THE ACTING COMPANY

JEFFREY BEAN is in his 14th season as an Alley Company member, and he has performed in over 80 Alley productions since 1989. He is currenly appearing as Major Alistair Ross in The Crucifer of Blood. Recently he has appeared in The Farnsworth Invention (David Sarnoff ) Mauritius (Phillip) A Christmas Carol (Ebenezer Scrooge) Cyrano de Bergerac (Cyrano), The Unexpected Guest (Sergeant Cadwallader), Othello (Lodovico), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Brendan), The Scene (Charlie) and Doubt (Father Flynn). Previous Alley highlights include Subject to Fits (Prince Myshkin), Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick), Journey’s End (2nd Lieutenant Trotter), The Pillowman (Michal), Hapgood (Ridley), Twelfth Night (Feste), The Importance of Being Earnest (Algernon), Billy Bishop Goes to War (Billy Bishop), Gross Indecency (Oscar Wilde), Arms & the Man (Bluntschli), The Crucible (Deputy Gov. Danforth), The Foreigner (Charlie Baker) and Stones in His Pockets (Charlie Conlon, et al). Broadway credits include Bells Are Ringing (Francis) and Amadeus (Kappelmeister Bono). Television credits include Law & Order; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and All My Children. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts and a Princess Grace Award winner. www.jeffreybean.com

JAMES BELCHER is in his 20th season. As a member of the Alley company, he is currenly appearing as Mohammed Singh/Hopkins/Mordecai Smith in The Crucifer of Blood and has appeared as Leslie Gorrell/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention, Milan/Waiter in Rock 'n' Roll,  Mr. Stanley in The Man ho Came to Dinner, The Rev. Samuel Gardner in Mrs. Warren's Profession, Ligniere and The Capuchin in Cyrano de Bergerac, Brabantio in Othello, Teddy Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace, Squire Trelawney/Bailiff/Job O'Brien in Treasure Island, Heck Tate in To Kill a Mockingbird, Lebedev in Subject to Fits, Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing, Sir Wilfred Robarts in Witness for the Prosecution, The Colonel in Journey's End, Dave Moss in Glengarry Glen Ross, Judge Hathorne in The Crucible, Sir Claud Amory in Black Coffee, Captain Lesgate in, Dial "M" for Murder, Victor in Our Lady of 121st Street, Antonio in Twelfth Night and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (five seasons). A native of Delaware, he has taught at Prairie View A&M University, Tomball College, San Jacinto College, Houston Community College, University of Houston, and is a private acting coach. He has a BFA in Drama Production from the University of Texas at Austin and a MFA in Directing from the University of Houston. In 1999, he received a BackStage West Garland Award for his role as Peter in the Alley's production of The Zoo Story.

JAMES BLACK is proud to be celebrating his 21st consecutive season at the Alley where as an actor and occasional director, he has been involved in over one hundred productions. He is currenly appearing as Captain Neville St.Claire in The Crucifer of Blood. . Recent appearances include The Farnsworth Invention (Walter Gifford/ Douglas Fairbanks), Rock 'n' Roll (Max) The Man Who Came to Dinner (Sheridan Whiteside), A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Dilber/Jacob Marley), Cyrano de Bergerac (Le Bret), Othello (Iago), Arsenic and Old Lace (Jonathan Brewster), Treasure Island (Long John Silver), Hitchcock Blonde (Hitch), A Moon for the Misbegotten (James Tyrone Jr.), Orson’s Shadow (Olivier), Journey’s End (Lieutenant Osborne), A Christmas Carol (Scrooge), The Crucible (Proctor), After the Fall (Quentin), Black Coffee (Hercule Poirot), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Marcus Lycus), Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch), Sherlock Holmes (Moriarty), Hamlet (Claudius), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (George), One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (McMurphy), How I Learned to Drive (Uncle Peck), View From the Bridge (Eddie Carbone), and Not About Nightingales (Butch O’Fallon) among others. He has also directed Doubt, Death on the Nile, Glengarry Glen Ross, Deathtrap, Dial “M” for Murder, Our Lady of 121st Street, The Foreigner, Of Mice and Men and As Bees in Honey Drown. His film and television credits include Olympia, The Man with the Perfect Swing, Houston: The Legend of Texas, Fire and Rain, Challenger, Night Game, and Killing in a Small Town. He received a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actor for Not About Nightingales, and a BackStage West Garland Award for his appearance as Eddie Carbone in the Alley’s production of A View from the Bridge.

