For the next month or so, we'll be visiting the web sites of major regional theatres. This week:
From its humble beginnings in 1947 when high school teacher Nina
Vance mailed some 214 handwritten postcards to friends asking
"Do you want a new theatre for Houston?," the Alley
Theatre has grown into one of the powerhouses of the regional
theatre scene. Originally housed in a small dance studio (from
which sets would have to be packed up after each show to allow
the dance classes to take place during the day), the theatre now
operates an 824 seat modified thrust space and a 296-seat arena
space, with an additional 500-seat space in their future.
The Alley has long been a champion of American writers, featuring works by the likes of Eugene O'Neill, Romulus Linney, Robert Wilson, Edward Albee, Anne Bogart, and at least three Arthurs -- Miller, Kopit, and Laurents.
Under the artistic direction of Gregory Boyd (with Managing Director Paul R. Tetreault) since 1989, the Alley has more recently formed a strategic alliance with Vanessa Redgrave and Corin Redgrave's Moving Theatre Company, producing joint productions including Antony and Cleopatra and Not About Nightingales. The Alley was the 1996 recipient of the Special Tony for Outstanding and Sustained Achievement by a Regional Professional Theatre.
Their regular season ends in June (the summer and next seasons have not yet been announced) with Gross Indecency, Misalliance, and Travesties.
A.k.a. Alley Theatre On Line, the Alley's official web site is a study in clarity and simplicity, with a consistent navigation-button frame running down the left side of all pages. The site's home page proudly (and justifiably) trumpets the Broadway openings of two shows that debuted at or with the cooperation of the Alley: Tennessee Williams' recently unearthed Not About Nightingales and the Jack Murphy/Gregory Boyd/Frank Wildhorn The Civil War. Here you'll find press releases related to those productions as well as a link to a page with information about how to purchase tickets for these Broadway productions.
The Current Production link will bring you to a page with some short details (author, director, location, dates) about the, er..., current production. Further sub-links will take you to Cast Information for greater detail about the production as will as cast bios and photos, and Background for a variety of detailed information including historic info, interviews, production team bios, and directors notes. The 1998-99 season link (duplicated by a small "button" on the home page) will take you to a listing of the curent season, with associated dates.
The Alley's site does not have a mechanism for online ordering, but the Ticket Information link does show detailed price lists for Single Tickets, Group Rates, and Season Tickets as well as small seating charts.
Some of the other links include:
Theatre Information - directly links to a page with a brief description of the theatre, with subordinate links to a more detailed History, Directions to the theatre, a page on Theatre Policies (firearms are prohibited on the premises, as are food and drink in the Theatre), and a page of Contact information.
Development - a large subsection of the site. It holds the entire current issue as well as several past issues of the Development Newsletter, and a number of additional pages enticing you to help the theatre out.
Alley News - press releases.
Production Archive - has links to detailed information about past productions.
There are also pages devoted to Resident Actors and Education and Community Outreach (Rush Tickets, Pay-what-you-want, backstage tours, student matinees, etc.).
Previous regional theatre views:
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Goodspeed Opera House
Old Globe Theatre
Originally published at Suite101.com Theatre, 4/13/99
| <---Previous article |