Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company was
founded in April of 2001 by actress Jennifer Decker and poet/ professor
Dr. John Harvey. With, no budget , borrowed set pieces and costumes
from the actors’ own closets, Harvey’s first play, Kama Sutra, was written, cast and ready to open in August, 2001.
Since
that first production, under the artistic direction of Jennifer Decker,
the company has created and performed seven seasons of productions,
from original work by now resident playwright John Harvey, to Houston
premiers of shows performed previously in New York and London (sic, Triptych, By the Bog of Cats, One Flea Spare, A Murder of Crows), to World premiers by prominent contemporary playwrights (Noah Haidle’s A Long History of Neglect). These productions have earned considerable praise from the press, and have won the company three Houston
Press: Best Of Houston awards (Best Theatre Company in 2006, Best
Original Show for Rot in 2007, Best Theatre Company on a Shoestring
Budget in 2008). The company has also mentioned in the national
Magazine, American Theatre for their Texas tour of Rot in 2008 (an
original play by John Harvey in collaboration with Bobbindoctrin Puppet
Theatre).
Mildred’s Umbrella loves collaboration, and has worked with Bobbindoctrin Puppet Theatre, University of Houston Honors College, Houston Community College, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Houston Public Library to further enrich the city’s artistic scene through education and artistic growth.
Haunting and Beautiful (Houston Chronicle on One Flea Spare)
Mildred's
Umbrella Theater Company cast... explores Wallace's surreal view with
an almost visual clarity. With its hypnotic and grotesque strangeness,
Flea is unlike any other play in recent memory. (Houston Press on One Flea Spare)
Think Tom Stoppard on Methamphetimines (Houston Press on Things Being at the Worst)
exudes enough despair to make the average Samuel Beckett outing look like “Annie (Houston Chronicle on Rot)
a smart, wildly literary piece of experimental theatre the likes of which no Houstonian will see anywhere else this season (Houston Press on Rot).
Full of promise for something new and different, Mildred’s Umbrella seems to be on the road to someplace exciting (Houston Press);
...the
amazing enemble cast...throws itself into the creepy goings-on with
panache and conviction... a tasty bit of theatre you won't soon forget, (Houston Press on Mac Wellman’s Dracula)
Mildred’ s Umbrella officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in February, 2004.
