The Midtown Art Center, located right across from the HCC downtown campus, boasts a well-maintained blackbox theater with several rows of not-too-rickety stadium-style seats. The lighting and sound equipment are decent. There's a small parking lot off of Holman, or metered parking on La Branch.
The offices upstairs are home to an ever-changing mix of community organizations and recording studios. Rentals seem to be pretty inexpensive; details are on the website./
Technically, "[t]he Midtown Art Center is a 501(c)(3), not-for profit community supported cultural arts organization. Midtown enriches the neighborhood and the city with vitality of artistic and cultural expression by offering visual and performing exhibitions at Midtown Art Center and in Houston." They hold dance classes and other arts classes from time to time; just call them for the schedule. read more