Brian Heaton News

Theatre Southwest presents 'How the Other Half Loves' by Alan Aykbourn directed by David Hymel. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

In 1964, Tom Stoppard emerged from a mansion in Berlin with a one-act play called ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN MEET KING LEAR. Two years later, his reworked play, entitled ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, opened to acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival on August 24, 1966. A successful 1967 production at London's Old Vic made Tom Stoppard an overnight success. At almost 47-years-old, this play still excites theatergoers, actors, directors, and producers alike. The savvy exploration of the relevance of art, the commentary on insignificance, the absurdity, and the existentialism are just a handful of the hooks that allure people to the work and have garnered the show praise time and time again. In Houston, it feels that Cabal Productions' presentation of the play proudly exclaims Guildenstern's line 'We're still finding out feet,' without heeding The Player's warning, 'I should concentrate on not losing your heads.'

There is always a certain electric buzz that seems to surround any production of a show with a recognizable title. Some people will research the origin of the show, and with John Guare's SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, they'll find that Frigyes Karinthy, a Hungarian author, playwright, poet, journalist, and translator was the first proponent of the theory that everyone is connected to everyone else by six or fewer degrees of separation. He examined this in his 1929 short story, 'Chains' (Lancszemek). This very theory was popularized by the 1990 play and 1993 film adaption of SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION. People might remember that following the success of the play and the film, while watching FOOTLOOSE, students at Albright College created the game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.' Those people will recall how everyone in the 90s was figuring out how every actor and actress was connected to Kevin Bacon through their work in film and commercials. Elements such as these build anticipation for productions of shows with mane recognition.

The Country Playhouse will present Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare, on our Cerwinske Stage for three weekends only, May 10 - 25. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on May 19 at 2:00 p.m., plus a weeknight show on Thursday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Big Head Productions is presenting their third evening of short plays. This collection of plays, some from local artists, all have an office theme. The set is four cubicles, cut to allow the audience to see through them and into the other cubicles. Each cubicle is sprinkled with drawn on post-its and other items of office boredom inspired artwork. On the whole, the evening plays out like a fusion of Mike Judge's Office Space and an episode of Saturday Night Live. Like the skits on Saturday Night Light, some of the plays stand out as stronger works than the others, but all are entertaining.

Main Street Theater introduces Houston to this delightful play which has only been produced twice before in the U.S.: once in New York in 1947 and once in New York earlier in 2012. "I am so glad that the Gellhorn and Cowles Estates granted us the rights for this prodcuction," says Rebecca Greene Udden, Main Street Theater's Executive Artistic Director. "This play is just so much fun."

Main Street Theater introduces Houston to this delightful play which has only been produced twice before in the U.S.: once in New York in 1947 and once in New York earlier in 2012. "I am so glad that the Gellhorn and Cowles Estates granted us the rights for this prodcuction," says Rebecca Greene Udden, Main Street Theater's Executive Artistic Director. "This play is just so much fun."

Theatre Southwest will present their production of David Lindsey-Abaire's play, WONDER OF THE WORLD, beginning December 31st with a special New Years Gala. The show will run through January 23rd. The cast for the production will include James Reed, Stacy A. Spaeth, Ananka Kohnitz, Cheryl Tanner, Brian Heaton, Jeanette Sebesta, and John Kaiser. The show is directed by David Holloway.

Theatre Southwest will present their production of David Lindsey-Abaire's play, WONDER OF THE WORLD, beginning December 31st with a special New Years Gala. The show will run through January 23rd. The cast for the production will include James Reed, Stacy A. Spaeth, Ananka Kohnitz, Cheryl Tanner, Brian Heaton, Jeanette Sebesta, and John Kaiser. The show is directed by David Holloway.

Theatre Southwest will present their production of David Lindsey-Abaire's play, WONDER OF THE WORLD, beginning December 31st with a special New Years Gala. The show will run through January 23rd. The cast for the production will include James Reed, Stacy A. Spaeth, Ananka Kohnitz, Cheryl Tanner, Brian Heaton, Jeanette Sebesta, and John Kaiser. The show is directed by David Holloway.