If you’re an artist (or arts lover) who remembers the days before the MATCH opened its doors in Midtown, as Dennis Draper does, then you probably remember visiting some less-than-accommodating places.
“Back in the ’90s, when I was working with Infernal Bridegroom Productions, sometimes we were performing in un-airconditioned warehouses with insects and rodents – whatever space we could find,” says the actor, director and current Patron Services Manager at the MATCH.
Maybe you remember Zocalo.
“It was, like, just a backyard,” recalls Draper. “How many performances did I do out there where you were just sweating and thank god the audience wasn’t close enough to smell you as the actor?”
Things changed for the city’s small and midsized arts organizations – theater companies, dance troupes, music ensembles, film festivals and more – in January 2016 with the grand opening of the MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston). The centrally located, non-profit began providing subsidized spaces to these groups: office and cubicle spaces, rehearsal spaces and, of course, performance spaces.
“I can’t think of any other space, even in some of the larger cities like Dallas, where you can go on one weekend and see everything from classical dance to musical theater, and then see an art show in the gallery,” says Draper. “Where else in the world can you go and see a cat circus [the Amazing Acro-Cats] in one theater and then go see Waiting for Godot in another theater?”
As the MATCH approached its fifth anniversary in 2021, the organization considered throwing a party. Unfortunately, a certain pandemic got in the way. The party may have been COVID-canceled, but the desire to do something remained. Following conversations about the MATCH’s mission and the reasons it exists, a new idea emerged: Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival, a day-long festival of miniature performances designed to introduce people to the organizations that you can often catch in one of their four MATCH Boxes.
“The best thing about MATCH, and what we’re hoping to do with this festival, is highlight the fact that the greater Houston area has so much to offer in the way of the arts in every corner,” says Draper. “Years ago, when I found out that Houston has close to 100-plus just theater organizations in the area that blew my mind because I hadn’t heard of most of them. Then when you add the dance organizations, the film festivals, the music groups – it’s amazing.”
More than 30 Houston-area arts organizations will participate in the festival, including The Garden Theatre, Dance Source Houston, Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston, Zoom Shakespeare Productions, Houston Latino Film Festival, Houston Pride Band – just to name a few at random. (You can view a full list here.)
“You won’t be bored,” guarantees Draper.
The festival will start at 10 a.m. with mimosas and brunch bites, which you can enjoy while planning your day. (You can also view the schedule here.) Though you can take breaks to catch your breath, stop by a food truck or visit the gallery to learn more about the participating groups or join in on a community art project, all four of the MATCH’s theaters will be “going full blast for multiple showings” all day.
“There shouldn’t be any downtime unless you want it,” says Draper.
With so much to do, Draper does offer a little advice for you as you plot out your day (and it’s very on theme): Don’t be afraid to mix things up a little.
“I’m going to say, as a theater person who just really started watching dance the last few years, I’m obsessed. So, if you’ve never had an experience with that I say just give it a try,” says Draper. “If you’ve never experienced something like an Indian music performance, maybe give that a try.”
Despite the full slate of performances, Draper says that with each group getting approximately 30 minutes to perform, you should be able to catch at least one dance group, theater company, music ensemble, etc. before the festival closes with cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres, mixing and mingling, and a special performance by Houston’s own Christina Wells.
But that’s not quite the end. As excited as Draper is for the festival, he’s even more excited to see what the festival will become in the future.
“This year is more of a kickoff,” says Draper. “This, to me, has the potential to grow into something really great for the city and for these arts organizations.”
Long-term, Draper hopes to see the festival better incorporate visual arts, grow to multiple days or even weeks, and eventually become something people travel to Houston to see. And pencil it in: Draper says the MATCH will host an open public event to discuss future festivals with all of the festival’s participants – as well as anyone from the public interested in offering their two cents – invited.
“We’re still in the process of creating what this festival might be for the future,” says Draper. “I just think it will add to all the other great stuff that we’re already doing in this city and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The MATCH, 3400 Main. For more information, call 713-521-4533 or visit matchouston.org. $25.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
