HOUSTON (March 6, 2017) – The Ensemble Theatre kicks off its 40th Anniversary Season audience choice, The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years, by Pearl Cleage and directed by Eileen J. Morris with Opening Night and media reception, Thursday, March 23, 2017.

Pearl Cleage is the award winning playwright of Blues for an Alabama Sky and Flyin’ West, and the New York Times best-selling author of Oprah book club selection, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day.

“The Ensemble Theatre enjoys a rich relationship with Ms. Cleage, having produced four of her plays in previous seasons,” says Morris. “We are also excited to have a production on our 40th Anniversary Season lineup that was expressly selected by our patrons.”

The Nacirema Society was chosen by ballot over more than 60 different productions, and was one of the most acclaimed shows during The Ensemble Theatre’s 35th season.

Every year since Emancipation, the Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama introduces six elegant African-American debutants to a world of wealth, privilege and social responsibility. This year, at its 100th anniversary, with young love brewing, old flames simmering and national media attention on-hand. . . what would dare to go awry? Cleage invites you into this glamorous world where folks still dress for dinner. A sparkling romantic comedy!

Featured Cast members include: Detria Ward, Andrea Boronell, Candice D’Meza, Joyce Anastasia Murray, Derrick Brent II, Rachel Hemphill Dickson, Tish Dorn, Crystal Rae, Cynthia Garcia Brown, and Yunina Barbour Payne.

Previews: March 18, 19, 22 Show Runs: March 23 – April 16, 2017

Performance Days and Times: Thursdays: 7:30 p.m; Fridays: 8:00 p.m; Saturdays: 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m; and Sundays: 3:00 p.m.

Tickets Available Online: www.EnsembleHouston.com For Information Call: 713-520-0055

Ticket Prices: $23 - $50

Opening Night and Media Reception, Thursday, March 23, 2017, 6:30 p.m.

The Ensemble Theatre's 2016-2017 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. United Airlines is the official airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre. The Nacirema Society…is generously underwritten by Spectra Energy.

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and enlighten, entertain and enrich a diverse community. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team.

The Ensemble Theatre produces a main stage season of six contemporary and classic works devoted to the portrayal of the African American experience by local and national playwrights and artists. The theatre’s Performing Arts Education program provides educational workshops, Artist-in-Residence experiences and live performances for students both off-site and at the theatre; and the Young Performers Program offers intensive summer training for children ages 6 to 17 encompassing instruction in all disciplines of the theatre arts.