The Catastrophic Theatre — Attraction in Houston

The Catastrophic Theatre is the most consistently good local theater company in Houston. From the plays they choose to produce to the production value to the acting, I've learned that I'm guaranteed to be impressed or even quite bowled over by what I just saw.

Their tagline says it all: we will destroy you. The theater prizes itself on choosing plays that have hard-hitting, thought-provoking elements. That being said, they're quite good at inflecting humor into all their plays, or even doing a straight comedy, as with their annual Tamarie shows. Either way, you'll certainly spend spend a lot of time thinking the play over well after the final bows.

Catastrophic's strengths lie in plays that transport you to what feels like a parallel world. Whether its a portrayal of the surreal atmospheres present in Beckett plays, a hotel stuck in a limbo-like dreamland, or even a world where people live in a bizarre disco shopping mall, Catastrophic will take you there, convincingly.

The theater space is intimate yet professional, complete with a mid-sized lobby and a good variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-) and snacks that you're allowed to bring into the theater with you. The actors usually hang out outside the theater after the performance to meet and greet with the audience, which is a nice touch.

On top of all this the tickets are always pay-what-you-can, which is definitely not the case for other local Houston theatre companies. Even so, I implore you to pay more than the minimum to keep this amazing company going at full-steam. Pro tip: look up the directions before heading to the theater and use your GPS; it's just a touch hard to find...

This is the best entertainment value in Houston. Pay what you can for live theatre, seriously, why aren't their shows always sold out? I've been to every one of their productions for more than a year now, and I've never been disappointed. I love the intimate setting, the dark humor, and the curating of plays I probably would not be exposed to, otherwise. Sometimes they make you think, sometimes they make you laugh...I mean, Tamarie's musicals are always hilarious! Overall, The Catastrophic Theatre makes me proud to be...

Of all the theaters in Houston, The Catastrophic Theatre remains my favorite. Their productions are not everyone’s cuppa, but if you like plumbing the dark depths of absurdity to find roots of wonder and a wry faith in humanity despite its failures, you will enjoy them. And/or, if you love their historical “pay what you can” ticket prices (as I do), consider supporting them with a donation regardless of whethet you watch the...