To Houston With Love: Portland’s Tesla City Stories to Hold Benefit Show to Rebuild Houston Theater After Hurricane Harvey

The Tesla City Stories, a live vintage radio theater show that embodies the Golden Age of Radio, will be holding a benefit performance on Saturday, September 9^th at 8:00 p.m. at the Fremont Theater in Portland to benefit a beloved theater and stage company that is one of the many victims of Hurricane Harvey and the extensive flooding that followed.
 
The cast of Tesla City Stories has deep roots in Houston, a city with a vibrant arts community and a growing reputation nationally. The September 9^th benefit performance will raise funds for the Ensemble Theater in the Houston theater district, which has been one of the hardest hit areas by flooding. Despite losing its home theater, the performance company has added new meaning to the show business motto “The show must go on” by performing an extensive schedule of performances in hurricane shelters across the city for fellow Houstonians who have lost their homes.
 
The Tesla City Stories will be accepting donations for the Ensemble Theater via its website.
 
“The arts community in Portland and Houston have extensive ties that are easy to overlook but they run very deep. Both the director of The Tesla City Stories and I learned our love of the arts and began practicing our craft in Houston. We meet people in Portland every day who have similar ties to Houston and who got their creative starts in that city,” said Jerry Chrisman, executive producer of Tesla City Stories.
 
“People want to be able to help, and this Saturday’s performance will do exactly that: Our goal is to help one of the gems of Houston’s arts community rebuild their beautiful theater and get back on their own stage. We’re moved to hear about how Ensemble has been performing for free in shelters across the city, and this benefit performance is our way of helping the heart of Houston beat even stronger after this natural disaster. Thank you to everyone who comes out on Saturday or sends donations to Houston.”
 
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. Forty years later, the theatre has evolved from a touring company operating from the trunk of Mr. Hawkins’ car to being one of Houston’s finest historical cultural institutions. Information about the theater’s ongoing efforts during the hurricane recovery can be found at its website.
 
The September 9^th performance will be a double-bill that includes the continuing comedic adventures of the world’s worst singer in “Heavens to Bletsy,” and a spine-tingling murder mystery in an episode of the “Wilde Card Mysteries”—both of which require no prior knowledge of earlier episodes to enjoy. First time attendees will appreciate the performances as much as returning fans. Tickets for the Saturday benefit performance are available at: http://www.teslacitystories.com/next-show-september-9th-get-tickets-below/.

Contact Information

Aaron Sewall

Communications Director

The Tesla City Stories

(1) 971 261 7046

aaronjsewall@gmail.com