The Back Alley

Larry Sultan's work shines brightly in the vast realm of photography. He is known for capturing moments that speak to the heart and stir the imagination.

Based on the photo memoir by American photographer Larry Sultan, Pictures from Home was part of the 2020 Alley All New Festival and was a hit on Broadway this past winter. Set in the late 1980’s, photographer Larry Sultan turns the lens on his parents to ferret out the truths beneath their home movies. This deeply intimate and comic portrait of a mother, a father and their son explores the question; who gets to depict the family story?

Larry Shue is a name that might not ring a bell for everyone, but his comedic brilliance has left an indelible mark on the theater world.

In murder mysteries, every phone ring promises suspense and revelation. Phones play a pivotal role in creating an atmosphere of intrigue and uncertainty. From Alfred Hitchcock's classics to Agatha Christie's timeless stories, phones are both weapons and tools.

This month, we are opening Pictures from Home by Sharr White. This charming play premiered as a reading at our 2020 Alley All New Festival, made its way to Broadway, and we are thrilled to be bringing it back to Houston audiences, reimagined in our Hubbard Theatre.

I’m so excited about directing Sharr White’s Pictures from Home at Alley Theatre. It is a homecoming of sorts because we were involved with the early development of this play in our Alley All New Festival in 2020. Our audience was extremely enthusiastic about this play, especially its delightful sense of humor and its poignant picture of …

It is fascinating to reflect on the evolution of photography and its transformative impact on how we document and perceive our lives. From the earliest recorded photo by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 (below) to the invention of the first instant camera, the model 95 Land Camera, by Edwin Land in 1948, and the revolutionary introduction of the iPhone in 2007, the way we capture and share moments has undergone significant changes.

In Charles Dickens' timeless novella, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Ebenezer Scrooge emerges as a character embodying the change from a miserly loner to a benevolent benefactor. David Rainey, a seasoned member of the Alley Resident Company who has portrayed Scrooge multiple times, reflects on the character's complexity.

For this season’s production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, we decided to remake the robe worn by Christmas Present. We wanted to push the finished garment’s theatrical nature. We also needed to make an additional robe to provide a more feasible plan for the role’s understudy. We made this decision right after last season’s production closed.

Casting is an art form at Alley Theatre that brings characters to life. Behind this process is the Alley's Associate Producer & Casting Director, Brandon Weinbrenner.