Alley Theatre

Arts, Culture & Humanities Programs, General/Other: Professional Resident Theatre Services for the 22/23 Season: Productions - 11; Total Attendance - 138,866; The Alley Theatre, founded in 1947 by Nina Vance in Houston, Texas, is one of the leading professional nonprofit theatre companies in the US. The Alley, which maintains a resident company of actors, directors, playwrights, and designers, performs up to eleven productions a year in two theaters (Hubbard Theatre, 774 seats and Neuhaus Theatre, 310 seats). The Alley produces a wide variety of theatrical productions, including American and European classics, musicals, contemporary plays, and new work. In addition to the theatre performance complex, the Alley has a 75,000 square foot Center for Theatre Production, which contains rehearsal space, offices, and the scene, props, and costume shops. The Alley has earned a national and international reputation for artistic achievement, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. The Alley supports a robust Education and Community Engagement (ECE) department which strives to become a driving force for arts education, to create an advanced training ground for young and emerging theatre artists, and to provide a forum for community discourse, interaction and understanding. To this end, the department delivers services to local elementary, middle and high schools, provides professional development in arts integration to teachers and school administrators, and offers on-going programming to the Houston community. In the 22/23 Season, ECE delivered 135,348 contact hours of programming to 44,759 students and community members. In 2014 the Alley Board of Directors approved a project to renovate the theater facility at a total cost of $46.5 million. The renovation began in July 2015 and was completed in September 2015 with a grand reopening in October 2015. In August 2017 Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area. The Alley suffered significant damage from the storm and a ruptured sprinkler pipe. Acting quickly to pump out the water, clean up the mess, and restore the theatre, the Alley was able to reopen its larger Hubbard Theatre in time for the annual production of A Christmas Carol in November that same year. In January 2018, the Alley hosted its annual Alley All New Festival in the restored Neuhaus Theatre. The Alley is working with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to recoup financial losses due to Hurricane Harvey as well as to mitigate future flood damage. In March 2020, the Alley cancelled performances and ceased production for the remainder of the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. One third of the Alley's artists, artisans, and support staff lost their jobs in June 2020. The entire 20/21 season was canceled, and the theatre remained closed to the public through the end of the fiscal year. Staff and management worked tirelessly to maintain the theatre, the resident company, and the core staff during the shutdown. In October 2021 the Alley reopened to live audiences with some restrictions for audiences and staff. By June 2022, the Alley had returned to pre-pandemic operations. In December 2022, the Alley launched a new production of A Christmas Carol, adapted by artistic director, Rob Melrose.