REGIONAL PREMIERE

OCT 23 ‒ NOV 8, 2025

MATCH | Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston

RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no intermission)

The Story

Nominated for best play for the 2022 Tony Awards, The Minutes is a biting political satire infused with dark humor, offering a sharp, humorous, and timely critique of power dynamics, political corruption, and the manipulation of history.

Set during a council meeting in the small, fictional town of Big Cherry, Illinois, a group of local politicians and officials convenes to address seemingly routine, mundane matters. As the meeting unfolds, however, unexpected and unsettling truths about the town’s past and the people in charge begin to surface. With Pulitzer Prize-winning Letts’ signature mix of sharp humor and mounting tension, The Minutes delivers an urgent and engaging reflection on how even the smallest political systems reflect and influence larger power structures.

Ray, 56, has a new identity, a new life, and is trying to put the past behind him. Una, 27, thinks of nothing else. When Una arrives at Ray's new office unannounced, guilt, rage, and raw emotions run high as they reexamine the relationship they had 15 years ago. Never able to reconcile  the brutal truth of this abusive attachment, Una is looking for answers and the consequences are shattering.  When one confuses abuse for love, it can disrupt their entire being.

The Story

The Reason

MALINDA L. BECKHAM, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Child

Lost

Abuse

Abusing

Adults

Lie

Abandon

Perception

Reality

Hearing

Heard

Hear

HER

VIEW THE PROGRAM

star-solid
star-solid

“excitingly superb”

Photos by Gary Griffin

The Reviews

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READ THE HOUSTON PRESS REVIEW

READ THE BROADWAYWORLD HOUSTON REVIEW

READ THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE REVIEW

Blackbird is “raw and challenging, and this production, just like Una, demands not just to be seen or heard, but to be reckoned with.”

“The entire production is hard, edgy, and raw... Everything is thought through and is in perfect concert with the two actors. ”

A “riveting production... ‘Blackbird’ features stellar performances that go for the jugular and never let up.”

The Promotion

MEET THE CAST

The Reaction

“I leaned in and didn’t move for 90 minutes. This one will sit with you.”

“Amazing play! We are still talking about it!”

“Such a powerful story, masterfully directed by Malinda Beckham.”

Blackbird Team

CAST

CREATIVE TEAM

Kevin Daugherty

Scenic & Lighting Design

Ray

Malinda L. Beckham

Mark Lewis

Director, Costume & Set Decoration

John Baker

Kyle Clark

Adina Opalek

Trevor B. Cone

Olivia Knight

Morgan Taylor Hughs

Production Manager

Fight Director

Assistant Director & Intimacy Director

Sound Design

Una

Girl

Gary Griffin

Photographer

CREW

Barbara Alicea-Aponte

Production Stage Manager