In Alley Theatre\u2019s 2026-27 season announced today, audiences will have a chance to see how cast infighting and a broken-down shark ultimately contributed to the success of the movie Jaws. Lovers of classics can look forward to Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo and Juliet as well as a stripped-down version of Chekhov\u2019s The Cherry Orchard.<\/p>\n
Comfort productions including A Christmas Carol, The Night Shift Before Christmas and Agatha Christie\u2019s Death on the Nile are scheduled. But in a bit of a surprise, this year\u2019s Summer Chills offering goes modern with an adaptation of the best seller The Girl on the Train.<\/p>\n
Both WOMB 2.0 and Marjorie Prime are science fiction offerings thattake looks into the future. The first is in a world where a rogue virus threatens every developing fetus and the second explores what happens when a widow employs AI to reach out to a facsimile of her late husband.<\/p>\n
The season ends with Edward Albee\u2019s Who\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Wolf.<\/p>\n
Alley Artistic Director Rob Melrose describes the season as \u201cA little bit old something new.\u00a0 Some big highlights are the first Shakespeare in seven years.\u00a0 The last Shakespeare we did was before the pandemic. Another highlight is getting Edward Albee back on the Hubbard stage. \u201c<\/p>\n
Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard at the end of his life and to get it on stage, had to make a lot of compromises in the script such as putting Act IV in the same locale as Act I \u2014 something that doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense, Melrose says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis version restores his original intent. I think we\u2019ll all be seeing the play, even though it\u2019s a classic for the first time.\u201d \u00a0Asked why the term \u201cstripped down\u201d is applied to this production, Melrose explained that director and translator Richard Nelson doesn\u2019t like any artifice in theatrical productions. To avoid actors having to project their voices to reach the back seats, there will be several little microphones above the stage so the actors can speak at a normal volume.<\/p>\n
As for WOMB 2.0 and Marjorie Prime, Melrose says \u201cThere\u2019s a kind of science fiction that I love that isn\u2019t about special effects. They\u2019re almost like little chamber plays and they really delve deeply into the ideas of science fiction, the ideas of technology rather than super special effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three-person play WOMB 2.0 is about an underground clinic, Melrose says. Aboveground there is a virus that as Melrose puts it: \u201cmakes all pregnancies invalid. In order to have a valid pregnancy you have to pay a million dollars to have this totally sterile environment. It\u2019s almost like a spa. The whole play takes place in one location; it\u2019s the waiting room of this clinic. What makes it really engaging is there are so many plot twists and the people, you think they\u2019re one person and as the play goes on you realize they\u2019re someone completely different.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarjorie Prime is the other play like this. It\u2019s another world. As the play starts it\u2019s an older woman talking to a young man in his 20s. They\u2019re talking about when they first met, when they first fell in love. It seems a little strange until you realize oh, he\u2019s an AI. He\u2019s an AI version of her husband when she met him. In the next scene the daughter and her husband they\u2019re debating the ethics of this.\u00a0\u00a0 It really looks into the ethics of all this rather than special effects,\u201d Melrose says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Girl on the Train is kind of a way of opening up our audience for Summer Chills. \u00a0Summer Chills has been such a popular brand, but it\u2019s mainly been Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. We dipped our toe into this world with Da Vinci Code.\u201d While Da Vinci Code was part of the regular season and not a Summer Chill, it attracted a sizable audience.So Melrose decidedto go with a more modern mystery thriller as a summer offering, while still retaining an Agatha Christie in the season.<\/p>\n
Uhuru is a world premiere about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Melrose says. \u201cBut it\u2019s also about identity and what it means to be Tanzanian. There\u2019s an American character whose mom is Tanzanian. Even though it\u2019s kind of an adventure, it\u2019s very, very funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
The winter holiday offerings \u2013 A Christmas Carol and The Night Shift Before Christmas \u2013 offer a lot of returning faces. For the tenth time David Rainey will once be Ebenezer Scrooge heading the cast of the Alley Resident Company actors. And Briana J. Resa resumes the role of Margot, the harried fast food worker who volunteers for Christmas Eve duty.<\/p>\n
Melrose says he saw The Shark is Broken in New York City and just loved it. \u00a0He was already a fan of the 1975 movie Jaws \u00a0as well as the documentaries on the making of Jaws. The play goes into how plans for several scenes had to be scuttled because the mechanical shark, nicknamed \u201cBruse\u201d kept breaking down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had this mechanical shark that was always malfunctioning.\u00a0 The original plan was to have this mechanical shark in many, many more shots. But because it was so unreliable that\u2019s why they decided to have the movie shot from the shark\u2019s perspective and it wound up being really genius.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what it meant for the actors, they just spent days on the boat waiting for the shark to be fixed, waiting for the shark to be set up,\u201d Melrose says. As has been reported many times, Robert Shaw, a trained theater actor, and the young Richard Dreyfus did not get along \u00a0either as their characters or while waiting for the next scene to be filmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis play was written by Ian Shaw whose dad was Robert Shaw, who played Captain Quint and Robert Shaw wrote a journal of what it was like to be shooting this movie and it\u2019s very, very funny and it\u2019s also all true,\u201d Melrose says. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Alley Theatre\u2019s Description of its 80th Season:<\/p>\n
Summer Chills
The\u00a0Girl on the Train
Based on the\u00a0bestselling\u00a0novel by Paula Hawkins and Dream Works film
Adapted by\u00a0Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel
Directed by\u00a0Casey Stangl
July 24 \u2013 August 30, 2026, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
A Woman\u2019s Memory, Her Greatest Betrayal
This modern psychological thriller, adapted from the best-selling novel and hit film, follows Rachel, a woman struggling with dependency. She must piece together her fragmented memories to find a girl who\u2019s gone missing. As her night comes back to her, she considers: who can you trust when you can\u2019t trust yourself?<\/p>\n
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Rob Melrose
September 25 \u2013 October 11, 2026, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Timeless Love, Eternal Risk
Set in timeless Verona, two star-crossed souls defy the forces that seek to keep them apart. This production of Shakespeare\u2019s classic tragedy shows how each generation reinvents what it means to love and risk everything for it. Discover why this tale continues to inspire artists, dreamers, and lovers.<\/p>\n
Uhuru
by Gloria Majule
Directed by Shariffa Ali
World Premiere
Oct. 16 \u2013 Nov. 8, 2026, in the Neuhaus Theatre<\/p>\n
Who Belongs on the Mountain?
