Photo Flash: First Look at Main Street Theater's THE REAL THING

Main Street Theater opens its 39th MainStage season with Tom Stoppard's brilliant exploration of love and language, The Real Thing. With previews August 31, September 1 and 4, The Real Thing opens September 5 and runs through September 29 at Main Street Theater - Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

In The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard combines his characteristically exquisite wordplay and wit with flashes of insight that investigate the mystery of love, the nature of honesty and the joy of beautiful, skillful language. Using a play-within-a-play, Stoppard mines the romantic permutations of two creative couples -- actors and a playwright -- to explore the themes of semblance and reality. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play in 1984; Winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2000. Main Street Theater produced the Houston premiere of The Real Thing in 1986. Recommended for audiences 18 and up.

Sir Tom Stoppard (knighted in 1997) has an illustrious list of playwrighting credits to his name including Arcadia, The Invention of Love, Rock 'n Roll, The Coast of Utopia, Hapgood, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Real Thing, Jumpers, Travesties, The Real Inspector Hound, Rough Crossing, On the Razzle, and many more. He has won 4 Tony awards: The Coast of Utopia (2007), The Real Thing (1984), Travesties (1976), and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1968). He has won 7 Evening Standard awards, including 1 for Arcadia, which also won the Critics' Circle Theatre award and the Laurence Olivier Award.

Main Street Theater has been known for decades as a champion of Tom Stoppard's works, producing the greatest number of his plays (14) locally throughout its 39 year history. MST has produced 3 of his plays twice over the years, making MST's Stoppard production total 17 (with this current production of The Real Thing).

MST Artistic Director ReBecca Greene Udden is the director. The cast includes MST veterans Justin Doran (My Wonderful Day, The Heidi Chronicles, Arcadia), Shannon Emerick (Richard III, The Coast of Utopia, Arcadia), Sara Gaston (Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-A** Wit of Molly Ivins, Present Laughter, The Best Man), and Joe Kirkendall (Henry V, Love Goes to Press, The Coast of Utopia). Also in the cast are MST newcomers David Clayborn, Scott Gibbs, and Shannon Nicole Hill.

The design team includes Jac Jones (set design), Macy Perrone (costume design), Eric L. Marsh (lighting design), Shawn W. St. John (sound design), and Rodney Walsworth (properties design). Lauren Evans is the production stage manager.

Performances are on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $20 - $36 (previews are $10), depending on date and section, and 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.

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Walker