Mildred's Umbrella Presents DARK MATTER

Closing out a six-year tenure in Spring Street Studios, Mildred's Umbrella (MU) is reviving a fan favorite from its days at Midtown Arts Center with DARK MATTER, a collection of gothic shorts by Don Nigro. These ten short pieces, speak to MU's unique aesthetic of dark and quirky comedy and feature a stellar cast of local talent.

Originally conceived and produced in 2007 by Artistic Director Jennifer Decker, DARK MATTER combined a selection of five short plays from Nigro's Tales from the Red Rose Inn in a festival-like atmosphere with spare sets that underscored the strength of the scripts, acting, and direction. For the reboot, Decker has partnered with Associate Artistic Director Miranda Herbert Morris to bring to life ten of the shorts featuring both familiar faces and some newer additions to Houston theatre.

"I wanted to finish the final season in our Studio 101 space with something that is nostalgic for me as an artist," says Decker on why she chose to re-mount the piece. "We produced a version of this collection when we were still very small to the delight of audiences and critics alike. This is a collection of gothic fairy tales that bring together murder, romance and modern physics. Many of our current patrons were not familiar with us when we originally produced it, and the ones who will be revisiting it will see a much different production, as we've added a few new ones to the mix. It feels like we've come full circle by re-mounting it before moving on to the next phase of our lives at our new home at Chelsea Market Theatre."

Nigro is a prolific writer with over 400 works touching on a wide variety of themes including murder mysteries (the Inspector Ruffing series), American history (the Pendragon County plays), Russian life and culture, art and artists, and more. His work has been produced around the world and translated into ten languages. He has twice been a finalist for the National Repertory Theatre Foundation's National Play Award, and has won a Playwriting Fellowship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as grants from the Ohio Arts Council.

DARK MATTER runs March 29 through April 14, 2018, in Studio 101 at Spring Street Studios, in the heart of the Washington Avenue Arts District. Tickets are on sale now at www.mildredsumbrella.com. For more information, call 832-463-0409 or e-mail info@mildredsumbrella.com.

DARK MATTER A COLLECTION OF SHORTS BY Don Nigro (MARCH 29-APRIL 14, 2018)

Directed by: Jennifer Decker and Miranda Herbert Morris

Where: STUDIO 101 - 1824 Spring Street, Houston, TX 77007

When: March 29-31, April 5-7, and April 12-14 at 8 pm
Matinee on April 8 at 3 p.m.

Pay-What-You-Can night on April 9 at 8 p.m.

Cost: Regular admission: $25; Students, Seniors & Arts Industry: $15; Group rate: $15/ticket

PHOTO CREDIT: Gentle Bear Photography

IN PHOTO: Dabrina Sandifer, Timely Rain and Arianna Bermudez