THE BOOK OF MARY Extends at Dirtdogs Theatre

The Book of Mary (It Costs a Lot to Be Real)-the ultimate theatrical collaboration between Houston icons Mary Hooper and Ted Swindley-has been extended through April 16 due to popular demand! Mary Hooper's one-woman show, which opened to a sold-out audience, now has four additional performances-and unending praise. Reviewers have called it, "charismatic and compelling" and "one of the most enlightening and wonderful theatrical experiences about Houston's recent history you are going to find" while audiences have characterized the theatrical journey as simply, "DYNAMITE!!!!!!"

Ted Swindley Theatre Workshop in association with Dirt Dogs UNLEASHED presents the world premiere of The Book of Mary (It Costs a Lot to Be Real) written by and starring Houston's own Mary Hooper and directed by Ted Swindley, founder of Houston's Stages theatre and author of the popular musical, Always...Patsy Cline. It's a raucous ride: from her Beaumont beginnings as a shy child of deaf parents and her timely escape to the "gayborhood" of Montrose in the 70s and 80s, to her adventures onstage in Houston's way off Broadway theatre scene. Both funny and poignant, The Book of Mary is a love letter to the diva in us all.

Mary Hooper is well known to Houston audiences. From piano bars, improvised warehouse performance spaces, to more sophisticated venues like Alley Theatre and Stages Repertory Theatre, Mary has been on the boards in the Houston theatre scene for more than 45 years. She has numerous performance credits, including those with The Montrose Players, Equinox Theatre and Theatre LaB. In addition, she is a founding member of the company at Stages and was the first cisgender female to join the cast of The Diana Awards.

Mary makes her debut as a playwright with The Book of Mary (It Costs a Lot to Be Real), a production that not only showcases her in the lead role, but also tackles important issues facing women and the LGBTQ+ community. As Mary explains, "I am gratified to see so many old friends and hear that many share my memories of Montrose in the 70s and 80s. To those of us who lived through those times, it's a (sometimes rocky) trip down memory lane. For the younger audience, it's a cautionary tale about the current political climate and the challenges that women and gays are still facing today. And we have a damn good time telling the tales!"

Director Ted Swindley is also a playwright and producer, as well as the founding artistic director of Stages Repertory Theater in Houston. He has directed and/or produced plays and musicals for more than 40 years and is internationally known as the creator and original director of the popular musical, Always...Patsy Cline. He is President and Executive Director of Ted Swindley Productions theatrical licensing where he continues to write plays and musicals, consult and mentor playwrights, including high school seniors for the Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. Annual Student Playwright Festival, and direct plays for various theaters throughout the U.S. and abroad. Ted's complete bio is available at www.tedswindleyproductions.com.

Rounding out the creative team are Mark Lewis (scenic designer), Ian Evans (lighting designer), Tim Thomson (sound/video designer) and Norma Catlin Thomson (production stage manager).

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