Main Street Theater's Season to Close With CLOSE UP SPACE, Beginning 5/18

Main Street Theater closes its 38th MainStage season with Molly Smith Metzler's Close Up Space, a comical and poignant new play about how hard it can be to communicate... in any language. With previews May 18, 19, and 22, Close Up Space opens May 23 and runs through June 16 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. 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.

Powerful literary editor Paul Barrow fights a losing battle against the lowering of linguistic standards instead of helping his daughter Harper deal with the death of her mother. But when Harper shows up at her father's office speaking only in Russian and carrying a cooler full of snow and a boom box blasting an ethnically appropriate soundtrack, the rules of engagement CHANGE! Recommended for audiences 18 and up.

Audiences are invited to join us following the Sunday matinee on June 2 and June 16 for a post-show discussion with the artists. There is no charge to attend.

Playwright Molly Smith Metzler grew up Kingston, NY. She is the author of Elemeno Pea (South Coast Rep, Humana Festival), Close Up Space (Manhattan Theatre Club, O'Neill Playwrights Conference; Susan Smith Blackburn finalist), Carve (Juilliard, Chautauqua New Play Workshop), and Training Wisteria (SPF, Cherry Lane Mentor Project; three KCACTF awards including Kennedy Center National Student Playwrighting Award). Ms. Metzler's work has been developed by MTC, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, Geva Theater, The O'Neill Theater Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Chautauqua Theater Company, Ars Nova Play Group, and many more. She holds graduate degrees from Boston University, NYU Tisch, and The Juilliard School, where she was a two-time recipient of the Le Comte du Nouy Prize from Lincoln Center.

Andrew Ruthven is the director. The cast includes Brittny Bush (My Wonderful Day), Rutherford Cravens (Henry V, Richard III, The Coast of Utopia), Joanna Hubbard (Memory House, Life Is a Dream), Carolyn Johnson (My Wonderful Day, Driftwood, Translations), and David Wald (Love Goes to Press, Life Is a Dream, Richard III).

The design team includes Ryan McGettigan (set design), Macy Perrone (costume design), Eric L. Marsh (lighting design), Janel Badrina (sound design), and Rodney Walsworth (properties design). Lauren Evans is the production stage manager.

Main Street Theater was founded in 1975. The organization produces plays at two locations, 2540 Times Boulevard in Rice Village and 4617 Montrose Boulevard at Chelsea Market. Our MainStage is in its 38th season and its 13th season operating under an Actors' Equity Association union contract. The MainStage features new works (including numerous world and regional premieres), rediscovered classics, passionate revivals, works by female playwrights, and neglected musicals in the intimate setting of our Rice Village location. Our Theater for Youth is Houston's most-attended theater for young audiences, serving over 130,000 children and families from the greater Houston area in school performances, weekend family matinees and tours to schools and community centers across the state of Texas. Plays are selected based on literature children are reading at home or at school. Our Education Department offers students a performing arts playground where professional theater artists serve as mentors. In support of Main Street Theater's mission, our Education Department provides a significant resource in the community for education in theater and classical theater for children, families and educators and provides classes and camps (on and off-site) as well as programs in residential treatment facilities for Harris County youth.

Main Street Theater is a founding member of the Fresh Arts Coalition, which recently merged with Spacetaker here in Houston, a founding member of Houston Arts Partners, and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theaters. Main Street Theater is also a member of Actors' Equity Association and of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (formerly ASSITEJ), the world theatre network of theatre for children and young people.

Pictured: Steve (David Wald) and his boss Paul (Rutherford Cravens). Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Walker.

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