Alley Theatre Unveils Casts for the 2025 Alley All New Festival

Alley Theatre has revealed the cast for the 2025 Alley All New Festival, a three-day festival of staged readings on October 24-26. The Festival welcomes five of the boldest voices in American playwriting: Mark Bedard & John Tufts, Lisa D’Amour, Chisa Hutchinson, and Marisela Treviño Orta. The casts feature members of the Alley’s Resident Acting Company as well as local Houston and out-of-town actors.

All readings are free and open to the public, with weekend packages offering VIP treatment – priority seating, artist access, a celebratory dinner with Alley artists, and more.

Single reservations are now available. Alley All New programming is recommended for mature audiences. All updates and schedules will be available at alleytheatre.org/allnew.

Since its inception in 2016, Alley All New Festival has become an incubator for American theatre as 30 of 42 plays presented have gone on to world premiere productions. This season, Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams is currently on London’s West End and Torera by Monet Hurst-Mendoza and Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium will be produced off-Broadway, all developed through the Alley All New initiative. In addition to productions at the Alley, the Festival has consistently seen its plays move on to Broadway and off-Broadway, as well as Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Dallas.

2025 ALLEY ALL NEW FESTIVAL

DATING COMPREHENSION

By Chisa Hutchinson
Directed by Amber D. Gray

Sunday, October 26 at 10:30AM

One eligible bachelorette. Five sexy singles. Like, a million possible endings.

Meet Bliss, a perpetually single thirty-something looking for her soul mate. So far, she hasn’t had much luck. But that’s where you come in. Make your opinion known, while helping Bliss to navigate a sea of scrubs, duds, and potential true loves. It’s like those dating shows you secretly love to watch, but LIVE and in person.

The cast includes Resident Acting Company Member Michelle Elaine as Desiree as well as Eva Olivia Catanzariti as Lauryn, Adam Gibbs (Amerikin) as Rick, Kasi Love as Sam, Raven Justine Troup (Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium, Amerikin) as Bliss, and Blake Weir as Spencer. Casey Boriskie will stage manage.

A LOCO-MOTIVE FOR MURDER

By Mark Bedard and John Tufts
Directed by Rob Melrose

Saturday, October 25 at 10:00 AM

All aboard for murder, mystery, and mayhem! Newspaper tycoon Edmand Blaublüt is dead, and one of his fellow passengers pulled the trigger. There’s only one man brilliant enough to solve the crime. What’s that? There are two? Okay, there are two detectives, and one of them may or may not be brilliant enough to catch the killer. Get ready, because A Loco-Motive for Murder is pulling into the station!

The cast includes Resident Acting Company members Elizabeth Bunch as Marlene Scheel, Dylan Godwin as Tomàs Dobro, Melissa Molano as Pepper Von Reichendamen, and Christopher Salazar as Mr. Nachezny

Rounding out the cast is Mark Bedard as Hugo M. Onyatail, Brent Hinkley as Speechless, Deborah Hope as The Baroness Hildegarde Von Reichendamen, David Sinaiko (Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) as Edmund Blaublüt/ Gustave Escoffier, and John Tufts as Bianchi. Ciara Ayala will stage manage.

THE SMOKER

By Lisa D’Amour
Directed by Shelley Butler

Saturday, October 25 at 4:30 PM

Remember smoke breaks? Somewhere on the neutral ground between private apartments and public streets, four humans' bond in three-to-five-minute intervals. The cigs bring pleasure and calm nerves, even as each drag brings them closer to death. But then again, can you really stay healthy in a country that's trying to kill you?

The cast includes Resident Acting Company Chris Hutchison as The Smoker, as well as Orlando Arriaga (Noël Coward’s Private Lives) as Roberto, Jenn Kidwell as Tonya, Allison Pistorius as Kim and Brooke Wilson as The Lady Who Walks Sammy/ Ruthie/ Miranda. Debs Ramser will stage manage.

WOMB 2.0

By Marisela Treviño Orta
Directed by Tatiana Pandiani

Friday, October 24 at 4:30 PM
Sunday, October 26 at 4:30 PM

In the not-so-distant future, an undetectable virus has turned childbirth into a terrifying gamble. It’s Claudia’s first day on the job at WMB, an ultra-secure, ultra-sterile, and ultra-exclusive birthing clinic. Her task is simple: welcome the patients to their nine-month stay in this state-of-the-art facility. Just make sure the wrong things don’t get inside.

The cast includes Elissa Cuellar (American Mariachi) as Claudia, Shenyse LeAnna Harris as Du Pont, and Cameron O’Neil as Kieran. Debs Ramser will stage manage.

*All readings are for mature audiences. Check alleytheatre.org for updates and the current schedule.

WORLD PREMIERE ADD-ON

In addition to the Alley All New Festival readings, guests may choose to add on a ticket to the world premiere of The Body Snatcher, which runs concurrently:

THE BODY SNATCHER

By Katie Forgette
Directed by Brandon Weinbrenner
October 3 – 26, 2025

Just in time for spooky season, this spine-tingling love story, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian Gothic classic, comes alive onstage. A father's love for his ailing daughter and her growing affection for his medical assistant create an ethical dilemma as they push medical boundaries. As the bodies stack up, the question is asked – how deep will you dig for the one you love?

WEEKEND PACKAGES

Weekend packages for October 24-26 are available for $165. Packages include:

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