A cornerstone of Houston's theater scene

"A master class in class": Legendary Alley Theatre actress Bettye Fitzpatrickdies

Bettye Fitzpatrick acknowledges the audience one last time during her finalperformance of A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story of Christmas, Dec. 27, 2009.
Photo by Mike McCormick
Fitzpatrick in the 2005 Alley production of Steel Magnolias.
Fitzpatrick seen in an Alley play early in her career
Bettye Fitzpatrick in The Alley production of A Christmas Carol in 2008
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Legendary Houston actress Bettye Fitzpatrick passed away Friday afternoon after several bouts with cancer. She was 79.

A member of the Alley Theatre company for over 50 years, Fitzpatrick was a cornerstone of the Houston theater scene, working with some of the city’s most celebrated actors and directors. Throughout her impressive career she has played numerous roles, including Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Name Desire, Juno in Juno and the Peacock, Friar in Much Ado About Nothing, Janet Mackenzie in Witness for the Prosecution and Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible.

"Bettye was a master class in class," posts former Alley intern Robert Neblett. "On behalf of the thousands of Alley interns she mentored over the years, I raise a glass to her memory."

A beloved figure in Alley circles, she won raves from critics and audiences for playing the cantakerous Ouiser Boudreaux in Alley productions of Steel Magnolias in 1989 and 2005. Fitzpatrick debuted in the 1957 Alley production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Later in her career, she became a character actress, shining as the Mormon mother of a gay son in Angels in America and the stage manager in Our Town.

Over the years, when not acting, Fitzpatrick held Alley staff positions, including production manager, stage manager and director of interns.

In 2006, Fitzpatrick was surprised during a curtain call for Witness for the Prosecution with a celebration of her 50th year with the theater. Artistic director Gregory Boyd and 100 Alley staff members joined her onstage. Actress Elizabeth Heflin recalled that Fitzpatrick told her when she auditioned for Alley founder Nina Vance many years earlier, she was so inexperiencd that the only notation that Vance made on her application was that Fitzpatrick "had a car." But she learned quickly.

For 20 holiday seasons, Fitzpatrick performed the role of Cousin Sook in Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston. She ended the performances in 2004. It was the longest run in Houston theater history and drew devoted audiences.

In 1980, Fitzpatrick was cast along side John Travolta and Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy, playing the role of Winger’s mother.

She retired from the Alley in 2009, after 53 seasons. In 2010, the Alley Theatre’s Fitzpatrick Internship program was established in her honor.

Wonderful memories of the actress are flooding into the Fans of Bettye Fitzpatrick Facebook page.

"It saddens my heart to report that Ms. Bettye passed away at 2:28 PM today. It was a peaceful moment and she was surrounded by loved ones," writes Dennis Draper, director of operations & events at the Alley. "She touched so many of our lives and will be greatly missed."

"Bettye was a master class in class," posts former Alley intern Robert Neblett. "On behalf of the thousands of Alley interns she mentored over the years, I raise a glass to her memory and proclaim that we were all Bettye's children. And if we can shine half as bright, we will be blessed."

"There are many people around the globe with heavy hearts right now, but yet very thankful that they had the privilege to work with Bettye and of witnessing true artistry," writes Chris Kawolsky, who was general manager at the Alley from 1987 to 1989. "I know of many recollecting their favorite Bettye stories, but for me, thinking about so many amazing performances proves the real power of great theatre."

A memorial service is planned at the Alley Theatre on Oct. 10. Fitzgerald is survived by her longtime partner, Beth Sanford.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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A cornerstone of Houston's theater scene

"A master class in class": Legendary Alley Theatre actress Bettye Fitzpatrickdies

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.