ELIZABETH BUNCH is in her third season as an Alley Company member. She is currently appearing as Irene St. Claire in The Crucifer of Blood. And recently appeared at the Alley in The Farnsworth Invention as Lizette Sarnoff/ Mary Pickford, Mauritius as Jackie, Othello as Desdemona, The Lieutenant of Inishmore as Mairead, The Scene as Clea, Doubt, Death on the Nile, Treasure Island, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hitchcock Blonde, Subject to Fits, Much Ado About Nothing, Witness for the Prosecution, Orson's Shadow, The Pillowman, A Christmas Carol, Be My Baby, Steel Magnolias, The Crucible, Proof, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Frame 312. New York theatre credits include The Voice of the Turtle produced by The Keen Company and The Mint Theater, The Water Children at Playwright Horizons, Museum with The Keen Company, The Light Outside with Bat Theater Company and New World Rhapsody, The Motel Plays and The Hospital Plays at HB Playwrights Foundation. Other theater includes Little Foxes at The Denver Center, A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Guthrie Theater, Goosebumps a national tour produced by Feld Entertainment, Twelfth Night, Big Love, Romeo and Juliet, Measure for Measure and Arcadia with Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble. Television appearances include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Elizabeth is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

JUSTIN DORAN is a 2008 - 2009 Alley Company member. He is currently appearing as Wali Dad/Birdy Johnson in The Crucifer of Blood. Recent Alley appearances include Wachtel/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention, Ferdinand in Rock 'N' Roll, Big Stone in Eurydice, Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac, James in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Mr. Gilmer in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Conrade in Much Ado About Nothing. Other Houston credits include Joseph Cantwell in The Best Man, Brandt in the regional premiere of The Busy World is Hushed, Michael in Rounding Third and the title role in Mr. Marmalade. Justin also recently reprised his role as the Night Watchman in The Houston Ballet's production of Carnival of the Animals at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.  Before coming to Houston, Justin had performed extensively as a company member at the Will Geer Theatre in Los Angeles.  Other Los Angeles stage credits include appearances at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Kingsmen Shakespeare and L.A. Shakespeare. Television credits include E.R., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Movie Stars, The In-Laws and According to Jim. He earned a B.F.A. in Acting from Southern Methodist University, and an M.F.A. in Theatre/Film/Television from the University of California-Los Angeles and is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Houston.  He is also a proud member of Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild.

BETTY FITZPATRICK  is celebrating her 52nd year with the Alley as a Company member. Throughout her impressive career she has played numerous roles including Mrs. McCutcheon in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mother Pidgeon/Spirit of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol, Mother Marguerite in Cyrano de Bergerac, Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird, Friar in Much Ado About Nothing, Janet Mackenzie in Witness for the Prosecution, Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias, Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible, Miss Caroline Amory in Black Coffee, Betty Meeks in The Foreigner, Player/Lady in Hamlet, Olga in You Can’t Take It With You, Miss Goodleigh/Mrs. Dilber in A Christmas Carol, Izzie Truce in House and Garden, Mrs. Dudgeon in The Devil’s Disciple, and Olympe in A Flea in Her Ear. Fitzpatrick also reprised the role of Ms. Mavis in The Traveling Lady, as part of Playwright’s Festival at Baylor University honoring Horton Foote, a production which gave a special performance at Actors’ Studio in New York. She has also mentored theatre students in the Alley Theatre/University of Houston collaboration of The Diary of Anne Frank. Ever the world traveler, she particularly enjoyed performing at Alan Ayckbourn’s Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, England as Grandmother in Close Ties. In addition to the Alley’s A Christmas Carol, she performed for 20 seasons at Christ Church Cathedral as Cousin Sook in Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory. She also recently appeared as Elder Lundie in Brigadoon at Theatre Under the Stars.

ELIZABETH HEFLIN has been an Alley Company member for 12 seasons. Her appearances include,The Farnsworth Invention, Rock 'N' Roll,  Mrs. Warren's Profession, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Unexpected Guest, Othello, Arsenic and Old Lace, Doubt, Death on the Nile, The Clean House, Subject to Fits, Much Ado About Nothing, Wait Until Dark, Witness for the Prosecution, Orson’s Shadow, Spider’s Web, The Underpants, The Crucible, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Life X 3, Twelfth Night, The Foreigner, Hamlet, You Can’t Take It With You, The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, House and Garden, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Flea in Her Ear, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and The Greeks, among others. She recently appeared in Bad Dates at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. She also has performed on Broadway in The Government Inspector and toured with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple. Other regional theatre credits include The Taming of the Shrew at The Old Globe, The Dinner Party at The Papermill Playhouse, The Play’s the Thing at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Macbeth at Westerly Shakespeare Festival, Dancing At Lughnasa at the Dallas Theatre Center and Much Ado About Nothing at The Pioneer Theatre, and Mothers at The Crossroads Theatre. Her television credits are Michael Hayes, New York News, The Pretender, The Renegade, As The World Turns, Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives. She has an M.F.A. from the Professional Theatre Training Program at The University of Delaware.

