Tag: Alley Theatre

Holmes and Hounds in Houston

by Olivia Discon

A mysterious death. A howling hound. A suspiciously Texan heir. What do all these things have in common? Chaos, comedy, and the incredible Todd Waite in his final bow as Sherlock Holmes at the Alley Theatre.

With only five actors and 36 characters flying in and out of scenes, The Hound of the Baskervilles was a theatrical juggling act, with a few wig, costume, and accent changes. Which is to say: it was impressive, ridiculous, and a lot of fun.

Before diving into the fun, we primed ourselves with a little chaos of our own: lunch at Post Market. In the spirit of the show’s variety, we went for food from all corners: noodles, rice, sushi, and African inspired power bowls— none of which appeared to be from the same restaurant. 

Our group included LEAP friends Bill and Carol Hyman and Wayne and Andrea Scott, along with students Macey Schank, Jacob Wessels, Chrissy Biello, Michelle Moya, Mikaela Baires, and Austin intern Cinthia Villarreal. We showed up full and ready for whatever the Alley threw at us.

The Hound of the Baskervilles follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville and the legend of a supernatural hound that haunts his family’s estate. In this version, five actors take on dozens of characters, adding a fast-paced, comedic twist to the story.

When we saw Todd Waite last month at Murder by the Book, he mentioned how Sherlock Holmes is, frankly, a smart aleck, but one you can’t really get mad at, because he’s always right on the nose. Having heard him talk about the role made seeing him perform it even better. His timing, his wordplay, and even his smallest asides all landed with precision. He clearly knows Sherlock inside and out.

Dylan Godwin was another fan favorite in this show among our group. As the Texan heir to the Baskerville estate (among a dozen other characters), he was constantly shifting personalities and finding ways to distinguish the hilarious traits for both a grumpy street cop and a simple minded Texan—even when they are both in the same scene! 

In all, this was a great experience for the LEAP Center to share with some amazing community friends. 

Waite(ing) for “Baskerville” at Murder by the Book

Olivia Discon

We were at Murder by the Book, and we had some time to “kill.” We leafed through the Michael Connelly, thumbed the Agatha Christie, photographed the many Sherlock Holmes artifacts on display…

…and even bought a “Hound of the Baskervilles.”

But the real reason we were there was to see Todd Waite.

With 25 years at the Alley Theatre and an incredible 135 productions under his belt, he’s an institution in Houston theater. When he announced that he will be semi-retiring following his upcoming lead role in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, we felt the “weight” of the occasion. It was “elementary:” we purchased tickets.

As a prelude to opening night, Waite spoke at Murder by the Book, where he took the stage to the delight of a full house.

During the discussion, Waite discussed his love of language, a passion instilled in him by his mother, an English teacher who taught him early on to appreciate the weight of every word. This foundation shaped his approach to performance, where even the smallest vocal shift—from “ah” to “oh”—can redefine a line’s meaning.

He spoke about the complexity of human emotion and how, beyond the broad categories we assign feelings, true depth is conveyed through inflection, gesture, and tone.

His role as an actor, he explained, is to bring those nuances to life in a way that honors the writer’s intent. He illustrated these ideas with stories from his career, sharing insights from specific productions that influenced his philosophy.

Theater, he notes, is a form of alchemy—combining words, movement, and presence to create something greater than the sum of its parts, and this is something the LEAP Center tries to capture in its approach to education, incorporating the fine arts, history, law, politics, and literature into its curriculum. It is perhaps appropriate, then, that a majority of LEAP students have seen their first professional play with Waite on the Alley Theatre’s stage.

LEAP Students / Alumni at the Alley’s “Thirty-Nine Steps”

The Alley Theatre itself is something of an anomaly in contemporary American theatre. According to Waite, the Alley employs a full-time, year-round resident company—one of the few, if not the only, to do so. And this, of course, allows the residents of Houston and the surrounding areas, to see first-class theatre year-round.

Although we bid farewell (for now) to Waite’s (Murder by the Book) performance, we eagerly anticipate seeing him take the stage once more as a resident of the theatre company on April 13. We anticipate Baskerville leaving audiences “howling” for more.

