George Hawkins founded The Ensemble Theatre in 1976. In 2007, The Ensemble Theatre was named Best Theatre by the Houston press. The same year, the Ultimate Section of the Houston Chronicle declared Ensemble the Best Showcase for African American Actors. In addition, two of the ten plays honored by the Houston Chronicle as Best of Houston Theatre 2008 were Ensemble Productions. Memorable productions include the plays of August Wilson, George Hawkins’ Br’er Rabbit, Douglas Turner Ward’s Day of Absence, Celeste Bedford Walkers’ Once in a Wifetime, Thomas Meloncon’s Johnny B. Goode, Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky, and Don Wilson Glenn’s American Menu.
