The Main Street Theater presents the English premiere of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, based on the novel by Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas-Llosa, a play by Caridad Svich. MST produced the digital world premiere of Svich’s The Book of Magdalene in 2021 and the English premiere of The House of the Spirits in 2009.
The production opens Saturday night, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. and runs through June 5 at MST – Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Tickets cost between $36 and $55, depending on the date, section and availability. The production will also be available online from May 26 to June 6. Tickets range from $20 to $40. All tickets are on sale by phone at 713.524.6706 or online at MainStreetTheater.com.
Customers will be required to present proof of a negative COVID test result (within 48 hours). A vaccination card can be presented instead of the test. Photocopies or a photo on your phone of medical records will be accepted. Masks are strongly recommended but not mandatory.
About Aunt Julia and the screenwriter
Based on the autobiographical novel by Latin American writer Mario Vargas-Llosa, Nobel Prize winner, Aunt Julia and the Screenwriter follows the passionate love story between a young Vargas-Llosa and an older divorced woman in the 1950 in Lima, Peru. A boisterous, high-spirited comedy with a big-hearted romantic story, Aunt Julia and the screenwriter is what playwright Svich calls “a coming-of-age story about performing everyday life, the wonderfully messy nature of love, and a tribute to the golden age of radio and the spirit of classic goofy comedies.”
Join Main Street Theater and TEATRX, a Houston-based Latinx theater company, on May 22 for a post-discussion on the importance of sharing Latinx artist stories and showcasing the range of Latinidad in the Latinx community and in the production of STDs. TEATRX co-founders Benito Vasquez and Aunt Julia cast member Marissa Castillo will guide the discussion. Director Amelia Rico, actors Ricardo Hernandez-Morgan and Amanda Martinez, and costume designer Laura Moreno will also join the discussion. As always, you are welcome to join us for the discussion even if you don’t see the play that day. Just plan to arrive at the theater around 5:15 PM.
Amelia Rico is the director. Ms. Rico directed The Book of Madeleine by Svich for MST in 2021. The cast includes Michael L. Benitez, Marissa M. Castillo, Armando Gonzalez, Ricardo Hernandez-Morgan, Amanda Martinez, Adriane Miller, Leandro Salazar and Michael Sifuentes.
The production design team consists of Jacob C. Sanchez (Set Design), Brianna Escobedo (Lighting Design), Laura Moreno (Costume Design), Yezminne Zepeda (Sound Design), and Rodney Walsworth (Properties Design). Debs Ramser is the production manager.
The Main Street Theater offers theater experiences for all ages. Founded in 1975, our MainStage produces professional, intimate and literary adult plays and operates under an Actors’ Equity Association contract; our youth theater produces professional and engaging productions based on children’s literature for families and school groups, both in-house and touring Texas; and we offer education and outreach programs on-site and in satellite locations around the Greater Houston area for youth ages 4-high school.
Main Street Theater is a member of Theater Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for nonprofit theaters, Theater for Young Audiences/USA (formerly ASSITEJ), the global theater network for children and youth, and founding member of Houston Arts Partners. The Main Street Theater is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
