Main Street Theater's mission is to create theater that challenges its audience to think and its artists to grow. We accomplish this by presenting an articulate and compelling product in an intimate setting, creating significant employment for Houston-based artists, and memorable theatrical experiences for audiences of all ages.
Main Street Theater (MST) was founded in 1975 to provide stimulating opportunities for Houstonians of all ages to engage with the performing arts while providing meaningful and challenging professional work for Houston theater artists. We work hard to present theater that reflects the community we serve, particularly in our Theater for Youth, whose audience exactly mirrors the makeup of the city as a whole. Our audience comes to us seeking thoughtful and passionate plays for adults and children, and theater arts activities to immerse youth in performing arts experiences created out of their own ideas and imaginations. This is also what motivates our staff, our artists, and our Board. Through our 3 programs (MainStage, Theater for Youth, and Education Department), Main Street Theater reached an audience of over 158,000 in the 2013-2014 season.
Founding Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden established a collective of theater professionals in a temporary home at Autry House, the Episcopal Diocese’s community center on Main Street. Encouraged by critical acclaim and audience growth, in 1981 the company moved MST to larger quarters in Rice Village where the theater developed its intimate playing style in its 99-seat house (the MainStage now receives national attention). This November we will begin a massive renovation of the space, bringing our physical facility up to the high standards that have been on our stage for years.
MST also hosts year-round classes and camps through our Education Department at our own spaces and around the Greater Houston area in schools, community centers, and residential treatment facilities for youth in Harris County.
Main Street Theater is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theaters, of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (formerly ASSITEJ), the world theatre network of theatre for children and young people, and a founding member of Houston Arts Partners. MST’s MainStage operates under Actors’ Equity Association Small Professional Theater contract.
Main Street Theater is also a proud member of Greater Houston CVB.
Past Events at MATCH
- September 2019: A Year with Frog & Toad
- June 2019: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- April 2019: Goosebumps the Musical
- March 2019: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- February 2019: Jackie and Me
- November 2018: Mr. Popper's Penguins
- September 2018: Curious George: The Golden Meatball
- June 2018: Pinkalicious
- April 2018: The Seussification of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- April 2018: Sideways Stories from Wayside School