Photo Credit: Cypress Stage Events
New Cypress Theatre Launches with Inaugural Production, Gloria: A Life
A new theatre is taking the stage in Cypress, Texas. Cypress Stage, a semi-professional performing arts theatre serving Cypress, Northwest Houston, and surrounding communities, will present Emily Mann’s acclaimed Gloria: A Life as its inaugural production, October 2–18, 2026.
Directed by Deborah Hope, the production will be the first Houston-area staging of Gloria: A Life, giving local audiences the opportunity to experience Mann’s play close to home.
Gloria: A Life tells the story of Gloria Steinem’s journey from journalist to one of the most influential voices in the women’s rights movement. Through Steinem’s life and experiences, the play explores the people, events, and ideas that helped shape a generation and continue to resonate today.
The production carries special significance for local audiences: Steinem helped organize the historic 1977 National Women’s Conference in Houston, a landmark moment in the women’s rights movement that took place just a short drive from where Cypress Stage now calls home.
The play is structured in two distinct acts. The first act dramatizes Steinem’s life story. The second act transforms into a “talking circle” – a live, unscripted conversation in which the audience is invited to reflect on the play, share their own stories, and discuss the ongoing fight for equality. The format was inspired by Steinem’s own experience with talking circles, a tradition she encountered in India while walking with followers of Gandhi. As Mann has said of the structure, the first act is Gloria’s story; the second is the audience’s own.
“This feels like the perfect choice for our first production,” said Janye Anderson, Founder and Executive Director of Cypress Stage. “It represents what we hope Cypress Stage will become – a place where our community can come together to experience exceptional live theatre and discover stories they might not otherwise have the chance to see.”
“I was 17 when Gloria Steinem and the women of the Women’s Liberation Movement opened my eyes to a much bigger world,” said director Deborah Hope. “Gloria: A Life is very personal to me. It’s a story about finding your voice, discovering your own strength, and what can happen when people come together. I hope audiences leave feeling inspired, and maybe seeing the world, and themselves, a little differently.”
Cypress Stage was created to establish a new home for professionally produced live theatre in Cypress, with plans for mainstage productions as well as theatre for seniors, youth productions, and other community-focused performing arts opportunities.
LOCATION
Cy-Woods High School
13550 Woods-Spillane Blvd
Cypress, TX 77429
PERFORMANCE DATES
October 2–18, 2026
- Fridays and Saturdays – 7:30 PM
- Sunday, October 18 – 3:00 PM
TICKETS
Tickets go on sale Friday, August 21, at CypressStage.org.
- Opening Night Celebration: $50 — Includes performance admission, light hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and a post-show meet-and-greet with the cast. Standard ticket pricing is also available for those who wish to attend the performance only.
- General Admission: $35
- Seniors (55+): $30
- Students: $15 (valid student ID required)
- Groups of 10 or more: $25 per person
CONTENT ADVISORYGloria: A Life contains strong language and mature themes, including discussions of sexual harassment and domestic violence.
Source: Cypress Stage
