Rec Room Art’s Artistic Director Matt Hune says that building a theater season is like creating an album: each play makes up a story that flows through the year. This year, Rec Room’s season-long story explores the dynamics that bring people together and pull them apart. Beyond that, Hune wants to explore what Rec Room can offer beyond seeing a show.
Rec Room’s 2024 season started off with King James, but it’s not about the king you might be thinking of. Written by Rajiv Joseph and directed by Philip Kershaw, King James follows the friendship of two men, using the career of basketball star LeBron James to chart the course.
“LeBron doesn’t necessarily make an appearance,” Hune explains. “It’s really using sports as a way to talk about friendship and how ultimately these guys express love for each other. I was super interested in how we, outside of romantic relationships, express love to friends. Lately I have been finding the male experience really interesting—what it means to be a man, what it means to be friends with a man.”
In the fall, Hune will direct Spring Awakening by Steven Sater. Rec Room has produced plenty of shows with music involved (the Dead Rock Star shows, Rite of Spring) but this is the first proper musical for the company. “The subject matter is pretty relevant and speaks to modern generations and the tension between the generations,” Hune says. “It gets political without being overtly political, which interests me. And the music is just good.”
Mounting a musical in a smaller space provides just one of many challenges, but Hune says those challenges are why people want to engage with Rec Room. “Physical limitations do come into play. What happens if it doesn’t fit? Let’s see what happens if we program a play that doesn’t actually fit in the space. It gets us to work more creatively…We’re asking for artists and audiences to put in more work that, we hope, ultimately pays off.”
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Rec Room Arts Co-Founder and Artistic Director Matt Hune. Photo by Tasha Gorel.
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Rec Room Arts Executive Director Stefan Azizi; Photo by Tasha Gorel.
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Blake Weir and Antonio Lasanta in the Rec Room Arts production of Rajiv Joseph’s King James. Photo by Tasha Gorel.
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Antonio Lasanta and Blake Weir in the Rec Room Arts production of Rajiv Joseph’s King James. Photo by Tasha Gorel.
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Brandon Morgan, Molly Wetzel, and Jay Sullivan in the Rec Room Arts production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Photo by Tasha Gorel.
Hune emphasizes that the making of Rec Room’s season is a team effort. “It often feels like family here,” he says. “We do bring in new artists. But it’s always great to further the depth of collaboration with someone. Makes it easier.” Watt proposed Winter Solstice and Stefan Azizi, Rec Room’s Executive Director, also serves as Director of Design. “We couldn’t do what we do the way we do it without his work. He can take this 1800 square foot space and transform it each time. Every show, I am more in awe of what he does. I love seeing people’s expressions when they walk in the room, not realizing our space could do that.” Houston theater veterans like Robert Leslie Meek and Leah Smith will return in various design roles throughout the season.
—EMILY HYNDS
