ALLEY THEATRE 2007-2008 SEASON

A stirring, provocative drama
Doubt
A Parable
By John Patrick Shanley
Directed by James Black
Hubbard Stage
August 31 - September 23, 2007
Recommended for mature audiences. Adult content.
 “A theatrical experience … sinful to miss,” wrote New York Magazine of Doubt, the winner of last season’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Doubt takes place in a 1964 Catholic school and is the story of a strong-minded woman faced with a difficult decision. Should she voice concerns about the actions of her new male colleague, the liberal Father Flynn…even if she’s not entirely certain of the truth? A glimpse behind the doors of church politics, Doubt is a clash between certainty and ambiguity. According to The New York Times, Doubt is, “An inspired study in moral uncertainty with compelling structure of an old-fashioned detective novel.” 

The classic American screwball comedy
Arsenic and Old Lace
By Joseph Kesselring
Directed by Gregory Boyd
Hubbard Stage
October 5 - November 4, 2007 
Dixie Carter and Mia Dillon join the Alley Company in the classic American screwball comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace. Audiences are introduced to the Brewster sisters, their nephew Teddy – who believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt – and their drama critic nephew Mortimer, who is as surprised as anyone to learn that his maiden aunts have taken it upon themselves to commit murder with a glass of arsenic-spiked elderberry wine.

A sharp-witted comedy
The Scene
By Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Jeremy B. Cohen
Neuhaus Stage
October 25 - November 25, 2007
Recommended for mature audiences. Sexual situations, profanity.
Theresa Rebeck (author of the Alley’s outstanding success Bad Dates) returns with her sharp-witted comedy The Scene about the lives of four New Yorkers on the fringes of the entertainment industry. The Scene is a shrewd and racy comedy about Charlie, an out-of-work actor and his TV producer wife, Stella. When Charlie meets Clea, a knockout  – fresh off a bus from Ohio – his life is turned upside down. The New York Times called The Scene, "A sharply observed and often blisteringly funny play."

Houston’s family favorite
A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas
By Charles Dickens
Adapted and Originally Directed by Michael Wilson
Directed by James Black
Hubbard Stage
November 20 - December 29, 2007
This play is a subscription add-on
Houston’s seasonal favorite that the Houston Press said, “…..has spectacular London sets … the inimitable Dickens tale -- spiced with the usual fog and an unusual twist on the ghosts past present and future.” A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story of Christmas returns this year with a re-telling of Charles Dickens' classic story that follows Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey with the three ghosts that visit him on Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol instills a powerful message about redemption and the spirit of the holiday season. The dazzling production is created by Tony Award winning scenic designer Tony Straiges (Alley's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), costumes by Alejo Vietti (Alley's Tryst, Orson’s Shadow), lighting by Rui Rita (Alley's To Kill a Mockingbird, Bad Dates), and original music by John Gromada (Alley's Subject to Fits, The Pillowman). 

Her words, her story, her music
Love, Janis
Conceived, Adapted and Directed by Randal Myler
Inspired by the book “Love, Janis” by Laura Joplin
Music Direction by Sam Andrew
Hubbard Stage
January 11 - February 10, 2008
Recommended for mature audiences.
A musical about Janis Joplin, Port Arthur, Texas’ most famous daughter, Love, Janis goes behind the music of the legendary rock/blues singer. Following her life from 1966 until her death in 1970, Love, Janis features performances of many of her smash hits: “Piece of My Heart,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Ball and Chain” resulting in a compelling portrait of an artist who wanted to be remembered for her music and her refusal to compromise.  

A gruesome comedy
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
By Martin McDonagh
Directed by Gregory Boyd
Neuhaus Stage
January 25 - February 24, 2008
Caution: Recommended for mature audiences. Language, blood-violence and sexual situations.
Author of last season’s extraordinary The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh returns to the Alley with The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a gruesome comedy that was Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. The Lieutenant of Inishmore is the stunningly funny tale of a ruthless Irish Liberation Army enforcer and the one thing he loves more than anything else in the world: his little black cat, Wee Thomas. It’s a wickedly hilarious event that must be seen to be believed. See it for yourself, (but don’t reveal the ending).

Shakespeare’s powerful drama of jealousy and murderof jealousy and murder
Othello
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Scott Schwartz
Hubbard Stage
March 7 - March 30, 2008
Recommended for mature audiences.  
With language and psychological depth rivaling the highest of Shakespeare’s achievements as a dramatist, Othello is a highly charged tale of jealousy, prejudice, revenge and the destruction of innocence. Scott Schwartz returns to the Alley (following his productions here of Much Ado About Nothing and Steve Martin’s The Underpants) to direct a large cast led by Alley Company members David Rainey as Othello, James Black as Iago, Elizabeth Bunch as Desdemona and Elizabeth Heflin as Emilia. Passed over for the position of Othello’s lieutenant, Iago begins to plot his revenge against the Moor. Believing his wife, Emilia, has been unfaithful with Othello, Iago plans to poison Othello’s marriage with jealousy. As Iago’s lies begin to take hold, Othello questions more and more the fidelity of his new bride. Shakespeare weaves a bloody tapestry of deception and betrayal - love and honor, and creates one of the most thrilling plays in world theatre. 

Alley Company Actor John Tyson in
Underneath the Lintel
An ingenious, quirky, puzzling comedy-mystery that “transcends the ages.”
By Glen Berger
Directed by Alex Harvey
Neuhaus Stage
March 21 - April 20, 2008
A puzzling mystery begins when an assistant acquisitions librarian finds a late book in the overnight slot and becomes determined to track down the offender… especially since the book is 113 years overdue. As his endeavors continue, he finds himself on a journey that unlocks ancient mysteries and moves him to new revelations. Described by Variety as “a complex mystery that transcends the ages.”

The World Premiere of a New Musical Comedy
The Gershwins’ An American in Paris
Words and Music by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
Musical Supervisor Rob Berman
Choreography by Randy Skinner
Directed by Gregory Boyd
Hubbard Stage
Previews start April 29, 2008
Opens May 18, 2008
Closes June 15, 2008
The hilarious new musical comedy The Gershwins’ An American in Paris takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the legendary movie-musical. Reuniting Ken Ludwig, George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin – the team behind the Broadway smash Crazy For You – this new American musical tells the story of Michel Gerard, the greatest music hall singer in Paris. When Michel fails to turn up at Monumental Pictures’ Paris studio for the filming of a new musical, Studio Head Louis Goldman sends his practical, no-nonsense secretary, Rebecca Klemm, to find the missing star – and when the legendary Parisian crosses swords with the indomitable American, nothing short of fireworks ensue. Don’t miss this blissful prequel to the famous movie, featuring some of the best-loved songs written by George and Ira Gershwin including: “’S Wonderful,” “They All Laughed,” “Stairway to Paradise” and many more.

Please note: Play titles and dates are subject to change.

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