PAUL HOPE is a native Houstonian and a Company member. He has appeared on the Alley stages for 15 seasons in a wide range of roles, including William Crocker/ Ensemble inThe Farnsworth Invention,  Beverly Carlton in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Julian Farrar in The Unexpected Guest, Duke of Venice in Othello, Officer O’Hara in Arsenic and Old Lace, Charles in The Clean House, Gavin in House and Garden, Richard in Hay Fever, Arthur in Love! Valour! Compassion!, Serge in Art, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet, Frederick in Noises Off and Sgt. “Froggy” Le Seuer in The Foreigner, among many others. His musical theatre roles include Rohna in Grand Hotel (with Cyd Charisse and Liliane Montevecchi) and Col. Lockert in Dodsworth (with Hal Linden), both at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth; and Beauregard in Mame (with Juliet Prowse), Bienstock in Sugar (with Robert Morse), and M. Renaud in La Cage (with Lee Roy Reams) all at Theater Under the Stars. He has also performed as Steve Baker in Showboat (with Eddie Bracken) at Houston Grand Opera, and most recently took over for John Lithgow as the narrator of Carnival of the Animals for Houston Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. He is the Artistic Director for Bayou City Concert Musicals, which has presented concert stagings of Follies, Falsettos, A Little Night Music, She Loves Me, 70 Girls 70, Assassins, Fiorello, The Secret Garden, Pal Joey and this year, On the Town. www.paulhope.com.

CHRIS HUTCHISON is in his third season as a Company member. He is currently appearing as John Watson M.D. in The Crucifer of Blood. At the Alley: Cliff Gardner/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention, Dennis in Mauritius, Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Valvert in Cyrano de Bergerac, Montano in Othello, Padraic in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Officer Klein in Arsenic and Old Lace, Simon Mostyn in Death on the Nile, four roles in Treasure Island, Boo Radley and Walter Cunningham in To Kill A Mockingbird, Ippolit in Subject to Fits, Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing, and in Witness for the Prosecution, Orson's Shadow, The Pillowman, A Christmas Carol, Hapgood, and as Hal in Proof. Off-Broadway credits include the EST Marathon and revivals of The Second Man, Museum and The Hasty Heart with Obie award-winning Keen Co. Chris's solo show TRIP was selected for production by Here Arts Center in SoHo. Regionally he has appeared at The Guthrie, Pasadena Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, Milwaukee Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Hartford TheatreWorks and Capital Rep, among others. Film and television: Kill the Poor, Ed, Chapelle's Show, All My Children, Guiding Light, and some Movies of the Week. He holds an M.F.A. from the University of Washington and a B.A. in English from Lafayette College, where he occasionally returns to direct and teach.

CHARLES KROHN  is in his 24th season with the Alley. He has played a great number of roles including Justin Tolman/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention, Dr. Bradley in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Undertaker/Old Joe in A Christmas Carol, Gratiano in Othello, The Rev. Dr. Harper and Lieutenant Rooney in Arsenic and Old Lace, Billy Bones in Treasure Island, General Ivoglin in Subject to Fits, Old Joe and Undertaker in A Christmas Carol, Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing, Mr.Justice Wainwright in Witness for the Prosecution, Anselme in The Miser, Francis Nurse in The Crucible, Priest in A Christmas Carol, Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Father Lux in Our Lady of 121st Street, Sea Captain/Priest in Twelfth Night or What You Will, Sir Edward in Sherlock Holmes, Gravedigger/Player in Hamlet, Martin Vanderhof in You Can’t Take It With You, Second Houston Ticket Man in The Trip to Bountiful, and Charon and Postgate in The Invention of Love. He played a part in The Diary of Anne Frank, an Alley collaboration with the University of Houston. He has toured the U.S. for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and, locally, has appeared at Theatre LaB (Barrymore), Stages Repertory Theatre (All Over, A Kind of Alaska, A Delicate Balance, Old Friends), with Houston Shakespeare Festival (title role in King Lear, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Claudius in Hamlet), and with Theatre Under the Stars (including Beauty and the Beast, Scrooge, Oliver, Camelot, The Wizard of Oz, A Little Night Music). When he is not on stage, he is a Professor of English at The University of St. Thomas.

PHILIP LEHL is a 2008 – 2009 Alley Company member. He is currently appearing as Jonathan Small in The Crucifer of Blood. Recent appearences include Jim Harbord/Joseph Schenck/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention. He has appeared regularly at the Alley since arriving in Texas in 2001, where he was last seen in the ensembles of Rock 'N' Roll, Eurydice, A Christmas Carol and Cyrano de Bergerac. Favorite roles at the Alley include Rev. Hale in The Crucible, Kerry Max Cook in The Exonerated,  Max in Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Gail in Our Lady of 121st Street, Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap, Horatio in Hamlet and Young Housman in The Invention of Love. Broadway credits include Mickey in Blood Brothers, and Ensemble in The Kentucky Cycle. Off-Broadway, he was seen in Hundreds of Hats and toured the nation as Charles Clarke in Titanic. Locally, he has appeared at Stages Repertory Theatre (I Am My Own Wife, Mr. Marmalade, Lady, Souvenir, Amy’s View, The Pavilion, Dirty Blonde), Houston Shakespeare Festival (Bastard in King John, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, Cymbeline in Cymbeline) and TUTS (Wonderful Life, one memorable performance of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady). Lehl also shows up from time to time as Ludwig Van Beethoven for the Houston Symphony, and has appeared in several concert stagings for Paul Hope's BCCM. He has performed at theatres across the U.S. including St. Louis Repertory, Cleveland Play House, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Portland Stage Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The New Harmony Theatre and Weston Playhouse. His film and television credits include Tripwire, The Nanny, Martial Law and Hollywood Off-Ramp. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Drake University. Lehl is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association.