An Afternoon of Laughter with LEAP: “Noises Off” at the Alley Theatre

by Michelle Cardenas

This past weekend, the LEAP Ambassadors, along with friends and alumni, took our regular trip to Houston for an afternoon filled with laughter, great food, and a little culture. Our destination: The Alley Theatre to see the farcical comedy Noises Off. These Houston outings have become something of a tradition for us—a chance to bond over good food and great theatre, and this time was no exception.

Before heading to the show, we made our first stop at POST Houston, a spot we frequent for its array of restaurants that cater to every craving. From sushi to burgers and international cuisine, POST has something for everyone. After fueling up, it was time for our traditional rooftop photo with the Houston skyline in the background—a moment we capture every time we’re in the area. The LEAP Ambassadors, a few friends, and alumni joined in for the photo op, including Michelle Lyons and her daughter Katherine Burnett, SHSU alum and former SHAIP intern Ashlyn Rodriguez with her husband, as well as Jacob Wessels and Yajaira Gutierrez. With full stomachs and a great group, we were ready for the play!

For those unfamiliar, Noises Off is a comedy about…well, comedy. It’s a play within a play, following a chaotic theatre troupe as they stumble (quite literally) through a performance. Having some theatre background myself, I was eager to see how close this farce would be to the real backstage antics I’ve experienced. Spoiler alert: it was spot on—and absolutely hilarious.

The play is structured in three acts, each highlighting a different stage of a theatre production.

The first act is the troupe’s final rehearsal before opening night, where the director desperately tries to smooth out the rough edges—particularly the constant confusion over a plate of sardines, which becomes a running joke. The second act gives us a behind-the-scenes look, with the audience seeing the backstage chaos unfold as the actors’ personal issues boil over. Doors are slamming, props are misplaced, and love triangles are revealed. And then, in the final act, we witness the disastrous final performance, where everything that could go wrong does. The actors are left to improvise their way through the script, which by now is nothing more than a series of disconnected lines and missed cues.

It was a joy to see our group laughing together, especially as some of us were familiar with the antics that come with putting on a play. Stephanie, in particular, has long been a fan of Noises Off, and by the end of the show, Yajaira had declared it her new favorite too. It’s no wonder—between the witty dialogue and physical comedy, the play is a masterclass in farce.

As we walked out of the theatre, we couldn’t help but keep laughing about the final performance scene—the sardines, the dropped lines, and the general mayhem. It was a perfect ending to a perfect afternoon. In fact, I think the sardines became their own character in the play! It was a delightful reminder that sometimes, when everything goes wrong, it makes for the best kind of theatre…and memories.

We can’t wait for our next Houston adventure!

A Treat of a Retreat, with LEAP

With the fall rapidly approaching, LEAP Ambassadors gathered together–along with alumni and friends–for some entertainment, food, and planning. It was our quarterly(ish) get together with alumni for theater entertainment and a meal, combined with our planning retreat. And when the Houston Post Market and the Alley Theatre are involved, you know it’s going to be fun.

As has become something of a tradition, we began at the Houston Post Market, a suggestion once made by Bryan Phillips (thank you!), which offers something for everyone and a great view from the top. The food hall offers more than 10 types of ethnic foods, plus other ice-cream, coffee, and juices. Orders tended to cluster among the Italian, West African, and Mexican options, and no one was disappointed.

Meanwhile, we also had the opportunity to spend times with “friends of LEAP,” such as Maggie Betancourt, Katherine Burnett, and Victoria Medrano (and Victoria’s mom, Sandra), and the chance to catch up with alumni Victoria McClendon (and her amiable fiancée Nick Cardenas), newly-minted alumna Morgan Robertson (and her long-suffering boyfriend Tommy Ward).

Professor Yawn even brought a gift for Morgan, who in her years in LEAP, distinguished herself as a klutz of the first order, often impersonating a pinball, bumping into angle, corner, wall, or furniture item within a stride’s reach. She is safer now, thanks to a bright yellow wrist-band reading “Fall Risk.”

