There isn't another professional company in Houston dedicated to producing high-quality, diverse American stories. Their work is instrumental in amplifying new American voices and curating truly representative American experiences on stage.
I have worked with David Rainey for years and watched as he built this company up through force of will, blood, sweat, and tears. That ethic and attitude shows up in their work. Landing is an exciting, vibrant producer of meaningful theatre and spark for dialogue. I am honored to serve as an advisory board member to Landing Theatre Co.
What a great theatre to be working for! This small but dedicated theatre company is pushing for great work each and every performance. I find myself motivated to continue making my work better and better to match the determination of this company and I really enjoy the challenges they offer. They are a great group of people who want to make good theatre and no one is going to stop them on their mission!
The Landing Theatre Company is a dedicated community of people who truly understand the importance of art and story. I was fortunate to have a reading here where I worked with a wonderful cast and director, Stephen Miranda, for my play The American Dream. The feedback with the audience was honest and insightful. It is exactly what a writer needs to improve their work. David Rainey is a great support and shares priceless knowledge on theatre. New to Houston myself, Stevie Michelle welcomed me, supplying rich advice. I don't know when, but this New Yorker will be back. Thank you, Landing.
The Landing Theatre Company played host to me and three other playwrights from across the country in their original reading series last spring. The team from the theater was kind, well organized, welcoming, and professional in presenting our work, and also gave us a great Texas welcome. It was a pleasure working with them, meeting likeminded artists, and participating in the discussions that our plays inspired.
The Landing Theatre commissioned me, along with another local playwright, to create site-specific work that celebrates the city I live in and local artistry at the same time. It was a thrilling experience, and one that's unique among all the artistic opportunities I've ever received. It's one of many things the Landing has done that demonstrates its dedication to serving and enriching its community.
I was brought on to write a play for the micro-theatre project, Within These Walls. It was a new experience for practically everyone involved. The sheer amount of variables involved meant it should have been a playground for Murphy's Law. But it wasn't. It was a playground for us, as artists, to create something new and interesting and challenging for the Houston theatre community. I loved it and would vouch for this company any day. They are dedicated, talented, and passionate professionals.
I have admired the incredible and versatile talent of David Rainey for nearly two decades, from his riveting dramatic performances at the Alley Theatre to directing award winning productions with the Back Porch Players and then venturing into his own company with The Landing Theatre.
Every production by The Landing Theatre Company offers incredible performances by serious professionals in plays that includes serious discussions about social impact from Darfur, a play about genocide to mental health issues in Houston by a local writer in Between Two Caves which is currently being performed now.
The expertise and talent that Landing Theatre attracts is impressive. The dedication to the mission of the company has continued to be strong as the public becomes more aware of continuing quality of performances, the impact of the selections and the overall quality and creativity of productions like Exit 27 which was produced at the University of Houston and the two concurrent productions at a unique location in Houston.
If you want to be moved by social issues, Landing Theatre will never disappoint you. Plus, they have a whimsical way to make you smile with the characters in brief moments of uplift with each production.
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Landing Theatre has an incredibly skilled core of artists who produce socially relevant plays and educational programs. The artistic Director, David Rainey is a highly disciplined director and multi-talented artist who is not only capable of incredible performances in difficult roles, he is able to bring out the best performances of other actors and students. He inspires them to excel beyond their own perceived capacity and produce award winning performances. Proof of his exceptional inspiration can be seen in "In Darfur" an intense production about genocide in 2017 and "In The Blood" a diatribe about the reality of street violence which he directed for The Back Porch Players in 2011. Every production by Landing There under David Rainey's masterful guidance brings an uncomfortable subject and awareness to an audience who wants more than just entertainment, they want lessons in life that shakes their core emotions and helps generate discussions about the failures of society to serve humanity.
I was honored to be invited to be a part of the New American Voices Playwright Series last year-- everything was incredibly organized and welcoming, the director and cast for my play were all amazing and the feedback from the guests was priceless and helped me to revise the piece with stronger intentions. I very much enjoyed the process and appreciated the opportunity they gave to the four of us playwrights to grow our new works.
The Landing Theatre Company included The Forbidden Fruits of Honey Frost
in their 2018 New American Voices Play Reading Series, and I’m still levitating from the marvelous time I had meeting all the playwrights, directors, actors and audience members. Attending all four readings and getting to know David Rainey, Stevie Aycock and the other playwrights on a personal level deepened and enriched the entire experience! I was thrilled that Troy Scheid was chosen as my director. She cast a brilliant group of actors who were brave and imaginative collaborators! Troy’s directorial vision of the play translated itself to the actors in ways I hardly dared to imagine. In fact, I thought our brief rehearsal culminated in a staged reading that often possessed an intensity as alive as a full production!
So I'm very grateful for the privilege of witnessing The Forbidden Fruits of Honey Frost spring to vivid life, and for the great swell of optimism I’m starting to feel for the destiny of the play. I must add that I’ve been so honored and delighted to witness the evolution of The Landing Theatre Company with its bold mission, its generous hospitality, and devoted audience. What a great blessing to the American Theatre that The Landing Theatre Company serves new American plays at an early stage of their development. They’re enabling fresh, unprecedented plays to be heard, plays that contribute at every level of their growth to the language and culture of their times!!
Wonderful experience now on two occasions. Highly recommend checking this theatre out for stories which are quite different from the norm. You will be met and greeted very warmly and made to feel incredibly welcome.