EMILY NEVES is a 2008 – 2009 Alley Company member. She was last seen at the Alley in The Farnsworth Invention (Pem Farnsworth/ Ensemble), Rock 'N' Roll (Esme/Alice), The Man Who Came to Dinner (June), A Christmas Carol (Belle/Fred's Wife), Cyrano de Bergerac (Prostitute/ Musician/ Sister Claire), and understudied the role of Janis Joplin (speaking) in last season's Love, Janis. Other theatre credits include The Emperor's New Clothes (Princess Liane) with The Houston Children's Theatre Festival, Broadway 2000 and Broadway 2001 (Featured Performer, both directed by Anne Reinking at the Tampa Bay performing Arts Center). Emily recently starred in the short film MagCrew (Addison), which will be featured at the Arpa Film Festival in Hollywood this October. As a singer, Emily was featured as a Hollywood semi-finalist on season four of American Idol, and will be featured this fall on the spin-off series American Idol: Rewind. Educational Credits include two summers of intensive study at Anne Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project, where she worked with such artists as Gwen Verdon, Ben Vereen and Patti Lupone. She studied in the B.F.A Pre-Professional Apprenticeship Program at Texas State University. Her work there in Transposing Shakespeare (Ingenue) and Hay Fever (Sorrel Bliss) earned her nominations for the Irene Ryan Scholarship (2002, 2003).

MELISSA PRITCHETT is a 2008 – 2009 Alley Company member. She has recently appeared in The Farnsworth Invention (Agnes Farnsworth/ Ensemble), Rock 'N'Roll (Gillian/ Magda), Eurydice (Little Stone), Cyrano de Bergerac (Lise), Othello (Bianca),  Death on the Nile (Louise), Treasure Island (Jim’s Mother/ Anne Bonny), Hitchcock Blonde (Blonde), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), Black Comedy (Clea), Witness for the Prosecution (The Other Woman), The Miser (Servant), The Pillowman (Mother), After the Fall (Nurse/Ensemble) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Panacea). Other theatre credits include Broadway 2003 (directed by Ann Reinking at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center), Beauty and the Beast, Brigadoon (Theatre Under the Stars), and Footloose (Great Caruso). As a dancer, she was a principal dancer for Longview Ballet Theatre and locally with Sparacino Company Dancers. Her training includes the Broadway Theatre Project 2003 with Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen. She holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Sam Houston State University.

DAVID RAINEY  is in his ninth season as an Alley Company member. Recent roles include Harlan Honn/ Lennox/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention,  Sterling in Mauritius,  Nasty Interesting Man/ Lord of the Underworld in Eurydice, Cuigy in Cyrano de Bergerac, the title role in Othello, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Officer Brophy in Arsenic and Old Lace, Steward in Death on the Nile, Justice Death in Treasure Island, Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird,  Paryfon Rogozhin in Subject to Fits, Master Jacques in The Miser, Ariel in The Pillowman, Giles Cory in The Crucible, David Keaton in The Exonerated, Lincoln in Topdog/Underdog (Best Actor by the Houston Press, Best Actor Nominations by the Jeff Awards in Chicago and Black Theatre Alliance Awards in Chicago), Lenny in Of Mice and Men and Donald in You Can’t Take It With You. He has performed with The National Actors Theatre, Joseph Papp Public Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Acting Company, New York Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep (with Theatre de la Jeune Lune), Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Hartford Stage Company, Dallas Theatre Center, Guthrie Theatre, Crossroads Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, among others. Film and television credits include Cosby, Law & Order, Vengeance Unlimited, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Lowball, North Starr, Hell Swarm, Starforce, Multifacial, and The ‘M’ Word. He holds degrees from Eastern New Mexico University and Juilliard, where he received the Drama Division’s highest honor, the Michel and Suria Saint-Denis Prize. He is currently on the drama faculty of the University of Houston/ Downtown, and also teaches professional acting classes.

