CULTURE AND ARTS FROM AROUND THE AREA!

By: Richard Tew
There’s a lot going on with various community theaters and performing arts groups through the region.  From “The Foreigner” to “Amazing Grace,” local thespians and performance houses are offering up a variety story lines and themes to appeal to the most discerning viewer.
Venue spotlight!  Many theaters and production companies such as Dickinson’s Harbour Playhouse, have been in existence for decades and have had generation upon generation of young actor rise through the ranks.  Harbour Playhouse was originally built in 1941 and called “The Hollywood”and reopened in 1991 and given its current name. Since its reopening in 1991, Bennie Nipper has been at the helm, running the
day-to-day operations including directing plays and helping train actors. Nipper is a retired drama teacher from Friendswood High School.
Harbour Playhouse. File photo. At Dickinson’s Harbour Playhouse, “The Foreigner,” will be performed 3/16-4/1. Clear Lake’s Upstage
Art will feature “James and the Giant Peach,” showing April 13, 14 and 15. Clear Creek Community Theater will be performing “Shakespeare Abridged” 4/6-4/22 and The College of the Mainland will be performing “Of Mice and Men,” 4/5-4/22. Deer Park’s Art Park Players will perform “Das Barbecu” 4/20-29 and 5/4-5. Baytown Little Theater is performing “Forever Plaid,” 4/20-22, 27-29 and 5/4-6.  The H.I.T.S Theater in the Houston Heights is featuring “Shrek the Musical,” 4/5-7. The 1894 Opera House, located in Galveston, will feature “Amazing
Grace,” 4/14. See websites or call the box offices of these theaters listed below for more information.  Other performing arts performances include The Tew Academy of Irish Dance’s performance at the Rosenburg Library in Galveston, 4/28 at 2:30 P.M. Kennedy Dance Theater will host “Enchanted Evening” 4/28 at 6 P.M. Bay Area Arts conservatory will present “Radio Hits,” 4/30 at 2 P.M. and 6 P.M. Ticket and audition information can be found by calling the following numbers: Harbour Playhouse 281-337-7469 www.harbourtheater.com  Upstage Arts 832-797-4209 www.upstagearts.com  Clear Creek Community Theater 281-335-5228  www.clearlakecountrytheater.com  College of the Mainland Theater 409-933-8345  www.com.edu/community-theatre  Deer Park Art Park Players 713-794-2448 www.deerparktx.
gov/857/Art-Park-Players Kennedy Dance Theater 281-480-8441 www.kennedydance.com  Tew Academy of Irish Dance (rttew@yahoo.com) www.tewacademy.org  Baytown Little Theater 281-424-7617 www.baytownlittletheater.com  H.I.T.S Theater 713-861-7408 or www.hitstheater.org.  The 1894 Opera House 1-800-821-1894 or www.thegrand.com  If you are a dance or theater group or have a cultural attraction you would like listed in this column, email rttew@yahoo.com.  Richard Tew is the co-owner of the Tew Academy of
Irish Dance, based out of Webster, TX. He has been teaching dance and theater for 21 years, and is active in the Irish community in and around Houston. The Tew Academy of Irish Dance teaches students ages three through adult. Email rttew@yahoo.com for more information.