Programs
The Alley always follows the Associated Press (AP) Style Guide.
Title of Organization
Use the term “Alley Theatre” the first time referring to the organization. Only after referring to the organization as Alley Theatre, the organization may be referred to as “the Alley.”
Example:
Alley Theatre is pleased to announce the cast of The Glass Menagerie. The Alley is honored to bring Tennessee Williams’ American classic to life.
Theatre vs. Theater
Use “theatre” in all instances except when proper name is spelled “theater.”
Example:
Theater District or Theater District Parking garage
Facilities
Proper facility names are as follows and should not be abbreviated except in cases below:
Comma Usage
As with all punctuation, clarity is the biggest rule. If a comma does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma.
Always use the oxford comma in a simple series:
The production is elegant, beautiful, and timeless. The cast of Primary Trust includes Stanley Andrew Jackson, Michelle Elaine, Chris Hutchison, and David Rainey.
Spacing
Do not double space in between sentences.
Resident Acting Company
Please refer to members of the Resident Acting Company with the following titles:
Example:
Alley Resident Acting Company Member Elizabeth Bunch is in Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Cracked.
If abbreviating the Resident Acting Company, use RAC.
Alley All New
Alley All New is our new play initiative and should always be capitalized and never in italics.
The (year) Alley All New Festival should refer to the festival. When referring to a past reading use the show title then reading at the (year) Alley All New Festival. In the event that a title has changed between the reading and a fully realized production, check with General Management on how we should refer to it.
Use the term “fully realized” when referring to a reading that is now a part of the Alley season.
Example:
Audiences enjoyed Amerikin in the 2019 Alley All New Festival. You can now see it fully realized in the Neuhaus Theatre.
First Performance vs. Opening Night
The “first performance” of a production is the very first time the show is performed in front of a paying audience.
“Opening Night” is the official debut of the production, typically occurring after several preview performances. It marks the moment when the production is deemed “frozen,” meaning no further changes will be made to the script, direction, or design elements. Opening Night is often the same performance as media night.
Copy for Patrons
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Previews are a set of public performances of a theatrical production that take place before its official opening. The purpose of the preview is to allow the creative team time to identify problem areas and opportunities for improvements or adjustments that weren’t found during rehearsals. Until the play is officially open, changes to blocking or the design are still allowed, per union artist contracting agreements. The press can only review the production following the “Opening Night” performance.
Previews are an important piece of the development puzzle for new plays. Based on audience reactions and with the time to step back, the director and playwright may make impactful changes like adding or cutting a page of dialogue, altering the lighting, or moving an actor’s position. It is truly an exciting period for refining a piece.
Copy for Patrons About Understudies
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Alley Theatre is a regional theatre that produces all of its productions in-house. We construct the sets, hire the actors, make the costumes, build the special effects, etc. The costs for mounting productions at regional theatres are immense. The cost of hiring an understudy for every role and adding rehearsal time to prepare actors for more than one role would be prohibitive, in fact, most resident theatres in the US operate without understudies. Ticket revenue covers less than half the costs of Alley productions.
Common Marketing Phrases
Introduction (short)
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Alley Theatre, one of America’s leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley is committed to developing and producing theatre that is as diverse as the Houston community.
Introduction (Long)
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Alley Theatre is one of the largest U.S. professional nonprofit theatres outside of New York City. It is led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. Founded in 1947 by Nina Vance, a pioneer of regional theatre, it is also one of the oldest professional resident theatre companies in the country. The Alley has been awarded the Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Pulitzer Prize for one of its premieres, and the Texas Medal of Arts Award. The Alley has transferred its productions to major European Festivals, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and to 40 American cities.
Unique among regional theatres, the Alley is committed to maintaining a full-time Resident Acting Company. Nationally recognized directors, actors, playwrights, and designers from across the country have regularly joined the Resident Acting Company in the Alley’s downtown 75,000 square-foot Center for Theatre Production to rehearse and create sets, props, and costumes for each play.
The Theatre traditionally engages 249,000 people throughout the Greater Houston community each year through a dynamic season of reimagined classics and new work, and a robust series of education and community engagement programs performed at Alley’s 774-seat Hubbard Theatre, 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre and in the community.
The Alley continues to expand and strengthen its reputation as a leader in the national theatre movement. Alley All New Festival for new plays is a recognized national leader in the field and its world premiere plays have been produced across the country from New York to Los Angeles.
The Alley Resident Acting Company
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Alley Theatre’s Resident Acting Company is a cornerstone of Alley Theatre’s artistic identity. Comprised of seven actors, the RAC brings a unique and vital element to the Alley’s productions. Resident Acting Companies are exceptionally rare in modern theatre. The Alley is honored to have the only full-time, year-round Resident Acting Company in the United States.
Alley History (Short)
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Founded in 1947 by visionary director Nina Vance, Alley Theatre is one of the oldest and most respected resident theatres in the United States. Located in the heart of downtown Houston, the Alley has been a cornerstone of the city’s cultural life for more than 75 years.
Home to a Resident Acting Company—a rare model in American theatre—the Alley produces a wide range of work, from reimagined classics to bold new plays and world premieres. In 2015, its state-of-the-art facility, including the 774-seat Hubbard Theatre and 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre, underwent a major renovation to enhance both artistic capabilities and audience experience.
A recipient of the Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Alley also leads robust education and community engagement programs that reach thousands of students and families each year. The Theatre remains committed to artistic excellence, innovation, and serving the Houston community.
Production Titles
Italicize all play or musical titles in all instances. Do not capitalize the entire title.
When author’s name is included as the show title, do not italicize playwright.
Example:
The Importance of Being Earnest or Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps
Exception: You may use all caps on social media and email subject lines where italics is not available
Newspaper Titles
Capitalize “the” in a newspaper’s name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known. Do not place name in quotes.
Italicize all publications.
Example:
The Houston Chronicle