JOHN TYSON  has appeared at the Alley in a wide variety of roles in his ten seasons. He is currently appearing as Durga Dass/Inspector Lestrade in The Crucifer of Blood. Recent credits include George Everson/ Ensemble in The Farnsworth Invention, Professor Metz/Banjo in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Praed in Mrs. Warren's Profession, Ragueneau in Cyrano de Bergerac, Inspector Thomas in The Unexpected Guest, The Librarian in Underneath the Lintel, Donny in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace, Canon Pennefather in Death on the Nile, Israel Hands and Blind Pew in Treasure Island, Ganya Ivoglin in Subject to Fits, Harry Roat Jr. in Wait Until Dark, Colonel Melkett in Black Comedy, Tupolski in The Pillowman, and Blair in Hapgood. Notable performances include Shelly Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross, Theo Maske in The Underpants, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Polonius in Hamlet, Robert in Proof, Boris Kolenkhov in You Can’t Take It With You, AEH in The Invention of Love, both Dromios in The Comedy of Errors and Henry Carr in Travesties. At the Alley he directed The Woman in Black and his own play, Act Of Passion. He has also written an adaptation of Christmas Carol and, with Santry Rush, written the musical Happy Ending.

TODD WAITE is in his eighth season with the Alley Theatre. He is currently appearing as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood. He has appeared in over 35 productions including: The Farnsworth Invention (Simms/ Vladimir Zworykin), Rock 'N' Roll (Jan), The Man Who Came to DInner (Bert Jefferson) Mrs. Warren's Profession (Sir George Crofts), The Santaland Diaries (Crumpet), Cyrano de Bergerac (De Guiche), The Unexpected Guest  (Henry Angell), Othello (Roderigo), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Christy), Arsenic and Old Lace (Mortimer Brewster),  Hapgood (Kerner), Deathtrap (Sydney), Twelfth Night (Orsino), The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (Martin), Art (Ivan), Stones in His Pockets (Jake), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock), The Devil’s Disciple (Burgoyne), The Invention of Love, and House and Garden. Prior to joining the Alley, he spent six seasons with the world-renowned Shaw Festival. Regionally, he received a Best Actor nomination for The Coronation Voyage (world premiere), Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actor in Ayckbourne’s Intimate Exchanges at The Dallas Theatre Center, and was the original Enjolras in the Canadian premiere of Les Miserables. Television: Guest-starring roles on all major US and Canadian networks.  He has also directed several Canadian premieres, and was the resident director for Cirque du Soleil's "O" in Las Vegas. He has directed at Arbor Theatre, The Belfry Theatre, Stagedoor and The Shaw Festival Academy. A highly regarded teacher of acting, his local students are currently attending Juilliard, DePaul, Yale and The Royal Scottish Academy. Education: BFA (Acting)/ MFA (Directing).

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NATALIE ARNESON has previously appeared at the Alley in A Christmas Carol (Restoration Apparition/ Fred’s Sister-in-Law) and Much Ado About Nothing. Credits in her native Houston include work with Arneson Productions (Side Show), Houston Grand Opera (Manon Lescaut, La Cenerentola), Bayou City Concert Musicals (Fiorello, Follies), Houston Shakespeare Festival (The Tempest), Main Street Theater (Nine, Lady in the Dark), Texas Repertory Theatre (Illyria, A Funny Thing…Forum), Children’s Theatre Festival (The Elves and the Shoemaker), Early Stages (The Firebird), Strand Theatre (Only an Orphan Girl), and East End Theatre (I Ought to Be in Pictures). While living overseas, she played Princess Jasmine opposite Britt Eklund and Issy van Randwick in the pantomime Aladdin; toured Europe as Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, and was an original cast member of the UK premiere of Side Show. She is a resident staff member at HITS Theatre where she teaches musical theatre, dance, and private voice to students of all ages. Natalie received a BA with Honors in Musical Theatre from the GSA Conservatoire in England.

 

BRIAN BYRNES played Brissaille inCyrano de Bergerac Audrey II (the Plant) for the Alley Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. Additional work as an actor in Houston includes Stages Repertory Theatre (Peter in The Pavilion; Andrew in Recent Tragic Events; Jack in Jack & Jill). Other New York and regional acting credits include Metropolitan Opera, Riverside Shakespeare, Westbeth Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Three River's Shakespeare, New American Theatre, Iowa Summer Repertory Theatre, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. He has also done motion-capture performance for animation companies in the United States and Sweden, and has worked in television and film. He has an MFA in Acting and is a member of Actors Equity Association (AEA). As a Fight Director, Brian has staged fights and movement for over 50 Alley productions. Other fight direction includes Houston Grand Opera, Stages Repertory Theatre, TUTS, Houston Ballet, Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre and many other Houston area theaters; regional  theaters; opera companies; Shakespeare festivals; animation companies; and New York theaters. Brian is a Fight Director and Certified Teacher via the Society of American Fight Directors and has been honored with the title of SAFD Fight Master (one of only fourteen in the U.S. and England) for his contributions to the SAFD and the art form. Brian is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance.

