The Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director EILEEN J. MORRIS
ENSEMBLE THEATRE
www.ensemblehouston.com
3535 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-520-0055
The Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director EILEEN J. MORRIS
The Ensemble Theatre
Presents Its 2014 - 2015 Season
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The Ensemble Theatre's 2014 - 2015 Season Includes:
Trav’lin the New 1930s Harlem Musical
PG/ Musical/ Houston Premiere
By Gary Holmes and Allan Shapiro
Directed and Choreographed by Patdro Harris
Musical Direction by Carton Leake
Previews: June 20, 21, 24
Opening Night and Media Reception: June 25, 2015
Runs: June 25 - July 26,
2015
A humorous, heart-warming story of three couples playing the game of love in
1930's Harlem. The action centers on George, a retired Pullman porter and church
deacon, and the intriguing stranger he meets who is not the person she seems to
be. This jazz-infused score celebrates the music of Harlem Renaissance composer
J. C. Johnson and is reminiscent of many well-known, bluesy Broadway shows.
Trav'lin captures the
essence of Harlem. Johnson’s music has been performed and recorded by Billie
Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Duke Ellington and
Count Basie.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking
R/ Drama-Comedy/ Regional Premiere (contains adult themes and language)
By Gus Edwards
Directed by Eileen J. Morris
Previews: May 2, 3, 6
Opening Night and Media Reception: May 7, 2015
Runs: May 7 – May 31, 2015
Henry and Abe are two old guys who just can’t seem to get along, but
nevertheless are drawn to the same park bench every day. Having once competed
for the love of the same woman, their rivalry has grown over the years. Now, in
the twilight of their lives, they find themselves humorously intertwined by the
ever-changing times. Two Old Black Guys
Just Sitting Around Talking is a funny and poignant story of
rivalry, friendship, and the journey of life.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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By The Way, Meet
Vera Stark
PG/ Comedy/ Regional Premier
By Lynn Nottage
Directed by Eileen J. Morris
Previews: Mar. 15, 16, 19
Runs: March 20 - April
13, 2014
In a new comedy from the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of
Ruined, Lynn Nottage draws
upon the screwball films of the 1930’s to take a funny and irreverent look at
racial stereotypes in Hollywood. By The
Way, Meet Vera Stark is a seventy year journey through the life
of Vera Stark, a determined African American maid and budding actress, and her
tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star desperately grasping
to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles
in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a
surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2013-2014 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre. By the Way, Meet Vera Stark is generously sponsored by Spectra Energy.
Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning
playwright of RUINED Lynn Nottage and directed by Artistic Director Eileen J.
Morris, VERA STARK is showing through April 14, 2014 at the Ensemble Theatre
located at 3535 Main Street, Houston Texas 77002 USA. For more information,
click on
www.EnsembleHouston.com
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The Old Settler
PG/ Drama / Revival
By John Henry Redwood
Directed by Eileen J. Morris
Previews: May 3, 4, 7
Opening Night and Media Reception: May 8, 2014
Runs: May 8 - June 1,
2014
In World War II Harlem, two spinsters, Elizabeth and Quilly (or as they were called in those days - an “old settler”) take in a young male roomer, Husband who has come from South Carolina to search for his girlfriend, Lou Bessie. There is an ominous cloud of tension that hangs over Elizabeth and Quilly’s relationship. This tension is further exacerbated when Elizabeth and Husband take to liking each other. It is this “carrying on” that exposes a thirty-year-old wound which, until now, only had a bandage—now the wound can heal for the sisters.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2013-2014 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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PG/ Musical/ Regional Premier
By Dominic Taylor
Directed by Lou Bellamy
Previews: June 21, 22, 25
Opening Night and Media Reception: June 26, 2014
Runs: June 26 - July 27, 2014
In 1957, Americans were falling in love to the sweet sounds of Nat “King” Cole. His carefully manicured image distracted an entire generation of white viewers from the reality of racial violence raging in the streets. Still, Cole believed that with enough talent and persistence he would be judged on the content of his character as opposed to the color of his skin. Join us for an intimate portrait of one man, his music, and the dreams of a nation.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2013-2014 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.I Wish You Love is generously sponsored by Chevron with additional funding from Norton Rose Fulbright.
