater, the first of several new theater companies established during the 1970's, was founded to meet two needs: to offer Houston theatergoers a more varied and challenging selection of plays and musicals and to provide a venue for training, employment and exposure for our city's professional theater artists. Founding Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden enlisted a collection of theater professionals in a temporary home at Autry House, the Episcopal Diocese's community center on Main Street. Hence, the name of that youthful and idealistic group. The first production under the name Main Street Theater was Noel Coward's HAY FEVER, produced in June of 1975. There followed a new production every month for the next season, setting a precedent of constant activity, which continues to this day. The organization evolved from an artistic collective into a more traditional organizational structure with Rebecca Greene Udden as Artistic Director. A company of artists has remained the driving force behind the theater's success, and over the past twenty years, hundreds of actors, directors and designers have found an artistic home at Main Street Theater. Encouraged by critical acclaim and audience growth, the board of directors moved Main Street Theater in 1981 to larger quarters in an abandoned dry-cleaning plant in University Village. In the 92-seat space, with little to separate actor and audience, Main Street Theater developed its intimate playing style, which is as suited to the grand scale of Shakespeare as it is to a one-person show. In February of 1996, Main Street Theater opened a second space with a 190-seat theater. Main Street Theater at Chelsea Market houses a stage dedicated to the youth theater program and to large-scale MainStage classics and musicals. Main Street Theater opened its 26th anniversary season with a new status as an Equity Professional Company. After several years of presenting Equity actors under a special agreement, MST has been approved for Actor's Equity Association (AEA) Small Professional Theater status. Main Street Theater is a member of the Fresh Arts Coalition, a collaboration of the most original and thought-provoking arts groups in Houston, which includes 15 dance, theatre, literary, musical and visual arts organizations that have joined together to collectively raise awareness of the size and diversity of the arts in Houston. For more information, go to www.fresharts.org .


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