4th Wall Theatre's 2023-2024 Season Announcement

4th Wall Theatre Company, Houston's fastest growing professional theatre known for its extraordinary performances and intimate, high-quality productions, has announced its 13th season.

With a lineup of Houston premieres, an Austen classic, and critically acclaimed plays, this season features some of the most diverse and compelling theatre that is sure to captivate audiences. 

“Choosing a season is, at its core, a labor of love, and I have fallen in love with all of these plays,” 4th Wall's Artistic Director, Philip Lehl, said when asked about the new season. “I can't think of four plays that express my journey in the American theatre better.”

Starting off the epic new season is THE PAVILION by Craig Wright (September 22 - October 7, 2023). Hailed as an “Our Town for our time,” this universe-invoking story on love and loss was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2000. Making her 4th Wall directorial debut, Christy Watkins (DISGRACED, JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN) is set to direct this touching production that will surely resonate with anyone who has ever missed a chance at love.

Watkins will lead a cast of iconic Houston actors including powerhouse performer Luis Galindo, straight off the National Tour of the highly regarded NEW JACK CITY, along with 4th Wall's Managing Director Jennifer Dean (RECKLESS) as the lead star-crossed lovers. They are joined by Artistic Director Philip Lehl, who reprises his role as The Narrator last seen in the celebrated production at Stages in 2001.

After directing 4th Wall's renowned 2016 production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Kate Hamill, Kim Tobin-Lehl takes the helm once again to direct Ms. Hamill's brilliant adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (December 1 - December 23, 2023). 4th Wall's Co-Founder and Resident Artist returns to stage Hamill's bold and inventive retelling of the classic Austen tale lauded by The New York Times as an “unconditional delight.”

A true Houston Theatre legend, Tobin-Lehl speaks to the influence Austen's story still holds, “Kate's adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY takes on Ms. Austen's work by focusing on its timelessness. The play maintains the integrity of the original story and opens a window into opportunities to turn it on its head by bringing out the fundamental societal ills and hypocrisies that have stayed with us over time and still reduce us and limit our progress regarding gender roles. But who says we can't have fun and be reminded that we still have a ways to go at the same time?”

In the spring, 4th Wall will present the hit Broadway comedy of the year, THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa FastHorse (March 8 - March 23, 2024). This hilariously 'woke' satire reflects on cultural sensitivity and pokes fun at the way we celebrate the classic holiday. Directed by Artistic Director Philip Lehl, this Houston Premiere promises to be a laugh-out-loud production which the Hollywood Reporter describes as “uproarious, clever, and very, very funny.”

Ending out the season will be the poignant family drama, THE FATHER by Florian Zeller (April 26 - May 11, 2024) praised as “one of the best plays of the decade” by The Times. A deeply moving exploration of aging and memory, the theatre is ecstatic to announce the 4th Wall directorial debut of longtime Alley Resident Actor and award-winning performer Elizabeth Bunch, who previously directed CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION at the University of Houston last year. Artistic Director Lehl and Bunch have a storied history of performing together and their team-up will be a full circle moment for both artists and the Houston Theatre community. Co-Founder and Resident Artist Kim Tobin-Lehl, most recently seen as Bella in THE SOUND INSIDE is set to join the cast in a to-be-determined role. 

Subscriptions go on sale in early June. For the latest information about 4th Wall Theatre Company's upcoming season and how to purchase tickets, please visit the theater's website at 4thwalltheatreco.com or follow @4thwallhouston on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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4th Wall Theatre Company's 2023-2024 Season

 

 

(All plays, artists, and dates are subject to change)

THE PAVILION

Written by: Craig Wright

Directed by: Christy Watkins

Featuring: Luis Galindo, Jennifer Dean, and Philip Lehl

Dates: September 22 – October 7, 2023

Hailed as an “Our Town for our time,” this reflection through the lives of old high school sweethearts proves to be a hopeful and romantic ride.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Written by: Kate Hamill

Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen

Directed by: Kim Tobin-Lehl

Dates: December 1 – December 23, 2023

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is a hilarious play adaptation of the beloved novel by Jane Austen. The play follows the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate the complexities of love, family, and social status in Regency-era England.

Houston Premiere

 

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

Written by: Larissa FastHorse

Directed by: Philip Lehl

Dates: March 8 – March 23, 2024

What happens when four seemingly woke, white people get together to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play? Confusion, hilarity, and maybe some heart in this critically acclaimed new satire.

Houston Premiere

 

THE FATHER

Written by: Florian Zeller

Translated by: Christopher Hampton

Directed by: Elizabeth Bunch

Dates: April 26 – May 11, 2024

Andre is an elderly man who is struggling with memory loss and confusion as he ages. Through shifting perceptions of reality, he grapples with the loss of his sense of self and the people around him.

4th Wall Theatre Company is a professional Equity theatre in Houston, TX, founded in 2011 by Philip Lehl and Kim Tobin-Lehl. 4th Wall maintains an eclectic range of programming, producing standards by Shakespeare and Strindberg, American classics and several regional premieres.  

The mission of 4th Wall is to produce extraordinary professional theatrical experiences and to set a high standard for excellence in acting, direction, and design. 4th Wall believes that the highest quality theatre promotes an aesthetic of performance that is truthful, and that only by paying artists a fair wage can Houston grow and sustain its community of professional theatre artists. 

  

The company has garnered many accolades, including the Houston Press's "Mastermind Award" as well as four “Best Production” citations in the annual Houston Theater Awards (GOD OF CARNAGE in 2013, LOBBY HERO in 2017, JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN in 2019, THE REALISTIC JONESES in 2020). The Artistic Directors have been nominated several times for the “Best Artistic Director” award, winning once. 4th Wall is a registered 501(c)(3) with the IRS. 

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