This should alert safety personnel that an emergency is imminent, and it should warn passersby to give wide berth, for Morgan’s safety and their own.

After making Morgan feel at home, as though she had never left the LEAP fold, we headed off to the ostensible main attraction, our annual attendance at the Alley’s “Summer Chills,” where our group was joined by alums Bianca Saldierna and Quinn Kobrin and his fiancée, Jessica Madry. With an assist from the Alley’s always-helpful Laura Perez, we had 17 tickets for “And Then There Were None,” a suspenseful, fun, and–at times, frightening–adaption of the Agatha Christie classic.

The plot is familiar, but largely because Christie’s work has spawned so many conceptual copy-cats.

Ten people are invited to an isolated island under false pretenses, and then they are killed off one-by-one until “there were none.” The play, a type of locked-room mystery, is a technical masterpiece, and the Alley’s professional staff did a great job of pulling it off with freshness and humor and with a moody atmosphere that occasionally raised goosebumps.

And while the play was wonderful, the real treat was spending time with new students, the LEAP Ambassadors, and alumni. In many respects, these outings embody the LEAP approach to learning–fun, education, and long-term relationships rolled into one event.

It is a formula we hope to repeat throughout the fall–er, autumn (sorry, Morgan)–and, indeed, for many autumns to come.

An Evening at the Alley: “The Nerd”

While many may think the LEAP Ambassadors can be nerdy, we pale in comparison to playwright Lary Shue’s character, Rick Steadman in The Nerd. The Ambassadors, with guests Chrissy Biello and Yajaira Gutierrez Marin, met Alums Victoria and her boyfriend Nick, and Megan O’Flaherty and her son, Declan, for a wonderful night at the theater.

With Houston traffic being variable, we were early, and thus decided to stop by Jesus Moroles’s “Houston Police Officer’s Memorial.”

Not all of us had seen Moroles’s work, and this is a great introduction!

After a great dinner at Post Market, we then made our way to the Alley for the much anticipated show!

Much like the character Axel Hammond, I was the designated drama critic for the evening.

But unlike Axel I stayed through the entirety of the play, so I think my review will be a bit more accurate (editor’s note: not necessarily).

The set brought audience members to Terre Haute Indiana in the 1980s and we were introduced to Willum, an architect; Tansy, an aspiring weather girl; and to Axel, the slightly aloof, above mentioned drama critic.

As the group gathers to celebrate Willum’s birthday, he first checks his answering machine and becomes ecstatic to hear a message from Rick Steadman, the man who saved his life in Vietnam–but who is otherwise a complete stranger. Willum vows to Rick that as long as he is alive “you will have somebody on Earth who will do anything for you.”

These words would come to haunt Willum, albeit in a way that was amusing to the audience. Rick and the crew kept us laughing for nearly the entire play, while Rick derailed the lives of the other characters with his deficient manners, his tambourine, and his utter obliviousness to social queues.

After the play and thanks to LEAP Alum Megan, we were extremely fortunate to meet one of the stars of the show, Christopher Salazar, who played Willum.

It was a great chance to learn more about the play, including some of the behind-the-scenes action.

The evening was a trifecta plus, with good food, a bit of exposure to art, a wonderful play, and a nice evening with wonderful friends.

Sleuthing from the Cheap Seats: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

It was a sunny and bright day, but murder was in the air. We were at the Alley Theatre, and its cast was performing Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”

It was a nice mix of people, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP alumni, and “friends of LEAP” together for an enjoyable afternoon. With lunch at Post Houston, a new favorite recommended by LEAP alum Will Phillips, we caught up, talked about classes, and explored food from multiple continents.

But we had come to Houston for the play, and it was something of a process to actually see the play. Many of us had read the book, with at least half of us stopping before the end so as to not spoil the “whodunit” aspect of the performance. In July, we attended a Murder by the Book presentation by Mark Shanahan, the play’s director, a presentation that left us even more excited.

Unfortunately, when we drove to our scheduled performance, the Alley had to cancel the showing because a cast member wasn’t available!

