Alley Theatre's Rob Melrose, like other artistic directors throughout the Houston area, knows he's in a rebuilding year — hoping to return theater audiences to the pre-pandemic levels. Keeping that in mind, the 2023-24 Alley Theatre programming he devised is a blend of audience pleasers as well as edgier (riskier) new works.

To begin with, the ever popular Summer Chills offering this summer is the world premiere adaptation by Houston favorite Mark Shanahan  (38 Steps, Three Musketeers) of the Agatha Christie novel that made her famous: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  "All of the Agatha Christie novels are falling into the public domain one by one so other people are going to do their own Roger Ackroyd but we've created this relationship with the Agatha Christie estate and they've decided that this is the adaptation they're blessing,"  Melrose says.

The fall season starts with American Mariachi "which is a really big-hearted play about a group of women who want to start a mariachi band but traditionally don't have mariachi bands and they wonder why not. They fight to create their own." KJ Sanchez is directing.

"It continues our work with the Latino community," Melrose says, "But it's an even bigger push. It's the Hubbard [main] stage, it's starting the season, reaching out to the Latino community in a really big, open-hearted way."

At the same time in the downstairs Neuhaus theater, resident acting company members will present Little Comedies, a collection of Chekov's short stories translated and directed by Richard Nelson. He's been working with Richard Pevear, and Larissa Volokhonsky who Melrose says are considered the rock stars of translating Russian literature. Alley commissioned the work which will be presented in Nelson's hyper, hyper realistic approach "where the stage doesn't look artificial, it just looks like the stage and the actors speak in very, very soft voices and there are microphones everywhere so that it allows for a real intimacy," Melrose says.

This will be the second year that Melrose's adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol will be presented. He's keeping it very much the same but he's excited to get the chance to tweak some things that he thinks could be better.

The story behind Pictures From Home is a little bittersweet.  Before the pandemic, Melrose directed this in Alley All New. . According to Melrose, the playwright Sharr White wasn't sure he had a play which he adapted from a Larry Salton book. "Our reading was just fabulous and it gave him confidence and it gave us confidence. We committed to doing the world premiere."

And then the pandemic hit.  "He started to show it to different Broadway producers to see if they wanted to come in on our production and [Broadway producer] Jeffrey Richards said 'I think we could just do it on Broadway and get a pretty starry cast which they did with Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein and Zoë Wanamaker. Sharr, when he gave me the good news/ bad news about the play,  said 'I really want you to be the first regional theater to do it after Broadway since you were so instrumental in its development."

A big success from Alley's All New Festival will be playing downstairs — the world premiere of The World is Not Silent by Don X. Nguyen about the connections between a father who is going deaf and his son. "He decides to learn sign language because his dad is learning sign language. And then they start trying to sign to each other and he realizes his dad is learning Vietnames sign languard instead of American sign language. He didn't know there was a difference." Melrose describes it as a very funny, moving play.

Upstairs, The Nerd by Larry Shue is a comedy that Melrose says he loves, and the first show he ever saw on Broadway.  It's also the first show he ever programmed and in fact, he's played The Nerd. "It's a really, really funny comedy. Larry Shue died in a plane crash after having written only two plays, both big successes. The Alley has done The Foreigner twice to great success, but we've never done The Nerd."

The resident acting company will take on Jane Eyre as well as The Emporium, the final play from Thornton Wilder which he worked over from 20 years. "It was slated to go on Broadway; they announced a cast but at the last minute Thornton Wilder pulled it because he didn't think it was ready," Melrose says. Kirk Lynn of Rude Mechanicals in Austin became interested in it, knew some of Wilder's papers were at Yale. he says. "Thornton Wilder had written at least two versions of every scene so it's all there in some form. It just needed someone to edit it. Kirk got permission from the Thornton Wilder estate to do it," Melrose says.

