alley goes virtual

Houston's Alley Theatre cancels all in-person shows and pivots to digital season

The Alley's theater will be closed to in-person performances this year.

This has been a dramatic year for Houston’s stage organizations, especially for the beloved Alley Theatre. In May, the troupe was forced to cut its annual operating budget of $20 million by 35 percent to $13 million and shorten its 2020-2021 season.

Then, in August, the theater group updated its 2020-2021 season yet again. And in October, the Alley announced a fully digital rendition of its beloved annual holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, in effort to cope with COVID.

Alas, 2020 has again struck, and with that, the Alley Theatre has now announced the cancellation of all in-person performances of the 2020-21 season. The following shows are affected by the cancellation, per a press release:

Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams (January 22 – February 14, 2021)
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (March 5 – 28, 2021)
Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl (April 16 – May 9, 2021)
Sweat by Lynn Nottage (May 28 – June 20, 2021)
High School Play: A Nostalgia Fest by Vichet Chum (July 9 – August 1, 2021)

The cancellations are in response to health and safety concerns in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The company says in a release that it “remains committed to producing the canceled works in future seasons.”

Fans can can look to an all-new digital 2020-21 season that will be available for free to all who register for tickets online at alleytheatre.org. Registration opens December 21.

Digital programming is a part of the Theatre’s Alley@Home content and will be centered around the Alley’s Resident Acting Company.

“Like so many of you, I too am disappointed to have to cancel our on-stage season,” said artistic director, Rob Melrose, in a statement. “I can’t wait to gather in the Hubbard and the Neuhaus to experience live theatre with you again. At the same time, I am delighted about all the work we are creating on Alley@Home and I am excited to share a robust digital season of new plays and classics featuring the Alley's Resident Acting Company.”

Here is the updated 2020-2021 all-digital season, per the Alley.

The Stronger: January 15–February 7, 2021
A Half-Sheet of Paper: January 22–February 14, 2021
The Man with the Flower in His Mouth: February 12–March 14, 2021
Euripides’s Medea: March 5 – April 4, 2021
El Chuco Town Forever: April 2–May 2, 2021
Choosing Love: April 2–May 2, 2021
Man. Kind: April 9–May 9, 2021
For Steve Wozniak, on His 67th Birthday: April 9–May 9, 2021
Old Black and White Hollywood: April 16—May 16, 2021
Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People: April 30–May 30, 2021
Pariah: June 4–July 4, 2021

theater

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.