THE HARD PROBLEM At MST Extends Through Oct 13

Main Street Theater (MST) has extended its 44th Season opening production, Tom Stoppard's newest play, The Hard Problem, through October 13. MST and Executive Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden have long been the go-to source for Stoppard's plays for Houston, for Texas, and even the nation (MST's production of The Coast of Utopia trilogy drew audiences from across the U.S.). It's fitting, then, that MST would produce the Regional Premiere of Stoppard's latest work.

As with Stoppard's other works, The Hard Problem is an exquisite mix of high intellect and deep emotion. "The hard problem" is a philosophical and scientific term (coined by David Chalmers). The hard problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining why any physical state is conscious rather than not: we can explain the "what" and the "how" of consciousness, but not the "why." To answer the why, we must go beyond the usual methods of science. Is this the soul? Is this God? What is it that makes us truly human? The characters in the play explore the hard problem through their work, yes, but also through their own lives, particularly that of Hilary who is mourning her own personal loss.

The production now runs through October 6 at MST - Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $36 - $55, depending on date, section, and availability. All tickets are on sale via phone at 713.524.6706 or online at MainStreetTheater.com.

Main Street Theater offers an ongoing Part of the Art Series, free opportunities for audiences and artists to connect with the plays in different ways. For the Post-Show Discussions, audience members do not need to be attending the performance that day to join the post-show discussion: just plan to arrive 2 hours after the curtain time that day. Remaining Part of the Art Series Events for The Hard Problem are:

• Sunday, September 29: Following the matinee, John Lienhard, originator of The Engines of Our Ingenuity and Prof. Emeritus of Engineering and of History at the University of Houston, will give a post-show talk followed by an open discussion with the artists and audience.
• Friday, October 4: Join us for a post-show discussion with Jeffrey J. Kripal who holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought, Associate Dean of Humanities at Rice University. Dr. Kripal's latest book, The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge, touches on some of the very subjects addressed in The Hard Problem.
• Free Beer Friday: Following regular Friday performances sponsored by Saint Arnold in The Liberty Group lobby (previews excluded).
• After-parties following all Saturday performances, including a special reception on Opening Night, in The Liberty Group lobby.

Rebecca Greene Udden, who has directed many of Stoppard's plays over the years including Arcadia, The Real Thing, The Coast of Utopia, and many more, directs The Hard Problem. The cast includes Jessie Hyder Powell as Hilary, Connor Flynn as Spike, Mai Le (Men on Boats) as Bo, Callina Anderson (The Revolutionists, Grand Concourse) as Ursula, Jordan Tannous as Amal, Bonnie Langthorn as Julia, Dwight Clark (The Book of Will) as Leo, Rhett Martinez (Daisy) as Jerry, and the role of Jerry's daughter Cathy will be shared by Anfisa Maredia and Kallie Vinsnon. Rebecca Greene Udden, usually behind the scenes as director (most recently, The Book of Will), plays Louise.

Kara Greenberg is the Assistant Director. The production design team includes Liz Freese (Set Design), Eric Marsh (Lighting Design), Victoria Nicolette Gist (Costume Design), Jacob Sanchez (Sound Design), and Rodney Walsworth (Properties Design). Amanda Adwers is the production stage manager.

About Main Street Theater

Now in its 44th Season, Main Street Theater provides live theater experiences for all ages. The MainStage produces intellectually and emotionally engaging professional productions for adults in the heart of the Rice Village and operates under an Actors' Equity Association union contract; the Theater for Youth produces engaging productions based on children's literature for families and school groups, both in-house and on tour around Texas, reaching over 150,000 audience members each season; and we offer Education and Outreach programs on-site and at satellite locations around the Greater Houston area for youth aged 4 - high school. We work out of 2 facilities: our Rice Village home on Times. Blvd., and as part of the MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) on Main Street.

Main Street Theater is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for not-for-profit theaters, of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (formerly ASSITEJ), the world theatre network of theatre for children and young people, and a founding member of Houston Arts Partners. Main Street Theater is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Photo Credit: John Lienhard

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