The Landing Theatre Company is a little theater with a BIG heart! My play, Under This Roof, was chosen as part of their 2017 New American Voices series. I was welcomed with a fully professional team that breathed life into my story. I got to experience my play as a living breathing entity through the excellent acting. I'm so grateful to Landing Theatre for giving me this gift ,and opening the experience up to their patrons. A big shout out to Landing Theatre for their commitment to the development of new American works!
As theatre patron, I have greatly enjoyed my audience experiences at The Landing Theatre Company. I appreciate their mission and feel that I am a better human being after seeing the shows they choose to produce. As a working theatre artist always looking for good material for my arts organization, I have found new material and worthy playwrights through their work. I think they are among Houston's best! In my personal dealings with Artistic Director David Rainey and all their staff, I have been struck by their compassion, kindness and unique view of the world.
The Landing Theatre does readings and productions of old and new plays. Their work with new plays and emerging playwrights is crucial for the health of the theatre.
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The Landing Theatre Company actively seeks different, under-represented voices in their work with new plays. I was one of their New American Voices playwright this spring, and despite fewer resources than other better funded theatres might have, they did an excellent job. The readings were well-attended, we were introduced to other Houston arts professionals, it was a wonderful, fruitful experience.
The Landing Theatre Company nurtures new work with its New American Voices Reading Series. It is a gift to have time and space to accept critique and encouragement during a play's inevitable period of growing pains. The risks that LTC takes on new plays is imperative for the community, as they introduce otherwise unknown writers to hungry audiences. Houston is lucky to have a theatre with such an adventerous and skillful spirit!
The Landing Theatre is doing great innovative shows, staged reading, and so much more. Lead by the incredibly talented David Raney, The Landing is a wonderful addition to Houston's thriving theatre scene. I just saw its current show "How I learned to Drive" and was so impressed with the cast and crew. I look forward to future shows.
I have participated in two of the last four New American Voices play reading series produced by the Landing Theater in Houston. The aim of the series is to help playwrights develop a draft of a play in order to make it ready for production. In both cases, I found the process to be immensely helpful. Landing provided me with first-rate actors and a top-notch director, plus rehearsal time with which to explore my play and refine it. That portion of the process would have made the trip to Houston from Massachusetts worthwhile by itself, but the series culminates in a public reading, which provides the added benefit of the chance to watch an audience watch and react to the play. Moreover, the reading is staged, enabling the playwright to explore how the play moves in space. For each of my plays, it was the first time that I saw the play staged. Finally, the series gave me the opportunity to meet and make connections with members of the Houston theater community, which are always invaluable to professional development. I am in the process of pulling together my application for the 2016 series and have my fingers crossed that I earn the opportunity to go through the process again with a new play.
LTC makes making theatre a joy! The staff is remarkable: they are artists themselves, ones who are friendly and warm, one of the most welcoming ensemble I've worked with in a while. Being a playwright, you are nomadic for the most part. LTC feels like home. I was lucky enough to be part of their New American Voices Series this past year. Flying through Dallas, my flight got delayed and my show was premiering that night. Once I landed in Houston, I was rushed to the theatre, only to find that everyone had held the curtain for me. I was handed a beer, given a smile and hug by everyone, and then watched my play performed in such a beautifully crafted way that I wanted to rewind the last 90 minutes so I could experience it all over again. My experience with LTC was top notch. I would encourage audiences to attend their shows, artists to collaborate with their team, and for donors and volunteers to join the company with a helping hand in any way possible. Thank you LTC!
As a playwright, the Landing Theatre is a unique experience. The fact that they judge hundreds of plays "blind" (without the author's name attached) to the very last minute of agreement sets them apart from other companies and is representative of their goal to produce work that speaks to them and their community. When I came to Houston for the reading, I was so well treated and my play received a strong and well-attended reading. I could ask for no more from any company.
The Landing Theatre Company in Houston is one of the best theater companies I have ever worked with. They are a theatre of raw passion, heart, and perseverance like no other. It has been an absolute privilege to work with such a wonderful group of artists. I hope the Landing Theatre Company provides amazing storytelling to audiences for many years to come.
I am an avid theatre goer and attend many performances in the Houston, TX area. I immediately became been a Landing Theatre fan when I saw SMUDGE at the UH Downtown location. The following year year, they produced EXIT 27, a play about the lost boys of a fundamentalist LDS sect. The quality of the script as well as performances were memorable.
Since then, I've seen three more plays produced by them: ALL IN THE TIMING, DEVIL DOG SIX and HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.
HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE is their latest production, and it was wonderful. The actors skillfully brought out the humanity in the flawed characters they portrayed.
The Landing Theatre Company is also dedicated in finding four new works by American playwrights to showcase for audiences for the New American Voices Play Reading Series. This event is entirely free to audiences.
I've had the privilege to personally know members of the Company, and they're a wonderful group of people who are dedicated to their craft.
If you're in the Houston area, be sure to catch one of their productions. You'll be glad you did.
Landing plays an important role in our community of small theatres. The company serves as a training space for artists and technicians looking to increase their skills, and it promotes small business through their creative use of venues as performance spaces.
I am a playwright about to return to the Landing Theatre to take part in their New American Voices playwriting festival. The support of the theater and the festival helped me to fully realize the script that I brought them three years ago. I trust that they will do the same with my new script this time. The opportunity that they offer me and other playwrights to work with professionals dedicated to new play development is essential to bringing a new play to the stage.
Landing Theatre is comprised of a group of people who truly care about playwrights and advancing new scripts for the American Stage. The Landing staff is extremely supportive, and their programs offer an opportunity for emerging playwrights to hear their scripts out loud and gain useful feedback from the community. Working with Landing gave me the tools needed to advance to the next draft of my script, and I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to work with such an energetic and professional company.