For a glam soiree that celebrated Houston’s thespian craft, it was only fitting that a healthy dose of drama made its way center stage — quite literally. The Alley Theatre fundraiser on Saturday, April 20 was an ode to the master of suspense, with "Dial H for Hitchcock" as the sinister theme.
We’re talking arsenic and murder in the most stylish manner. But don’t worry. No humans were harmed in the making of this evening affair chaired by Angela and Craig Jarchow and honoring Connie and Roger Plank.
Theater buffs were roped into a party whose intro was brimming with twists and turns, leading from one bar to another to another amid scenes evoking the opulence of Hollywood’s Golden Age, where one might run into Grace Kelly and Cary Grant types sipping dirty martinis. The classic red and midnight motif paid homage to Hitchcock’s original Dial M for Murder movie poster, as did the Guilty Witness signature Cosmo offered in a self-serve, glass-enclosed cellarette in which the tipples were smoked — heavy pours of Tito’s Vodka included.
Black crows as décor nestled atop the florals? Check. Wigs and psycho knives as centerpieces? Check. Custom-made movie posters as wall art? Check. Needless to say, the event played the audience like a piano as the theater company prepares to present Dial M for Murder in its Hubbard Stage from May 31 to June 23.
It was a macabre setting they wanted, artistic director Rob Melrose said, and that’s what they got to celebrate the Tony award-winning organization’s 77 years. When members of the Alley's resident acting company were sighted, it became evident that something was afoot. Theater organizations with resident companies are quite rare these days. In fact, the Alley has the only full-time, year-round program of its kind in the country. That would include Chris Salazar, Elizabeth Bunch, Dylan Godwin and David Rainey. The coterie's plan? A Hitchcock play within a party it was with nuances of The Birds, Psycho, and Rear Window.
A comical conspiracy to “assassinate” the honoree led to managing director Dean Gladden’s dramatic staged demise, an act that deserved its own round of applause. The whodunit interlude ended on a happy note, with Gladden springing to his feet to greet the chairs and honorees.
The Jarchows have been devoted fans of the Alley since their inaugural experience with Seven Guitars in 1998. Craig Jarchow, currently serving as board president, expressed gratitude for Roger Plank's longstanding service, including his tenure as board president from 2007 to 2010. Plank was co-chair of the 2013 Extended Engagement Capital Campaign that raised $53.5 million to renovate and modernize the inner workings of the Ulrich Franzen-designed brutalist building. Plank, who has a proclivity for theatrics, was featured in a video clip tearing unapologetically into a stage column with a sledgehammer to signal the construction stage during a 2014 press conference.
The international independent oil and gas producer and founder of Apex International Energy is also a trustee of the Ucross Foundation. This artist-in-residence program and Alley partner spurs new works, including What-a-Christmas by El Paso native Isaac Gómez, which played in December 2022 on the Neuhaus stage. The Texas twist on the traditional A Christmas Carol received a cease and desist-like, slap-in-the-wrist, don’t-do-it-again letter from Whataburger. While the Alley was able to complete the run, it tasked Gómez with a second fast food-generic version for posterity. Signed copies of both scripts were presented to the Planks.
A live auction, cuisine by chef Jean-Luc Royere, and rowdy dancing to tunes by Houston-band The Big Beyond made this party attended by 420 guests a boisterous scene that raised $1.22 million for artistic, educational and community engagement.
Spotted were Lori Gallagher and Curtis Huff, Liliya and Matt Kades, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Richard and Masha Lunam, Beth Madison, Kevin and Stephanie Yankowsky, Nicole and Rob Thornton, Sarah Morgan and Oscar Brown, Renee Lewis and Ford Hubbard, Helen and Jim Shaffer, Derrick Shore and Brandon Bourque, Travis Torrence and Heath LaPray, Valerie Jalufka, Ralph Burch and Vicki West, Jill and Allyn Risley, Carey Kirkpatrick, Sofia and Nadeem Sheikh, Karen and Jonathan Finger, Loren and Greg Hill, Donna and Stephen Greenlee, Rita and German Cura and many, many others.
Photo by Wilson Parish
Kevin and Stephanie Yankowsky.
