Schwartz, who has staged Rooms, Golda's Balcony and Jane Eyre for New York audiences, directed Shakespeare's Othello for the Alley in the spring of 2008, as well as earlier productions of Much Ado About Nothing and The Underpants.

His latest Alley venture, Mauritius, will officially open April 15 and run through May 3 on the Hubbard Stage. The cast includes Elizabeth Bunch as Jackie, Kelly McAndrew as Mary, Jeffrey Bean as Philip, Chris Hutchison as Dennis and David Rainey as Sterling.

According to Alley production notes, "The title, Mauritius, refers to an island off the coast of Africa from which a now highly collectible stamp, described as 'the crown jewel of philately,' was issued in the age of Victoria. Like the Maltese Falcon, the Mauritius stamp is the fraught object of desire for an assortment of shady characters with different and mysterious backgrounds and motives, who move through the twists of the plot's crosses and double-crosses."

Designing the resident Houston production are Kevin Rigdon (scenic and lighting design), Alejo Vietti (costume design), Josh Schmidt (original composition and sound design) and Brian Byrnes (fight direction).

Tickets are available by visiting AlleyTheatre or by calling (713) 220-5700. The Alley Theatre is located at 615 Texas Avenue in Houston, TX.