Tag: theater

Houston Matters

Rec Room Stages Stravinsky’s Once-Riotous ‘Rite of Spring’

Posted on · (Above: Performers from Rec Room’s production of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Spring.” Photo: Natasha Gorel) When Igor Stravinsky’s famous — and perhaps infamous — ballet: The Rite of Spring premiered in Paris in 1913, it caused riots in the streets with the almost primitive sounds of the music – and equally primitive choreography depicting a story […]

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Covering President Trump and the Bathroom Bill: Thursday’s Show (January 26, 2017)

Posted on · Last week, Senior White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway introduced America to the term “alternative facts” after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed – despite contradictory evidence — that Trump’s inauguration gathered the largest crowd ever for that event. Suddenly the press was faced with calling out blatant lies. That’s not something seasoned journalists enjoy […]

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Bill King on Pension Deal and Bluefin Tuna: Wednesday’s Show (October 26, 2016)

Posted on · The Houston City Council this morning (Oct. 26, 2016) passed a resolution of support for Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposal to reform the city’s pension system and address an unfunded liability in the billions, paying it off over 30 years. This, after the firefighters’ pension board Monday agreed to the plan which will, among other measures, lower the assumed […]

Houston Matters

A Mother’s Remarkable Experience with Her Sons at the Theater

Posted on · We hear a story about a mother who took her sons to the theater for the first time and had an unexpected experience. The story is told by Janette Cosley, executive director of the Ensemble Theatre of Houston, which focuses on productions benefiting a multicultural audience. This segment was produced by Houston Public Media’s Abner Fletcher.

Houston Matters

Hand to God: Cypress Native Takes on Grief and Religion With Puppets

Posted on · Houston native Robert Askins is the playwright behind Hand to God, a dark comedy set in his hometown of Cypress. It tells the story of a young man involved in the puppet ministry at his church, when his puppet – named Tyrone – becomes possessed by the devil. It’s a scenario The New Yorker described […]

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Poll Suggests Texas In Play in Presidential Race: Friday’s Show (September 9, 2016)

Posted on · On Monday (Sept. 5, 2016), the Washington Post unveiled a new poll on the U.S. presidential race, which was conducted in recent weeks in all 50 states. That it found the race tightening was not too surprising. But one revelation was: that the Post’s poll, conducted in partnership with SurveyMonkey, found Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary […]

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Bad and Ugly, More Bad and Ugly, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and More Good: Friday’s Show (August 26, 2016)

Posted on · Apologies for the bizarre headline, but sometimes our show has some rather wild shifts in both variety and tone. We lead off this edition of Houston Matters by discussing a new study in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology which finds the number of women in Texas who died from complications from pregnancy nearly doubled between 2010 and […]

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Ozone Standards Follow-up and Championship Quidditch: Thursday’s Show (August 25, 2016)

Posted on · Yeah. You’re looking at a Quidditch match above. More about that below. First, on Monday’s program, we discussed how Greater Houston has long exceeded federal standards for ozone levels and is facing new, even tougher standards set forth in the Clean Air Act. That, according to the Greater Houston Partnership, may create circumstances that could prompt companies […]

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Democratic Convention Wrap-Up: Friday’s Show (July 29, 2016)

Posted on · The 2016 Democratic National Convention concluded last night, with Hillary Clinton accepting her party’s nomination for President. On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with Texas Public Radio’s Ryan Poppe, who has been reporting this week from the convention in Philadelphia. We discuss the impact the Texas delegation had on events this week. We […]

Houston Matters

The Method Gun: More Than Just a Play About Acting

Posted on · You’re probably familiar with the concept of method acting — where actors try to become the character they’re attempting to portray. A play running in Houston this week (May 26-28, 2016) called The Method Gun tells the story of group of actors who are rehearsing for a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. They’re devoted followers of […]

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Buses, Business, and Bugs: Wednesday’s Show (May 25, 2016)

Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner recently delivered his first State of Mobility address, outlining his ideas for the future of transportation in Houston. He also addressed the need to encourage more residents to use public transportation, including the bus system. On this edition of Houston Matters, we hear what the mayor had to say and then discuss […]

Houston Matters

Main Street Theater Explores ‘Working’ in the 21st Century

Posted on · In a convergence of arts and culture in Houston, the work of a famed public radio interviewer, and the childhood of another public radio interviewer (Houston Matters host Craig Cohen), Main Street Theater will present a production of Working, beginning May 21 and running through June 19, 2016. It’s an adaptation of the 1970s musical updated for the […]