Since January of 2017 the middle of the Houston Galleria has been home to the new A.D. Players Theater. This company, founded by Jeannette Clift George 52 years ago is hoping to make a mark on the city of Houston. One of Houston’s largest resident theatre companies, the A.D. Players came under new Executive Leadership with the addition of Jake Speck as the Executive Director in August of 2017. Upon the passing of Founder and Artistic Director, Jeannette Clift George, in December of 2017, long time company member Kevin Dean was named the Interim Artistic Director for the 2018-2019 Season.

While the A.D. Players began as a touring company thatperformed for dinner events, they eventually moved to producing a full season of shows in their building on W. Alabama. The story goes that at their first performance someone asked Jeannette what to call this troupe of actors when they were introduced, and she replied “Call us the After Dinner Players. Then people will know to feed us before we perform.” Years later, going by the abbreviated name A.D. Players, and performing in the 450 seat theater on Westheimer, the process of choosing shows is a more complex one. The goal is to find a variety of shows that entertain, enrich, inspire, and complement each other. At the First Annual Gala for the A.D. Players in March they were able to do a soft announcement of their season and then roll it out to the general public on May 7.

The exciting 52^nd season includes “Around the World in 80 Days,” Jules Verne’s classic story featuring five actors playing 39 characters in a whirlwind comedy adventure; “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” offers a fresh take on the timeless Christmas tale as a 1940s radio broadcast; “Tuesdays with Morrie,” based on The New York Times bestseller, chronicles how lunch with a college professor dying from ALS sparks a journey of discovery for one man; “The God Committee” deals with matters of the heart, exploring prejudices and how personal experiences shape our point of views; and the perennial Broadway musical, “West Side Story,” featuring the original Bernstein score and Jerome Robbins’ iconic choreography.

A.D. Players is also proud to introduce the “Jeanette Clift George Black Box Legacy Series,” as a special season addition, in honor of Mrs. George’s prolific career as a playwright for four decades.

“It is with great pride that we offer a season with so much variety, that reflects not only our evolution as a multi-faceted arts organization, but our growing and diverse audience base,” said Executive Director Jake Speck.

Join the A.D. Players this year for one or all of these amazing shows. More information can be found at www.adplayers.org or by calling the Box Office at 713-526-2721.