[This article is the first in a series about community theater groups and upcoming productions in the Brazos Valley area of Texas.]
The Brazos Valley is fortunate to be home to multiple community theater groups. With performances ranging from children and youth productions to full-fledged musicals, area residents have the opportunity to choose from comedy, drama, improv, or just plain fun. Community thespian organizations include The Theatre Company, StageCenter, Brazos Valley Players, Brazos Valley Troupe, Navasota Theatre Alliance, and Freudian Slip.
In addition to community theater groups, the Bryan-College Station area is also home to the Memorial Student Center Opera and Performing Arts Society (better known simply as OPAS) that brings a variety of internationally acclaimed productions to the Texas A&M University campus. Students of Blinn College perform plays at the college’s facility in Bryan, Texas, through the Blinn College Fine Arts Department. In Brenham, Texas, Unity Theatre has been putting on performances since the mid 1990s. Churches in the Bryan-College Station, Texas, area often stage their own productions as well. It’s a play-goers bounty.
This weekend offers two short-scheduled events and the opening weekend of another. Here’s information you need to take advantage of the entertainment provided by Brazos Valley live theater this weekend. Later articles in this series will give dates of future season performances.
Jan. 18-20: The Theatre Company will present its winter fundraiser performance of Promises, Promises for one weekend only this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Promises, Promises debuted on Broadway in 1968 and ran for over 1,200 performances, with a Broadway revival currently in the works. The play was written by well-known playwright Neil Simon, based on a film titled The Apartment. Familiar songs such as “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” came out of the production, which has music written by the legendary songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The Theatre Company performs at Tejas Center in Bryan.
Jan. 18-20 and 25-26: This is the first weekend of 30 Reasons Not To Be in a Play, a comedic take on the problems and pitfalls of would-be thespians, performed by Brazos Valley Troupe. Performances will continue next weekend. Troupe is recognized for its youth program for individuals from age 5 though age 18. Troupe has been in existence for almost 20 years, with programs focusing on education and community service projects as well as performances. This production, like many of TROUPE plays, will take place at the group’s studio on 29th Street in Bryan.
Jan. 20: At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, the improv comedy troup Freudian Slip will step onto the stage at Rudder Forum on the Texas A&M University campus. Freudian Slip performances actively involve the audience in offering themes, names, and plots for improvisational comedy routines. The shows can get rowdy, but each season brings new blood to the cast due to its heavy reliance on student talent, so every performance is a new experience.
Jan. 26: If you plan to attend the 2013 OPAS Gala, The Grandest Ball of All, to be held at Brazos County Expo next Saturday, you’ll want to make reservations early. Each year, the OPAS Gala serves as a fundraiser for the organization to support the work of bringing internally acclaimed acts and performing arts to the Brazos Valley. This year, a masked opera ball celebrates the 40th anniversary of OPAS.
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