"We'll end our season up in the Hubbard with Ella which is a musical about Ella Fitzgerald," he says. Playwright by Anna Deavere Smith delved deep into the famous singer's life. The show will feature her famous songs with a number of musicians and the plan and hope is that this will transfer to Broadway for a long run, Melrose says.

There are five new plays or new adaptations in a season that Melrose says is "also super committed  to classics."  In addition, Melrose says, he remains committed to the idea in that theater programming in Houston, one of the most diverse cities in America , should reflect that diversity in plays, actors and staff.

The Alley's 2023-24 Season

Summer Chills
Agatha Christie’s
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Adapted for the stage by
Mark Shanahan
Directed by Mark Shanahan

World Premiere
July 21 – August 27, 2023 in the Hubbard Theatre

One of Agatha Christie’s best-known novels and voted the best crime novel ever by the British Crime Writers' Association is turned into this murderous mystery for the stage. This twisty whodunit features extraordinary characters who hold secrets about blackmail and murder that only the detective Hercule Poirot can solve in the all-new adaptation.

The cast of Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd includes Alley Theatre’s Resident Acting Company members Elizabeth Bunch as Caroline Sheppard, Dylan Godwin as Ralph Paton, Shawn Hamilton as Roger Ackroyd, Chris Hutchison as Major Hector Blunt, Melissa Molano as Flora Ackroyd, Melissa Pritchett as Miss Helen Russell, David Rainey as Inspector Raglan, Christopher Salazar as Dr. James Sheppard, and Todd Waite as Parker. The Resident Acting Company will be joined by Susan Koozin as Gertrude Ackroyd and David Sinaiko as Hercule Poirot.


American Mariachi
By José Cruz González
Directed by KJ Sanchez
September 22 – October 22, 2023 in the Hubbard Theatre

Family, love, and tradition are at the core of this heartwarming play about the freedom to dream big. It’s the 1970s and girls can’t be mariachis … or can they? As Lucha and her spunky cousin hunt for bandmates, dodge disapproving relatives, and bring Mom along for the ride. This play is infused with vibrant, infectious live mariachi music and reminds us how music and love can make the impossible come true.


Little Comedies
by Anton Chekhov
Translated by Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear, and Larissa Volokhonsky
Directed by Richard Nelson
Alley Theatre Commission and World Premiere
October 6 – October 29, 2023 in the Neuhaus Theatre

What do Swan Song, The Bear, The Proposal, The Wedding, and The Harmfulness of Tobacco have in common? They are all one-act comedies written by Anton Chekhov that will be performed by the Alley’s Resident Acting Company and directed by the Tony-Award® winning playwright and legendary director Richard Nelson. Acclaimed Russian literature translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky collaborated with Nelson and have put together a new English translation which will make for an extraordinary evening in the theatre.

The cast of Little Comedies includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company members as listed: The Bear will include Melissa Molano, Christopher Salazar, and Todd Waite. The Proposal will include Elizabeth Bunch, Chris Hutchinson and David Rainey. The Wedding will include Elizabeth Bunch, Dylan Godwin, Shawn Hamilton, Chris Hutchison, Melissa Molano, Melissa Pritchett, David Rainey, Christopher Salazar, and Todd Waite. The Harmfulness of Tobacco will include David Rainey. Swan Song will include Melissa Pritchett and Todd Waite.


A Christmas Carol
From the novella by Charles Dickens
Adapted and Directed by Rob Melrose
November 16 – December 30, 2023 in the Hubbard Theatre

The Alley’s hit new adaptation with colorful Victorian costumes, special effects, exciting magic, lively dancing, stunning sets, and just the right blend of Christmas carols. It is a dazzling Christmas feast with the beloved story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his miraculous transformation.

The cast of A Christmas Carol includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company members Elizabeth Bunch as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Dylan Godwin as Bob Cratchit, Shawn Hamilton as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Chris Hutchison as Jacob Marley, Melissa Molano as Belle, Melissa Pritchett as Mrs. Cratchit, David Rainey as Ebenezer Scrooge, Christopher Salazar as Fred, and Todd Waite as Mr. Fezziwig.


