Lott Entertainment Presents to Launch 2nd Season with New Home, New Works

Lott Entertainment Presents' second season begins with a new home and a slew of new works guaranteed to raise the bar-and some eyebrows-in Houston's performing arts scene. Founders Kathryn Lott and Allison Lott have formed a unique alliance with the Alley Theatre, which allows them to present their entire second season in the Alley's Neuhaus Theatre.

"We are honored by this opportunity to present in one of Houston's most cherished spaces and to bring a new perspective inside the Alley Theatre," said executive director Allison Lott. Artistic director Kathryn Lott adds, "When Allison and I first started our new organization, we dreamt of one day being in a space like the Alley. Who knew it would be a reality in one short year?"

Dean Gladden, the Managing Director of the Alley Theatre, approached Lott Entertainment Presents after attending several inaugural season performances, and the booking arrangement came together seamlessly shortly thereafter.

"The Alley Theatre is thrilled to welcome Lott Entertainment Presents as the first outside presenter who has ever produced an artist series in the Neuhaus Theatre," said Gladden. "There is no doubt that Lott Entertainment Presents is bringing unique and important theatrical experiences to Houston audiences. I am so pleased that the Alley is able to provide a venue for them in our newly renovated space."

The two organizations will remain separate entities-Lott Entertainment Presents will present its season inside the Alley's Neuhaus Theatre, and the Alley Theatre presents its own 2016-2017 season using both theaters in its newly renovated building. Lott Entertainment will create more offerings in the Neuhaus Theatre as it is transformed it into an intimate cabaret-style space for its Joe's Pub Series, which will continue in the new season. "The versatile space is perfect for our needs," said Kathryn Lott. "It will allow us to present in multiple configurations with a larger inventory while still maintaining the intimacy that is so crucial to our programming. We're so thankful to MATCH for being an incredible partner during our first season, and we look forward to our future with the Alley."

Highlights from Season One

Kathryn and Allison founded Lott Entertainment Presents to fill the void in the Houston performing arts scene by bringing shows to the city that push the boundaries of traditional theatre-provocative, immersive and deliberately different works. Their first major coup was to form a partnership with Joe's Pub at the Public, a nightclub in New York City that showcases talent from all over the world, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 Audience members annually. Their mission: to support young artists and also provide established artists (Adele, Pete Townsend, Suzanne Vega, Sarah Silverman, Dolly Parton) with an intimate space and superior acoustics to perform and develop new work. Through this partnership, Lott Entertainment Presents established the first Joe's Pub series outside of New York and featured Joe's Pub artists throughout their first season, including Bridget Everett, Daniel Koren and Bridget Barkan.

The Other Mozart, a one-woman show about Mozart's forgotten yet equally talented sister, received rave reviews from audiences and sold out all three shows.

The first season finale was a show by Austin's Rude Mechs, The Method Gun, which was the troupe's first show in Houston in a decade.

Season Two Sneak Peak

Lott Entertainment Presents is still confirming shows for the 2016-2017 season, and all shows will be announced by the end of the summer. Houston audiences can look forward to a season of premieres, intimate performances and more Joe's Pub favorites.

About Lott Entertainment Presents

Lott Entertainment Presents' mission is to fill the void in the Houston performing arts scene by bringing shows from outside our city that push the boundaries of traditional theatre. With provocative, immersive and deliberately different works, we will provide Houstonians with a wide range of new experiences. Lott Entertainment Presents will bring shows from outside Houston that would not otherwise be seen in this city. Lott Entertainment Presents will utilize its traveling artists to enrich the lives of local artists by providing valuable educational programs such as audition workshops, singer/songwriter workshops and artist conversations. In addition, Lott Entertainment Presents is creating a National Network with partnerships in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin for developing artists. Our Artistic Advisors in each of those cities will help guide our students and provide connections to get them acclimated in a new city. For more information, visit www.lottentertainmentpresents.com.

About Alley Theatre

The Alley Theatre, one of America's leading not-for-profit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company lead by Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley produces up to 16 plays each year in our newly renovated theatre, ranging from the best current work, to re-invigorated classic plays, to new plays by contemporary writers. The Alley is home to a Resident Company of actors. In addition, the Alley engages theatre-artists of every discipline - actors, designers, composers, playwrights - who work on individual productions throughout each season as Visiting Artists.

The current renovation of the Hubbard Theatre at the Alley was completed in October 2015 - and created a new 774 seat state-of-the-art performance venue. Matched with our 310-seat Neuhaus Theatre, the Alley offers nearly 450 performances each season. The Company reaches over 200,000 people each year through its performance and education programs. Our audience enrichment programs include pre-show and post-performance talks, events, and workshops for Audience members of all ages. www.alleytheatre.org

Photo Credit: Alley Theatre