So, with more than a month of anticipation and at least one false start, we were more than usually ready for the play to begin.

And it did not disappoint. It was expertly adapted to the stage by Shanahan, with clever techniques of compressing time and space.

It was humorous, with a wonderful cast that included two SHSU alums (Dylan Godwin and Melissa Pritchett)!

During intermission, we speculated as to who the culprit might be. Victoria couldn’t identify a key suspect; Nick, with all the creativity he could muster, thought “the butler did it;” and Katherine thought that the house staff conspired together to kill their employer, Roger Ackroyd. (If I were Katherine’s employer, I’d lock the doors at night.) Morgan, whose literary tastes lean toward bodice-ripping romance, had trouble keeping up with the characters and the narrative. She nodded a lot as we discussed things.

The second act was delightful, with more humor and variation in pacing. The plot, as they say, thickened, ending with all the cast gathered together to identify the murderer. We will, of course, stop there, and engage in no spoilers. But it surprised all of us–with the exception of Olivia, who, when it was over said, “I knew it all along” to an incredulous group and an ever-nodding Morgan.

Kudos to the cast of the Alley, the timeless appeal of Hercule Poirot, and the camaraderie of LEAP students, present and past.

Finding a “Clue” at the Alley Theatre

If it’s summer, the Alley Theatre is offering one of their “Summer Chills” programs, and this year’s production was “Clue,” a play that is based on both the 1985 film and the board game. The result was a madcap hour and a half of hilarity, made even more enjoyable by the fact that many LEAP Ambassador alumni joined us for the festivities.

At least two of the students had never seen a live play, so this was new for them. But even those who had seen live theatre were unlikely to have seen a play of this sort: it was frenetic, screwball, a surreal in equal measure–think the Marx Brothers starring in an Agatha Christie play.

The play began with a minimal set, but the spareness of the set permitted quick transformations, allowing the audience to experience a library, a billiard room, a lounge, and a study.

Of course, the sets contained secret doors, a dangerous chandelier, and lights that flickered in a storm. It was, after all, a dark and stormy night…

And, of course, there was the well-known characters: Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, and Mrs. White–each with a mysterious past. Ms. White, for example, seem to marry men who wound up dead. When asked how many husbands she had, she responded, “My own? Or other women’s husbands?”

Along with these typical characters, there was Wadsworth (the butler), Yvette (the maid), and an equally hapless cook and singing telegram singer. And, of course, Mr. Body, who died not once, but twice. There was also a police officer, an “unexpected police officer,” a “backup police officer,” and a driver of a broken-down car. Put these together, along with numerous corpses, and you have quite enough of a murder mystery.

But the mystery was secondary: the primary action was the comedy. Yvette was a prancing, jiggling exhibitionist; Colonel Mustard was painfully, comically slow; Mrs. Peacock was an elderly tippler; Mr. Green was delightfully clumsy; and yet it was Wadsworth that was the star of the show.

Collectively, they went through slow motion reenactments of deaths; performed live-action imaginings of alternative universes; and Wadsworth completed a one-man reenactment of the entire play in about four minutes.. And all of this happened while the cast drew upon “And Then There Were None,” the “Clue” Board Game (at one point, using the board as a map to the “house”), borrowed Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” from “Modern Times,” while also parodying “Gone with the Wind” and “Casablanca”–as in, “Of all the board games, in all the world, he has to walk in to mine.”

To extend the Casablanca theme, it was an afternoon that continued beautiful friendships. Bianca Saldierna (SHSU 18), Will Phillips (SHSU 13), Deanna Youngblood (SHSU 13), and Brian Aldaco (SHSU 18)–along with some significant others–joined us for the fun and caught up on old times.

The LEAP Ambassadors would like to thank all the LEAP and Junior Fellows alumni who helped develop a wonderful program and continue to support SHSU and LEAP! Additional notes: Dr. Robert Donahoo, Professor of English and Drama at SHSU, wrote a wonderful review of the play here, and Melissa Pritchett, who played “Yvette,” is an SHSU alum!