The Houston, TX, staging features James Black as Hitch, Mark Shanahan as Alex, Elizabeth Bunch as Jennifer, Melissa Pritchett as Blonde, and Leraldo Anzaldua as Husband. Gregory Boyd directs.
The play was presented at London's Royal Court Theatre in April 2003 before transferring to the West End's Lyric Theatre. It had its American premiere at South Coast Repertory in February 2006 but has not yet come to New York.
William Dudley, who provided set design, costume design and innovative projection design in London and at South Coast, reprises those duties at the Alley.
Lighting design is by Chris Parry, sound design is by Ryan Rumery (from the original London sound design by Ian Dickinson), the fight director is Leraldo Anzaldua, and video realization is by Ian Galloway for Mesmer.
Johnson was the stage adapter-director of The Graduate, which played Broadway and the West End. He has written and directed the plays Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, which won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and Dead Funny. Other plays include Hysteria (Olivier Award for Best Comedy), Imagine Drowning, Cries from the Mammal House, Unsuitable for Adults and Insignificance. His West End directing credits include The Memory of Water, Elton John's Glasses, Entertaining Mr. Sloane and the world premiere of Philip Ridley's Sparkleshark. Black appeared on Broadway in Not About Nightingales, receiving a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut and a Drama Desk nomination. Black has been a company member at the Alley for 20 seasons and has been involved in over 100 productions, sometimes as a director. His recent appearances include A Moon for the Misbegotten (James Tyrone, Jr.), Orson's Shadow (Olivier), Journey's End (Lieutenant Osborne).
Shanahan's New York credits include As Bees In Honey Drown (Lucille Lortel Theatre), Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Roundabout) and The Internationalist (45 Bleecker). His Alley credits include Tryst, Journey's End and Witness for the Prosecution.
Bunch's New York theatre credits include The Voice of the Turtle produced by The Keen Company and The Mint, The Water Children at Playwrights Horizons, Museum with The Keen Company, The Light Outside with Bat Theater Company. She has previously performed at the Alley in such plays as Steel Magnolias (Annelle), The Crucible (Mary Warren), Proof (Catherine) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Honey).
Pritchett has appeared at the Alley in such shows as Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), Black Comedy (Clea), The Pillowman (Mother) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Panacea).
Anzaldua, who also serves as fight director, has worked at the Alley in Wait Until Dark, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Devil's Disciple and Equus.
Tickets can be purchased at the Alley Theatre box office at 615 Texas Avenue in Houston, TX, by phone at (713) 228-8421 or on the web at www.alleytheatre.org.