Pictures From Home
By Sharr White
Directed by Rob Melrose
Based on the Photo Memoir “Pictures from Home” by Larry Sultan
January 19 – February 11, 2024 in the Hubbard Theatre

This heartfelt memory play was part of the 2020 Alley All New Festival and is currently a hit running on Broadway. Set in the late 1980s, 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 the son explores the question; who gets to depict the family story?

The cast of Pictures from Home includes Alley’s Resident Company member Todd Waite as Irving Sultan.



The Nerd
By Larry Shue
Directed by Brandon Weinbrenner
February 23 – March 17, 2024 in the Hubbard Theatre

An up-and-coming architect invites into his home the hero who saved his life… who also happens to be a total stranger! The visitor is a hopeless ‘nerd’ who outstays his welcome leading to one riotous incident after another. From a time before cell phones, this side-splitting comedy by Larry Shue (The Foreigner) is one of the funniest plays ever written.

The cast of The Nerd includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company members Chris Hutchison as Rick, Shawn Hamilton as Axel, Melissa Molano as Clelia, Melissa Pritchett as Tansy, David Rainey as Wargrave, and Christopher Salazar as Willum.

The World is Not Silent
By Don X. Nguyen
Directed by Marya Mazor
World Premiere
March 22 – April 14, 2024 in the Neuhaus Theatre

This moving story explores the relationship between a son, Don, and his estranged father as they try and reconnect in the wake of his father’s recent hearing loss. Don learns that the key to communication and connection is speaking from the heart as the play explores how language at the same time divides and unites us. This play was part of Alley All New Festival in 2022.

Jane Eyre
By Elizabeth Williamson
Adapted from the novel by Charlotte Brontë
Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
April 12 – May 5, 2024 in the Hubbard Theatre

Adapted by Elizabeth Williamson from the beloved classic novel by Charlotte Brontë, this play follows the heroine who struggles for freedom and fulfillment on her own terms. She survives a childhood as an orphan and confronts poverty, injustice, and the discovery of a bitter betrayal, before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.

The cast of Jane Eyre includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company Dylan Godwin as Mr Mason/ John Reed/ St John Rivers, Chris Hutchison as Edward Fairfax Rochester, Melissa Molano as Jane Eyre, Melissa Pritchett as Grace Poole/ Mary Ingram/ Bessie, and Todd Waite as John/ Colonel Dent/ Mr Cater/ Priest.


World premiere of Thornton Wilder’s unfinished full-length play
Thornton Wilder's The Emporium
Completed by Kirk Lynn
Directed by Rob Melrose
May 10 – June 2, 2024 in the Neuhaus Theatre

A young man from an orphanage is adopted by a farmer but runs away to the big city only to discover all this is only a metaphor. Maybe life is really an elaborate job interview to determine if we even qualify for our own existence. This play adapted from Pulitzer Prize-winner Thornton Wilder’s unfinished script was part of Alley All New Festival in 2022.

The cast of Thorton Wilder’s The Emporium includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company members Elizabeth Bunch as Miss Coley, Shawn Hamilton as Mr. Benjamin, David Rainey as Mr. Foster, and Christopher Salazar as John.


World Premiere Musical
Ella
by Anna Deavere Smith
Directed by Philip Wm. McKinley
By special arrangement with Steve J. Scarduzio
May 31 – June 23, 2024

Featuring music from the American songbook defined by Ella Fitzgerald, this new musical written by Anna Deavere Smith celebrates the “First Lady of Song” and her rise to household superstar. With unique diction, pure sound, phrasing, and rhythm, her scat-style and improvisations transformed American music. Ella became a beloved singer who set records and broke boundaries by taking life, with all its adversity, and turning it into beautiful songs.

Full casting and creative teams for all productions will be announced at a later date.