A theater season can be made or broken before the first play is produced. If the season lacks imagination or reach, the quality of the productions can become secondary. During the past twelve months, HotHouse has mounted a thoughtful and cohesive season that speaks directly to its community. From the shattering A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, St. Louis' most enduring dramatist, to the musical Working, which was timed to coordinate with its composer's appearance at the Edison Theatre, every play was chosen for a specific reason. No matter that not every production measured up to Streetcar's lofty standard; theater lovers have to be impressed by the intelligence behind HotHouse's inquiring mind. Bravely bucking audience preference for the familiar, in the coming months HotHouse is mounting an entire season of new plays. There are bound to be missteps along the way, but so what? This is the kind of gutsy, gritty policy decision that keeps a company like HotHouse vital.