The Ensemble Theatre to Stage THE OLD SETTLER, 5/3-6/1

The Ensemble Theatre presents its revival comedy, The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood and directed by Ensemble Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris.

In World War II Harlem, New York, a fifty-five-year-old spinster (or as they were called in those days--an Old Settler), Elizabeth Borny, rents a room in her apartment to a dashingly handsome young male tenant named Husband Witherspoon. Husband came from South Carolina to search for his pretentious yet wayward girlfriend, Lou Bessie Preston, but finds himself falling for the older woman.

Also living with Elizabeth is her feisty fifty-three year old sister, Quilly McGrath, who doesn't like Husband living with them in the first place. And surely doesn't approve of their "carrying on," especially since Elizabeth is old enough to be his mother. It is this "carrying on" that strains the ominous tension between the sisters and exposes a thirty-year-old wound they must finally address to mend their relationship once and for all.

Featured cast members include: Roc Living, Detria Ward, Samantha West, and Bebe Wilson.

The show runs in previews: Saturday, May 3, Sunday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 7, with a regular run May 8 - June 1, 2014. The Opening Night and Media Reception is Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. All performances take place at The Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main St., Houston, TX 77002. Call 713-520-0055 or visit www.EnsembleHouston.com for more information. Ticket Prices: $19 - $44.

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-seven 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 myriad audiences.

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