The Catastrophic Theatre Gets a Place of Its Own

The Catastrophic Theatre has announced the acquisition of a dedicated performance facility at 1119 East Fwy, Houston, Texas. Catastrophic's new home signals both an exciting new phase for the organization and the preservation of its primary performance venue.

Located in The Warehouse district just north of Downtown Houston, the facility was home to DiverseWorks Artspace for 20 years. Catastrophic has presented 13 productions there and was the Theatre in Residence since 2010. When DiverseWorks announced its move to Midtown earlier this year, Catastrophic was faced with the loss of its primary performance space and the prospect of one less intimate venue in the city. By leasing the space for three years, The Catastrophic Theatre has secured a location for future productions and forestalled the gutting of an important alternative arts venue.

With a dedicated facility, our theatre artists will have unfettered access to theatre space, an important key to Catastrophic's continued artistic growth. Says Artistic Director Jason Nodler: "We are grateful to the local arts organizations that have opened their homes to us over the years, but we are very much looking forward to the artistic freedom a space of our own affords us."

The new space also presents new opportunities for the organization. "We are committed to an audience experience that only an intimate venue can provide," says Managing Director Kirk Markley, "and our recent sold-out run of Fleaven demonstrates the demand for additional performances. Having our own space and controlling our own schedule is the only path to building upon the audience growth we have enjoyed so far."

"The best thing about this move it what it means to the Houston arts community," says Board President Paul Brockman. "Our devoted fans have always managed to find us wherever we performed throughout the city. But with a real home base, we now have the opportunity to expand our programming and reach new audiences. This is great news for those who love the performing arts, and by extension the community as a whole."

Now celebrating its fifth anniversary season, The Catastrophic Theatre was founded by veteran Houston artists Jason Nodler and Tamarie Cooper and produced its first play in April 2008. Since then, Catastrophic has become known for pioneering new works, critically-acclaimed avant-garde classics, and introducing fresh voices to Houston audiences.

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