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Women in the Pit
PG/ Comedy/ Regional Premiere
By Joyce Sylvester
Directed by Eileen J.
Morris
Previews: Sept. 13,
14, 17
Opening Night and Media Reception: Sept. 18, 2014
Runs: September 18 - October 12, 2014
Folks of Mount Zion Baptist Church are pretty riled up! Two deacons and two elders charged with the selection of a new pastor are at odds with one another when it appears that the most qualified candidate is a woman! This exciting story addresses the age-old controversial issue of women in the pulpit!
The Ensemble Theatre's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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G/ Musical
By Stepp Stewart
Directed and Choreographed by Patdro Harris
Musical Direction by
Previews:
Nov. 8, 9, 12, 13
Opening Night and Media Reception:
Runs:
Nov. 14 –
This African American tale is
the story of two children who are taken on a musical journey one magical
Christmas Eve. Watch as they discover the rich history within the music, dance,
and culture. Join them as they go back in time and enjoy all of your favorite
Soulful Christmas tunes, performed in the style of the artist that made them
famous. You will feel like a little kid again when you hear: Santa Claus is
coming to town, "Go Tell It On The Mountain" - Mahaila Jackson, "This Christmas"
- Donny Hathaway, "Silent Night" - The Temptations, and more. Exciting fun
for the whole family!
*Rights Pending
The Ensemble Theatre's
2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of
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PG/ Drama/ Regional Premiere
By Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan
Directed by Allie Woods
Previews: Jan. 24, 24, 28
Opening Night and Media Reception: Jan. 29, 2015
Runs: January 29 - February 22, 2015
Fly celebrates the lives of the courageous and dedicated Tuskegee Airman who flew during World War II. Travel with these determined young men who made historic contributions toward the desegregation of the American military and furthering of civil rights. These heroic military pioneers landed a phenomenal place in history.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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PG-13/ Comedy/ Regional Premiere
By Pearl Cleage
Directed by Eileen J. Morris
Previews: Mar. 14, 15, 18
Opening Night and Media Reception: Mar. 19, 2015
Runs: March 19 - April
12, 2015
In the backdrop of this sparkling new romantic comedy, mini-skirts and bell
bottoms rocked to the tune of Stevie Wonder’s 1973 hit, “Livin’ for the City;
women’s liberation raised the conscience of the nation; and Atlanta made history
by electing Maynard Jackson as its first Black Mayor. The tale of a divorcee
sweeping into town, from her self-assuring trip to Paris, just as her ambitious
ex-husband is trying to avoid a scandal that could upset his chances for being
named city attorney. Don’t miss this regional premiere by Pearl Cleage,
best-selling novelist and author of The Ensemble’s 2012 hit performance,
The Nacirema Society.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre.
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For information regarding subscriptions, tickets and group sales call The Ensemble Theatre Box Office: 713-520-0055 or visit www.ensemblehouston.com.
The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. The theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African-American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African-American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African-American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.
The Ensemble Theatre produces a main stage season of contemporary and classic works devoted to the portrayal of the African American experience by local and national playwrights and artists. The theatre's Performing Arts Education program provides educational workshops, Artist-in-Residence experiences and live performances for students both off-site and at the theatre. Through its varied programs, The Ensemble Theatre benefits an audience and artistic constituency of approximately 65,000 people annually.
Join us for the 2014 - 2015 Season!
For information regarding subscriber opportunities, tickets and group
sales, call The Ensemble Theatre Box Office at ph.713-520-0055. Ride the Metro Rail to your stop for culture -- The Ensemble!
THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE
3535 Main Street, Houston Texas 77002
Phone 713-520-0055 Fax 713-520-1269