After 5 years of conceptual plans and two more years of space planning, designing and countless iterations, Main Street Theater's renovation has begun with demolition of much of its signature Rice Village theater building. Thanks to some of Houston's leading arts foundations and many generous individual donors, Main Street Theater (MST) is, quite literally, "raising the roof" to prepare for the future!
Comprised of two rather mismatched properties, MST's MainStage building (also home to many after-school classes and summer camps) dates from the last 1930s. Fashioned into an intimate theater in the early 1980s (after MST had outgrown its home in the cafeteria at Autry House), the building is ready for a complete overhaul: new plumbing, wiring, air conditioning - the works! New and larger patron restrooms, a new second-floor Classroom/Rehearsal Room, new dressing rooms and a dramatic, double-height playing space that, while still intimate, will bring a new world of creativity to MST's actors, directors and designers.
As you can see from the photos, our demolition crew has been busy stripping away layers of the building we can't reuse. The back wing (old dressing rooms and the Green Room) has been demolished; the former second floor apartment is being taken down; the roof over the auditorium is now gone, as well.
By the end of this week, the two pesky structural i-beams - that have been a part of every set and every show and caused some less-than-desirable sight lines at times - will be removed. But have no fear: we'll be re-purposing those poles in the renovated lobby.
Stay tuned for more updates!
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