SARA GASTON has appeared this season at the Alley in The Farnsworth Invention, Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Man Who Came to Dinner and A Christmas Carol. Other theatre credits include Main Street Theater: Present Laughter, The Best Man, Ouroboros, Margin for Error and The Rice; Unhinged Productions: The Long Christmas Ride Home, Boston Marriage, Laura’s Bush, Free Will and Wanton Lust; College of the Mainland Arena Theatre: Always, Patsy Cline; Stages Repertory Theatre: The Courage of Mandy Kate Brown, The Toys Take Over Christmas; Mildred’s Umbrella: A Long History of Neglect; CSU Arena Theatre: Balm in Gilead; Ashland Street Theatre: Femme Fatale; Actors Theater of Houston: Taking Leave, Spike Heels, The Debutante Ball; Book of Days, Wild Oats, A Saturday Night in Uncertain. Sara has also appeared in various commercial, industrial, film, television and voice-over projects. Education: B.A., University of Texas at Austin, Drama. In addition, she has studied with Jeff Perry (Steppenwolf Theater) and various members of Second City.

 

 

JOSIE DE GUZMAN  returns to the Alley, having recently appeared as Eleanor/ Esme in Rock 'N' Roll , Maggie Cutler in The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Duenna in Cyrano de Bergerac, Matilde in The Clean House, Madame Yepanchin in Subject to Fits, the title role in Hapgood, as well as After the Fall, Twelfth Night, Sherlock Holmes, And Then There Were None and House and Garden. Most recently, she appeared as Mrs. Gibbs in Hartford Stage’s production of Our Town. Her Broadway career includes Tony nominations for Guys and Dolls and West Side Story, as well as creating roles in Nick and Nora, Runaways, and Carmelina. She won the 2002 Connecticut Critics Award for Anna in The King and I, and has appeared extensively at the Public Theatre (where she created roles in Elizabeth Swados’ Runaways, Lullaby and Goodnight and The Haggadah), at BAM (Missionaries) and Off-Broadway (Tamara, Once Removed). Her regional theatre appearances include Hartford Stage (Diosa), Great Lakes (She Loves Me) and Denver Center (Man of La Mancha) as well as such varied classical roles as Carmen, Viola, Varya and Beatrice. Her films include Exiles in New York, FX and FX2, while television appearances include Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, Third Watch, All My Children and Guiding Light. Her recordings include Lullabies for Everyone and Nanas Para Todos (both sold at cdbaby.com), as well as the cast recordings of Guys and Dolls, Carmelina, and Runaways.

BRANDON HEARNSBERGER is currently appearing as . He most recently appeared on the Alley stage as Philo T. Farnsworth in The Farnsworth Invention and Frank Gardner in Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Past Alley productions include Cyrano de Bergerac, The Unexpected Guest, Othello, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Much Ado About Nothing, Journey’s End, and Hamlet. He performed with the Houston Shakespeare Festival for four consecutive seasons, and has appeared in a range of productions for Stages Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, Unity Theatre, Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre, and the Onassis Cultural Center. Brandon is an anime voice-over artist for ADV films and has appeared in several independent feature and short films. He is also a graduate of the University of Houston School of Theatre and a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.  Please visit IMDB and www.brandonhearnsberger.com for more info.

 

JOHN JOHNSTON Recently appeared as 18th Century Apparition/ Mr. Topper in A Christmas Carol - A ghost Story of Christmas.  He returns to the Alley after appearances in Journey's End, Christmas Carol, and Witness for the Prosecution. He most recently appeared in Washington D.C. in the U.S. premiere of Israeli playwright Motti Lerner's Pangs of the Messiah at Theater J which garnered a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best New Play. He has also appeared in the D.C. area with the Keegan Theatre, the Greenbelt Arts Center, and the Source Theater Festival. Other local Houston area appearances include productions with Stages Repertory Theatre, Round Top International Festival, Unhinged Productions, the Children's Theatre Festival, The Great Caruso, Unity Theatre, and the Houston Shakespeare Festival. His film and television roles include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Waking Dave with the American Film Institute, and The Tingle Man as well as several independent and industrial films. In addition to training at the Abbey Theatre in Ireland, J.J. holds a BA in Theater Arts from Boston College and an MFA in Acting from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.

 KIMBERLY KING  debuted at the Alley in 1991 and has appeared as Harriet Stanley in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Joanna Mace in House and Garden, Inez in Life X 3, Raymonde in A Flea in Her Ear (twice), Keely in Keely and Du, Aggie in Dancing at Lughnasa and Lucy in Dracula, A Musical Nightmare. Recently Kimberly created the roles of Becky in the world premiere of Steven Dietz’s Becky’s New Car, directed by Kurt Beattie, Dolores in the world premiere of Craig Lucas’ Prayer for My Enemy at the Intiman directed by Bart Sher, and was Sister Aloysius in Doubt at TheatreWorks in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. King was nominated for a Critics’ Circle award for her portrayal of Mary Tyrone in Long Days Journey Into Night at San Jose Repertory. She has worked as a leading ensemble member with theatres across the country including Berkeley Repertory, American Conservatory Theatre, Hartford Stage, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, South Coast Rep (premiere, Hold, Please by Annie Weisman), and the Mark Taper Forum (Gretta in the Broadway production of James Joyce’s The Dead). Ms. King has sung opera, musical theatre and jazz. Her cabaret is called Savoir Faire. Her website is www.greencatbb.com.

