Your weekly look at what’s onstage across Houston
- Mar 9
- 3 min read
3/9/26 - 3/15/26
Play
The Counter
4th Wall Theatre Company
2/19/26 - 3/14/26 at the 4th Wall Theatre
Winner of the 2024 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award
This heartfelt play follows Paul, a retired firefighter, and Katie, his regular server. After months of small talk, Paul reaches out for friendship, and Katie agrees, sensing his need. Their bond deepens through shared secrets, leading both to rediscover hope and joy in human connection.
“★★★★ An intensely provocative new American play.” – New York Stage Review“The subtle beauty of The Counter lies in watching these two burrowing creatures develop the kind of bond that means they’re pulling each other back up towards the light.” – New York Magazine“The Counter offers an engrossing dive into the minds of people who have been deeply shaken by their past…” – DC Theater Arts
Description and performance details courtesy of 4th Wall Theatre Company.
Play
Venus in Fur
Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.
2/27/26 - 3/14/26 at the MATCH – Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston
Inspired by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novella, Venus in Fur is a provocative, darkly comedic exploration of power, control, and desire.
Playwright Thomas is searching for the perfect actress to portray Vanda in his stage adaptation. When a mysterious, unorthodox actress named Vanda arrives late to audition, the encounter spirals into a tense and seductive power play. As lines blur between the script and reality, both characters confront their inner conflicts and the darker sides of human nature.
Synopsis adapted from Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.’s official 2025–26 season materials.
Play
A Woman on the Cusp by Carl Williams
Theatre Suburbia
2/27/26 - 3/28/26 at the Theatre Suburbia
February 27 - March 28, 2026
Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00pm
Sundays Mar 15 & 22 @ 2:00pm
A mentally unstable woman, tormented by a childhood trauma, attempts to write her memoirs at her brother’s insistence as a form of therapy. But the ghostwriter brought in to help her, turns out to be more than just a ghost writer. The brother calls in a family friend but the friend’s allegiances are unclear. Ethical dilemmas are discovered, as is the brother’s ultimate goal, and finally the true source of the childhood trauma are revealed.
This play is directed by Doris Merten and features Jana Smith, Cole Pfaffenberger, Maxwell Metyko & Ericka Conway with Marylin Faulkner backstage.
Play
The Chinese Lady
Stages Houston
2/27/26 - 3/22/26 at the Smith Stage
Inspired by the true story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to arrive in America in 1834, this play follows her journey as she becomes a living exhibit for a fascinated public.
With poetic language and dark humor, The Chinese Lady examines identity, culture, and the spectacle of “otherness.” It’s a striking reflection on how America defines itself — and those who shape it from its margins.
Synopsis adapted from Stages Houston’s official 2025–26 season materials.
Play
The Importance of Being Earnest
Alley Theatre
3/6/26 - 3/29/26 at the Hubbard Theatre
By Oscar Wilde. Directed by Rob Melrose. Two bachelors invent alter egos to escape social obligations, only to find themselves entangled in love, lies, and misunderstandings. Wilde’s most celebrated comedy sparkles with sharp humor, mistaken identities, and a joyful send-up of Victorian manners and romance.
Synopsis adapted from Alley Theatre’s official 2025–26 season press release.
Opera
Floyd: Of Mice and Men
Houston Grand Opera – Butler Studio
3/13/26 - 3/15/26 at the Wortham Theater Center – Cullen Theater
HGO’s Butler Studio artists honor the centennial of American composer Carlisle Floyd with his poignant adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Set during the Great Depression, this moving opera follows George and Lennie—two friends chasing an impossible dream in a world of hardship and hope. A powerful tribute to Floyd’s legacy as one of America’s greatest operatic voices.
Synopsis adapted from Houston Grand Opera’s official 2025–26 season materials.
Find more productions, show details, and direct ticket links at HoustonStageGuide.com.
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