An unlikely group takes on a \u201cTanzanian-only\u201d ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in this sharp satire. The dramedy follows a Tanzanian-American tourist, two missionaries, and their guide as they make their way toward the \u201cRoof of Africa.\u201d They must confront questions of access, identity, and who deserves a place on the mountain.<\/p>\n
A Christmas Carol
From the novella by Charles Dickens
Adapted and originally directed by Rob Melrose
Remount directed by Amber D. Gray
Choreography by Christopher Windom
Nov. 15 \u2013 Dec. 27, 2026, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Houston\u2019s Holiday Tradition!
Rediscover the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge\u2019s transformation as he encounters the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Be transported into Victorian England with dazzling costumes and stunning sets. Join us for a Dickensian celebration of love, redemption, and the true spirit of Christmas!<\/p>\n
The Night Shift Before Christmas
By Isaac G\u00f3mez
Directed by KJ Sanchez
Alley Theatre Commission
December 4 \u2013 December 24, 2026, in the Neuhaus Theatre<\/p>\n
Adult Holiday Comedy
The Christmas Eve overnight shift is Margot\u2019s personal tradition \u2014 even if that means dealing with grumpy drive-thru customers. But when her dead best friend Jackie Marley drops by to warn her of impending late-night visits by spirits, Margot has no choice but to roll with the punches and confront the very Scrooge she\u2019s become. Experience a Christmas Eve like no other in this brand-new holiday show filled with humor and heart.<\/p>\n
WOMB 2.0
By Marisela Trevi\u00f1o Orta
Directed by Tatiana Pandiani
World Premiere
January 22 \u2013 February 7, 2027, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Secure Clinic, Terrifying Gamble
In the not-so-distant future, an undetectable virus has turned childbirth into a terrifying gamble. Welcome to WMB, an ultra-secure, ultra-sterile, and ultra-exclusive birthing clinic. New recruit Claudia has one job: usher the world\u2019s wealthiest expectant mothers into their nine-month sanctuary. Just make sure the wrong thing doesn\u2019t get inside.<\/p>\n
The Cherry Orchard
By Anton Chekhov
Translated by Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear, and Larissa Volokhonsky
Directed by Richard Nelson
February 12 \u2013 March 7, 2027, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Chekhov\u2019s Masterpiece Stripped Down
One of theatre\u2019s most celebrated works is stripped down to its essentials. An aristocratic family and their servants grapple with the imminent loss of their beloved estate. Meanwhile, their country faces radical, irreversible change. Step into Chekhov\u2019s world as never before.<\/p>\n
The Shark is Broken
By Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
Directed by Brandon Weinbrenner
March 5 \u2013 March 21, 2027, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Iconic, Comedic, Chaotic
Dive behind the scenes of the high-stress production process of Jaws! Young Richard Dreyfuss, steady Roy Scheider, and seasoned Robert Shaw are feuding. The schedule is sinking, the booze is flowing, and yes, the shark is broken. Witness the hilarious clashes of big egos, the endless delays, and the juicy mishaps that forged a cinematic classic.<\/p>\n
Agatha Christie\u2019s
Death on the Nile
Adapted for the Stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
April 9 \u2013 April 25, 2027, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Luxury Cruise, Deadly Secret, Poirot\u2019s Puzzle
Step aboard for a lush and opulent journey up the Nile! A luxurious honeymoon cruise turns deadly when a murder occurs among wealthy passengers. Hercule Poirot must untangle a web of jealousy and suspicion to identify the killer aboard the ship. Prepare for a thrilling, witty, and dazzling whodunit where everyone has a secret.<\/p>\n
Marjorie Prime
By Jordan Harrison
Directed by Amber D. Gray
May 7 \u2013 May 30, 2027, in the Neuhaus Theatre<\/p>\n
A New Kind of Future
An aging woman reconnects with her past through artificial intelligence designed to look and speak like her late husband. This tender drama explores memory, family, reflection, and the stories we cling to. As technology advances, it asks: what does it mean to be remembered?<\/p>\n
Edward Albee\u2019s
Who\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Directed by Rob Melrose
May 28 \u2013 June 13, 2027, in the Hubbard Theatre<\/p>\n
Just Don\u2019t Break the Rules
This vicious classic pulls you into one unforgettable late night when a couple turns mind games into spousal warfare. Nothing is off-limits. As cocktails flow, boundaries blur, secrets sting, and the truth hits hard. It\u2019s all fun and games\u2026until someone breaks the rules.<\/p>\n
The Alley All New Festival will run October 23\u2013 25, 2026 and can be added to your subscription package. Learn more about the Alley All New initiative at alleytheatre.org\/allnew.<\/p>\n
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