CHRISTIANNE MAYS previously appeared at the Alley in The Man Who Came to Dinner (Mrs. Ernest W. Stanley), The Heiress, I Hate Hamlet, The Mousetrap, And Then There Were None and Orpheus Descending. She has also appeared at Main Street Theater in Homebody/Kabul, Full Bloom and Chekhov in Yalta; at Stages in Speaking in Tongues, Kindertransport and Broken Glass; King Lear, Macbeth, A Winter’s Tale and Two Gentlemen of Verona with the Houston Shakespeare Festival; and Barefoot in the Park at Unity Theater, Brenham. Film and television credits include A Woman of Independent Means with Sally Field, Thirtysomething; and the film, Picture Bride. Christianne has a B.A. from Rice University and an M.F.A. from UCLA.

 

 

 

           

 

KELLY McANDREW made her Alley Theatre debut as Mary in Mauritius. Recent regional credits include Dusty and the Big Bad World at Denver Center, Sight Unseen at The Old Globe, These Shining Lives at Baltimore Centre Stage, Brendan at Huntington Theatre Company, The Bald Soprano at New Jersey Shakespeare, Three Sisters at American Repertory Theatre and the Edinburgh International Festival, and Holiday at the Olney Theatre Center (Helen Hayes nomination, Best Actress). Kelly made her Broadway debut as Maggie the Cat opposite Ned Beatty and Jason Patric in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Other New York Theatre includes Topsy Turvey Mouse at Cherry Lane, Greedy at Clubbed Thumb, Trout Stanley at Culture Project, The Cataract at Women’s Project and Book of Days at Signature Theatre. Regional theaters include Arena Stage, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, George Street Playhouse and Shakespeare on the Sound. TV credits include Gossip Girl; Law and Order: SVU; As the World Turns and the films Everybody’s Fine with Robert DeNiro; Superheroes; New Guy; and Company K. Kelly received an MFA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

MELISSA MILLER makes her ALLEY DEBUT as Alice Curiton in Secret Order. Broadway: Tartuffe (Roundabout Theatre), Dirty Dancing (workshop). New York credits: Ariel Dorfman’s Widows (59E59, dir. Hal Brooks), Private Lives of Eskimos (Committee Theatre), West Moon Street (Prospect Theatre, dir. Davis McCallum), Charles Mee's Mail Order Bride (Beckett Theatre), Mark Smith (13P, dir. Ken Rus Schmoll). Regional: Guillermo Reyes’ Madison (Premiere Stages), Paul Rudnick’s Regrets Only (Premiere Stages); Macbeth (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), Williamstown Theatre Festival, NJ Rep. Plays/ workshops/ readings with: Flea Theatre, New Georges, New Group, Classic Stage, TFANA, Rattlestick, Keen Company and Red Bull Theatre. Television: Ed, All My Children. Film: Color of Truth (feature), Coca Cola Filmmaker Finalist (short). Vassar College (Phi Beta Kappa), RADA (Certificate). Thanks to the Alley, Bob and Charles for this opportunity!

 

JANE PFITSCH made her Alley Theatre debut in Mrs.Warren's Profession (Vivie) and is thrilled to be working with such a wonderful company!  Broadway: Roundabout's Les Liaisons Dangereuses (2008 Tony Award Nominee, Best Revival of a Play), John Doyle's Company (2007 Tony Award Winner, Best Revival of a Musical).  New York: Pumpgirl (MTC), To Paint the Earth (NYMF).  Workshops: Others Within (New York Theater Workshop), Bye Bye Birdie (Roundabout).  TV/Film: 27 Dresses, All My Children. Graduate of Vassar College. Trained at the Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium and RADA. Also a member of the CRY HAVOC Company in New York City: www.cryhavoccompany.org. Proud member of AEA.

