Catastrophic Theatre announces 2016-17 season featuring Donald Barthelme premiere

The Catastrophic Theatre's 2016-17 season will include a staging of renowned Houston writer Donald Barthelme's 1967 novel "Snow White," an experimental inversion of the classic fairy tale. 

Barthelme once wrote a stage adaptation for the novel, but never shared the work with the public. The production will be a world premiere produced with the Barthelme estate, Brazos Bookstore and Inprint.

Barthelme's postmodernist short stories graced the pages of the New Yorker for years. Barthelme, who passed away in 1989, was director of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and a founder of the creative writing program at University of Houston.

The play will be performed April 7 to 29, 2017, and directed by Greg Dean. 

The Catastrophic Theatre's new season will also include new plays by Chicago playwright and returning Catastrophic Theatre artist Mickle Maher, "Orange is the New Black" writer Nick Jones and Catastrophic Theatre co-founder Tamarie Cooper. 

The season is performed at the MATCH, the new performance art space located in Midtown. All shows are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested price of $35. 

Here's the full lineup: 

"Buried Child," by Sam Shepard, through Oct. 1. Read our review here. 

"Song About Himself," by Mickle Maher, Nov. 11 – Dec. 3.
Maher's new play, inspired by Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself," features a woman, Carol, living in a dystopian future. Directed by Jason Nodler. 

"Trevor," by Nick Jones, Feb. 10 – March 4, 2017
Based on the true story of a woman attacked by her pet chimpanzee, "Trevor" is told through the eyes of an animal, Trevor. Directed by Tamarie Cooper. 

"Snow White," by Donald Barthelme, April 7-29, 2017

 "Tamarie's Merry Evening of Mistakes and Regrets," by Tamarie Cooper and friends, Jun 29 – Aug. 12, 2017
Tamarie Cooper's annual summer show returns with a musical about youthful folly, heartache and Judy Garland covers.