HOUSTON, Sept. 29, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ensemble Theatre's Act One young professionals partner with the Houston Downtown Alliance's (HYPA) Houston Young People for the Arts, with a pre-show networking mixer, Thursday, October 6, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
The two organizations are coming together for the first time to unite their endeavors to expose Houston's growing community of young executives to the arts.
"Houston is an amazingly diverse city that has become very progressive due to young business leaders attracted here by the variety in housing, entertainment, and employment opportunities," says Carl McGowan, The Ensemble Theatre's Act One Chair. "Our demographic tends to be astute, technology savvy consumers who enjoy finding unique experiences."
Act One and HYPA are inviting their members to The Ensemble Theatre for its 35th Anniversary Season Kick-Off, Lotto: Experience the Dream, a comedy by the late Cliff Roquemore and adapted by his son Bryan Roquemore. The two organizations will host a pre-show mixer including a live DJ and cocktails.
Act One and HYPA Pre-Show Mixer
Thursday, October 6, 2011, 5:30PM
The performance of Lotto: Experience the Dream will begin at 7:30P.M.
Tickets are $15
Act One was created as a way to unite The Ensemble Theatre's growing community of young artists and professionals with an increasing interest in how they can contribute to sustaining the institution. Act One members are recognized as the theatre's next generation of leaders who will support the theatre's annual membership campaign and ultimately develop into volunteer and fundraising support.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2011-2012 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. United Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre. This production is generously supported by Spectra Energy.
The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. Thirty-five years later, the theatre has evolved from a touring company operating from the trunk of Mr. Hawkins' car to being one of Houston's finest historical cultural institutions.
The Ensemble is one of a few professional theatres in the region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. The oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African American theatres owning and operating its facility and producing in-house. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997. The Ensemble Theatre has fulfilled and surpassed the vision of its founder and continues to expand and create innovative programs to bring African American theatre to a myriad of audiences.