Shelby's Social Diary

Anesthesia was the subject, but the Alley was anything but sleepy at Ether Domeworld premiere

Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson

What could be more appropriate than launching a world premiere play dealing with the discovery of anesthesia in Houston, home of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center? That was the feeling among Alley Theatre supporters on Wednesday at the opening of the non-profit's 65th season.

Before the curtain rose on Ether Dome, select guests gathered with Alley managing director Dean Gladden and artistic director Gregory Boyd to toast the upcoming season and the world premiere. Champagne for all the Alley friends!

Award-winning playwright Elizabeth Egloff was on hand to receive good wishes from notables that included Broadway actress Hallie Foote (daughter of the late Horton Foote) and stage, screen and television actor Elizabeth Ashley. Ether Dome director Michael Wilson also joined the pre-performance fete.

The medical significance of the play was not lost on the Memorial Hermann Foundation, which provided sponsorship of the production. Representing that entity were Jim Postl, Ileana Trevino and Dr. Red Duke.

Raising their glasses is celebration of the theater's long life were Kathryn and Jim Ketelsen, Lynn Wyatt, Jane Gladden, Patty Hubbard, Mimi Kilgore, Carmen and Butch Mach, Josephine and Phil John, Kelly and Bill Montgomery, Rose and Jim Garman, Alison and Craig Cordola and Devon Abner, Hallie Foote's husband.

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raising glasses

Wine and dine raises spirits for Houston's Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities wine and dine fundraiser 2024

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

An evening of fine dining and philanthropy unfolded at The Revaire for the 2024 Wine and Dine Dinner, benefitting Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on November 16. With wine glasses in hand and wallets wide open, the stylish and pious savored a night dedicated to lifting up the most vulnerable in the community.

Co-chairs Mikki Hebl and David E. Harvey, Jr., alongside Kerri and Downey Bridgwater, welcomed the crowd, which included His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who blessed the meal. The highlight? A four-course feast by master sommelier Brandon Kerne and chef Ryan Bouillet, paired with wines selected to enhance each bite.

An interactive twist with the secret sip challenge surely added a playful element. Attendees worked together to identify the mystery wine — a 2015 Merite Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Wrattonbully region.

But the night wasn’t just about indulgence. The live auction, emceed by Johnny Bravo, and a moving “fund a need” segment inspired oenophiles to dig deep for Catholic Charities’ programs. Last year, the organization served people in need 358,000 times across Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties, providing essentials like food, housing assistance, and legal aid for immigrants.

Generous support came from sponsors like the Hildebrand Foundation, Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and Cuenod Families.

Wining and dining were Alicia Reggie Freysinger, Cynthia Nunes Colbert, Penny and Paul Layne, Monit Cheung and Patrick Leung, Ashley and Doug Plaeger, Sandi and Jim Lemming, Carol and Paul Beck, Louise and Bob Parsley, Avalyn Langemeier, Suzanne Werner, Amie Springmeyer, Lori Hessel, Ginger Niemann, Peggy Idstein, Karina and Mark Amelang,and Ellen and Jim Ginty.

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

catholic charities of the archdiocese of galveston-houston fundraisers