Dangerous Corner
The Company OnStage, May 1 - June 6
Dangerous Corner by J.B. Priestley is about a musical cigarette box belonging to a departed
relative that becomes the catalyst for a group of friends to examine the
secrets and lies that will change their relationships forever.
By the author of An Inspector Calls, this 1932 thriller still captivates and surprises with its psychological
insights and shocking twists and turns.
Mauritius
Alley Theatre, Through May 3
Theresa Rebeck returns with Mauritius, a “tightly woven and ever-surprising sinister comedy” (Playbill.com) “filled with stunning scenes of high humor and drama” (Variety).
The title, Mauritius, refers to an island off the coast of Africa from which a now highly
collectible stamp, described as the crown jewel of philately, was issued in the
age of Victoria. Like the Maltese Falcon, the Mauritius stamp is the fraught
object of desire for an assortment of shady characters with different and
mysterious backgrounds and motives, who move through the twists of the plot
’s crosses and double-crosses. Recommended for mature audiences.
The Miss Firecracker Contest
Texas Repertory Theatre, May 6 - 24
When Carnelle Scott, known locally as Miss Hot Tamale, enters the local beauty
pageant, poignant self-improvement and outright hilarity ensue in
The Miss Firecracker Contest. An eccentric southern comedy by the author of Crimes of the Heart, The Miss Firecracker Contest is a charming and heart-warming reminder that dreams do come true.
Tapumes
Blaffer Gallery, Through May 9
Henrique Oliveira’s exhibit, Tapumes, refers to the weathered wood he uses as the primary material in his
installations.
Oliveira’s installations, which he refers to as tri-dimensionals, have evolved into
massive, spatial constructions that combine painting, architecture and
sculpture.
The constants in his work are the visual and tactile qualities of wood that has
been exposed to the elements, and though he incorporates new, flexible plywood
into his work, his primary material remains the discarded wood collected on the
streets of S
ão Paulo.
Happy Days
Hobby Center, May 12 - 24
Happy Days–A New Musical comes to the Hobby Center, and reintroduces one of America’s best-loved families, the Cunningham’s. Recapture the nostalgia of 1959 Milwaukee—complete with varsity sweaters, hula hoops and jukebox sock-hoppin’.
The famed drive-in malt shop and number one hang-out, Arnold’s, is in danger of demolition, so the gang teams up to save it with a dance
contest and TV-worthy wrestling match.
For more information, go to www.tuts.com or call 713-558-TUTS.
the third side
DiverseWorks Art Space, May 15 - 30
Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company presents the world premiere of The Third Side by Tom Vaughan. This production commemorates the 200th anniversary of Charles
Darwin
’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his work On the Origin of Species, a landmark work in evolutionary biology that introduced the theory of
evolution to the modern world.
When biology professor Henry Darden admits that he finds Darwin’s emphasis on natural selection as the means of evolution unconvincing, the
collision of science, faith and intellectual intolerance take a toll on his
family life as the controversy opens up both old and new wounds at home.
The Third Side examines the difficulty in pursuing the truth when individualshave their very
identities invested in the conclusions.
Contemporary Conversations:
John Chamberlain, American Tableau
The Menil Collection, Through Aug. 2
John Chamberlain studied at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1951-52 and Black
Mountain College from 1955-56. The following year, he moved to New York, where
for the first time he created sculpture that included scrap-metal auto parts.
He used these found metal pieces as raw materials, shaping them at will, adding
paint, and welding the finished compositions to preserve their stability.
Despite the heavy and rather unyielding character of such material, Chamberlain
’s work often achieves a lyrical quality-colorful, anthropomorphic, somehow
lighter on its feet than one would expect.
The dismantled and reshaped auto body quickly became Chamberlain’s signature sculptural medium. Although he eschewed the material for a period
starting in 1967, he resumed its use in 1974 and continues to work in this
media at present.
rent
Hobby Center, April 29 - May 3
Rent is the classic musical about love, friendship and community, and is the seventh
longest-running show in Broadway history. This new touring production stars
original Broadway cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp.
Set in New York City’s East Village, Rent is a modern take on the classic Puccini opera, La Boheme. It tells the unforgettable story of a group of young artists learning to
survive, falling in love, finding their voices and living for today. This
production
is recommended for children ages 12 and up.
For more information, go to www.tuts.com or call 713-558-TUTS.
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Alley Theatre, April 29 - May 24
Four-time Tony Award winner Tom Stoppard returns to the Alley with Rock ‘n’ Roll, winner of London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play.
It’s August 1968, and Russian tanks are rolling into Prague. Jan, the Czech
student, lives for rock music; Max, the English professor, lives for communism;
and Esme, the flower child, is high. By 1990, the tanks are rolling out, the
Stones are rolling in and idealism has hit the wall. Stoppard
’s sweeping and passionate play spans two countries, three generations and 22
turbulent years, at the end of which, love remains
— and so does rock 'n' roll. Recommended for mature audiences.
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum
Museum of Fine Arts, Through May 17
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul explores the rich cultural heritage of ancient Afghanistan from the Bronze Age
(2500 B.C.) through the rise of trade along the Silk Road in the first century
A.D.
The exhibit features some 228 objects ranging in date from 2200 B.C. to the
second century A.D. Drawn from four archaeological sites, they belong to the
National Museum and include fragmentary gold bowls with artistic links to
Mesopotamia and Indus Valley cultures from the Bronze Age site of Tepe Fullol;
bronze and stone sculptures and a gilded silver plaque from the former Greek
colony at Ai Khanum; and bronzes, ivories and painted glassware that have been
imported from Roman Egypt, China and India and excavated from ancient
storerooms discovered in the 1930s and 1940s in Begram.
For more information, go to www.mfah.org or call 713-639-7300.