 

 

 

 

LARRY PINE makes his ALLEY DEBUT as Robert Brock in Secret Order. Broadway credits include: The Seagull, End of the World, Roy Cohn in Angels in America, Bus Stop. Off-Broadway credits include: Stuff Happens, Enemy of the People, The Women of Lockerbie, Saved or Destroyed, The Designated Mourner, The Chemistry of Change, Mizlansky/Zilinsky, Uncle Vanya, The Disputation, Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Mandrake, Alice in Wonderland, Talk Radio. Regional credits include Kreutzer Sonata (adaptation by Larry & Margaret Pine), Carol Mulroney, Enemy of the People, Wrong Mountain, Light Up The Sky, Heartbreak House, The Taming of the Shrew, Night of the Iguana, A Life in the Theatre, Joe Egg, Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. Film: Empire Falls, Door in the Floor, Particles of Truth, Maid in Manhattan, The Royal Tenenbaums, A Foreign Affair, The Shipping News, Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda, Small Time Crooks and Celebrity, Sunday (Sundance Grand Prize winner), Vanya on 42nd Street, Dead Man Walking, Addicted to Love, and Stranger in the Kingdom. Television: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, Gilmore Girls, Oz, 100 Centre Street, A Will of Their Own (Movie of the Week), New York Undercover, New York News, Prince Street, Feds, All My Children, One Life to Live and much, much more.

SPENCER PLACHY  recently appeared at the Alley in Rock 'N' Roll (Policeman),The Man Who Came to Dinner (Richard Stanley)A Christmas Carol (Fred) and Cyrano de Bergerac (Musketeer/ Cadet). National Tours include NETworks: Oklahoma! (Curly); Troika: Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik). Regional theatre credits include Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival: Cyrano de Bergerac (Christian), Amadeus (The Venticelli), My Fair Lady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill); Prather Family of Theatres: All Shook Up (Chad), The Full Monty (Ethan). Houston theatre credits: Bayou City Concert Musicals: Pal Joey (Joey); Main Street Theatre: Lil' Abner (Abner) and The Three Cornered Hat (Antonio). Education: Sam Houston State University, Theatre and Musical Theatre (1999-2004).

 

ANNE QUACKENBUSH returned to the Alley Theatre in The Man Who Came to Dinner (Miss Preen) having previously appeared in The Unexpected Guest (Miss Bennett); Mousetrap; You Can’t Take It With You; And Then There Were None; The Thirteenth Chair; House & Garden; and A Christmas Carol. Other credits include Stages Repertory Theatre: Searching for Eden; Orange Flower Water and The Pavilion (both by Craig Wright); Heart of a Woman; Anton in Show Business; The Maiden's Prayer; Ascendancy. Theater LaB: Hysteric Studs; Poor Super Man; subUrbia; Breaking the Code. San Francisco Shakespeare Festival: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara: Shooting Stars; House of Blue Leaves; On The Verge; Or The Geography of Yearning. Film/Television: The Year Without A Santa Claus; Laughing Boy; Rocket Man; Pascagoula; Dwelling. Education: BFA in Theatre Performance, Scripps College, California; Shakespeare Program, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London; American Conservatory Theatre. Currently 2nd year MA student, University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, where she played Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman. 

MARY RASMUSSEN is made her Alley Theatre debut in the title role in Eurydice. New York credits include Romeo and Juliet at The Public Theatre, Fizz at The Ohio Theatre and The Golden Aurora (NYC International Fringe).  Regional credits include Blackbird (GableStage); Amadeus (Wilma Theater); columbinus  (Kennedy Center); Othello (Folger Theatre).  She is a graduate of the Juilliard School Drama Division where favorite credits include Edward II (Also at MOCA, Chicago and Redcat, Los Angeles), Rosmersholm and Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.

 

 

 

 

 

JAY SULLIVAN was thrilled to be make his Alley Theatre debut in Eurydice (Orpheus). His theatre credits include the original productions of Durango (Red Angel/ Bob) at The Public Theatre and Longwharf, DogSeesGod (Matt/ Pigpen) at Soho Repertory Theatre,  and Matthew Passion (Director, et al.) at Chernuchin Theatre, as well as The History Boys (Dakin) at The Studio Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio) produced by As Written Productions, Afternight Seating (James) at Abingdon Theatre, Running with Scissors  (Barry) at American Theatre of Actors, Miss Milligan’s Third Grade Class (Mr. Harvey) at Jean Cocteau Rep and Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio) at Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Film and Television credits include Law & Order SVU; The Unidentified. He is a graduate of Florida State University.

 

 

 

KENNETH TIGAR makes his ALLEY DEBUT as Saul Roth in Secret Order.  He was last seen in New York in the off-Broadway production of Secret Order.  Most recently he played Mashkan in Vienna in the Austrian premiere of Old Wicked Songs. He has performed extensively in regional theatres, having recently done Salieri in Amadeus at the New Harmony Theatre, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at the Majestic Theatre, Joe Keller in All My Sons at the Two River Theatre Company, and a world premiere of Anthony Giardina’s Custody of the Eyes at the Cleveland Play House. During his 30 years in Los Angeles, he appeared in hundreds of film and television roles. His credits span the distance from Barney Miller to the Lethal Weapon movies to NCIS and Fringe. He has won a Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Award for his stage work and has appeared across the country in his one-man show I Must Be Mr. Boswell about the biographer of Dr. Johnson. He directed the national tour of The Gin Game with Kim Hunter and also directs opera. His translations of Brecht and Wedekind have been performed from Boston to Los Angeles.