The Texas Repertory Theatre Co., the beloved professional theatre of North Houston for two decades, is now offering their repertoire of award-winning plays at Lambert Hall in the historic Houston Heights!
About Us
Steven Fenley, Artistic Director
Steven Fenley is the Artistic Director of The Texas Repertory Theatre Company. Mr. Fenley is a multi-talented theatre artist whose career includes extensive work in both professional and educational theatre. Texas Rep audiences will remember his performances as CS Lewis in Shadowlands, Henry II in The Lion in Winter, The Stage Manager in Our Town, Bottom the Weaver in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Psuedolus in A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Sir Toby Belch in IILYRIA, as the voice of author Jean Shepard in A Christmas Story, Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple, John Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet, Boris Kolenkohf in You Can’t Take it With You, Carlino in Wait Until Dark, and as Freddie Fillmore in It’s a Wonderful Life: a live radio play. Mr. Fenley has appeared with the Tony-award-winning Alley Theatre, and was a company member of Houston’s Main Street Theatre. In addition, he has appeared with Stages Repertory Company, The Theatre Factory, Theatre South Carolina, Walden Theatre Kentucky, Trustus Theatre, and The Houston Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Fenley was a company member at American Player’s Theatre for their 25th anniversary season, where he appeared in Shakespeare’s Othello, Twelfth Night, and Playboy of the Western World. As a Director, Mr. Fenley has staged The Texas Repertory Theatre Co. productions of Dracula, Barefoot in the Park, Bus Stop, Sylvia, When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder?, Greetings!, Boeing Boeing, and The Miss Firecracker Contest. Steven holds a BFA in theatre from the Professional Theatre Training Program at Southern Methodist University, where he was a Greer Garson Award Recipient. He received his MFA in theatre from The University of South Carolina.
Phillipians 3: 13 – 15.
Marinell Mendoza, Managing Director
Director of Development, The Texas Repertory Theatre Company, Inc., 2003-2016
Vice President, Amethyst Custom Homes, Inc., 1985-Presdent
Director, Crime Prevention Awareness Committee, Renaissance 1960, 2006-2008
Women's Business Forum, 1996-2016
Marinell Mendoza considers herself a native Houstonian, although she was born in Fort Worth and arrived in Houston just 3 weeks later. She is proud to say that she grew up in the culturally rich East End of Houston.
Marinell has been in business with her husband, Al Mendoza, for over 30 years and they have built over 200 custom homes in Northwest Harris County and South Montgomery County
Marinell Mendoza was a pioneer Realtor in Northwest Houston when FM 1960 was still the main east-west travel route for and before the construction of Beltway 8 or The Grand Parkway.
Having a vested interest in the development of this Northwest community over the last 4 decades, Marinell believed many years ago that a professional theater in this area would add a much needed performing arts amenity to her beloved community. She was instrumental in the early developmental stages of The Texas Repertory Theatre, calling on friends and acquaintances for input about such a project. After finding no one in her community who thought creating a theatre company was impossible, Marinell organized a flurry of meetings, luncheons and a public relations campaign in order to bring this dream to reality. She helped found The Texas Repertory Theatre which closed in August 2016 by a decision of the Board of Trustees.
Marinell Mendoza is gratified that her community supports the cultural arts venues located in Northwest Houston. She takes pride in the fact that this is the only precinct in Harris County outside Loop 610 to offer such cultural amenities on a professional level and that Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle is a huge supporter of the arts. In 2008, Marinell was chosen “Citizen of the Year” by The Northwest Chamber of Commerce.
Trey Otis, Technical Director
Trey Otis has been Production Manager and Resident Set Designer for The Texas Repertory Theatre since 2010 He began his studies in theatre design and technology at Sam Houston University. After graduation, he went on to earn an M.A. at Southwest Texas State University and an M.F.A. at The University of Houston.
Trey has worked extensively both On and Off-Broadway as well as a stint on London's West End and Theatre Royal in Bath, England. While in England, he worked under the direction of Sir Peter Hall, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Trey has also worked with Paul Bernhard Exhibitions developing exhibits for the entirely new and greatly expanded “Wiess Energy Hall = Version 3.0” for the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which opened in November 2017.
Currently, Trey Otis is teaching Technical Theatre at Spring High School in Spring, Texas.
I Hate Hamlet – The Houston Press
When was the last time you saw a play and eagerly awaited each character's entrance, knowing that whoever came on next would be funnier than the last? Each character in I Hate Hamlet ratchets up the comedy by being outrageous, bizarre, utterly delightful — and, at times, full of life and truth. This rarely happens, trust me. But in Paul Rudnick's uproarious comedy, playing in a definitive production at Texas Repertory Theatre, it's the case from beginning to end. First is successful TV star Andrew (Rob de los Reyes), who's about to play Hamlet and scared witless at the daunting task. Next up is real estate agent Felicia (Marcy Kearns), who's dripping bangles, a Brooklyn accent and an amateur link to the spirit world. Then Andrew's dotty girlfriend Deirdre (Jen Lucy) lights up the room; she's made a career out of virginity, which drives him buggy. Andrew's agent Lillian (Barbara Lasater) reminds him that, like it or not, the contract's signed and he must appear. Scheming small-time Hollywood producer Gary (Rick Olvera) makes an appearance; he would be vacuous, but he doesn't know what that means. Then there's the one and only John Barrymore (Steven Fenley), accidentally conjured, who guides Andrew through the shoals of Shakespeare and helps buoy his miserable love life. This is Rudnick at his funniest, which is saying something since he's responsible for Addams Family Values, In & Out and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. Here, the one-liners come as wicked and thick as anything Neil Simon ever penned. It's his hymn to the theater, to acting, to overacting, to being a legend. While the play wallows in the hammy fakeness of great and not-so-great theater, it exudes warmth and compassion and is extremely lovable, as is TRT's loving and detailed, beautifully acted treatment.