Table of Contents
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Attendance Procedures
Check-in will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily. We want everyone to arrive safely, so we ask that you not arrive any earlier than 9:30 a.m., when we can guarantee a Conservatory staff member will be present. Please arrive by 10:00 a.m., as important instruction is given at the day’s start. We do not provide after-care, so students must be picked up or self-dismissed daily by 5:15 p.m.
Alley Conservatory will be held at the Alley Theatre at 615 Texas Ave. Students may be dropped off and picked up in Nina Vance Alley, located on Texas Avenue between the theatre building and the Alley Garage. Parking is not allowed in the alleyway. Please refer to the map for details.
For students driving themselves, Theater District Parking is the preferred garage. The entrance to this garage is located off Texas Avenue between Smith and Louisiana streets. Metered street parking is also available. Parking cards for the Alley garage may be provided pending availability.
Due to the strong focus on ensemble, each student has a vital role. Therefore, accumulative absences and tardies can result in your dismissal from Conservatory without a refund. Please check your calendar and notify us in writing of any dates that your child will need to arrive late or leave early. You can send attendance notes to Esme LeJeune Wu at esmew@alleytheatre.org.
If you are running late please call or text our camp administrators with the Google Voice number: 713-489-0626
What to Bring
Food: Please bring a healthy lunch and low-sugar snacks. Students will not be dismissed to go offsite for lunch. Unfortunately, vending machines, microwaves, and refrigerators are not available.
Drink: Only water will be allowed in Conservatory classrooms. All students are encouraged to bring their water bottles.
Notebook, folder, pens, and pencils: Between writing class and announcements/information, there's a lot to write down. Students will be provided with a Composition notebook on Day 1 of camp, but it is helpful to bring your own writing utensil.
Phones and devices: To keep our attention in the room, cell phones and other personal electronic devices must remain out of sight and silent. Occasionally, phones may be used to assist with particular assignments on a case-by-case basis. Because students will not always have access to their devices, if you need to reach your child during the day, please call or message the camp administrator.
Alley Theatre is not responsible for lost or damaged items.
Attire
Clothing: Students need to be free to express themselves. Dancewear, exercise clothes, pants, and T-shirts are recommended. Students should not wear restrictive clothing, low-cut shirts, skirts, dresses, or anything that inhibits movement.
The Alley can be cold at times, so students are encouraged to bring a sweater or a sweatshirt. Students may keep a backpack or bag within the theatre and may bring a towel to use for floor exercises if they have neck or back issues.
Comfortable, closed-toed shoes: Students will be participating in a variety of active theatre exercises and artistic endeavors. Being able to move around freely and safely is extremely important. Students should wear closed-toed shoes and clothing that is appropriate for movement each day.
Alley Theatre will not be responsible for any lost items of clothing.
Emergencies & Medical Needs
Emergency Forms: The health and safety of students are a priority. Please make sure to fill out your required forms before the first day of Conservatory. Completed forms must be handed to the camp administrator.
Medical or other concerns: It is important for us to be aware of any medical concerns that could hinder a student’s performance such as sports injuries, asthma, or other conditions that might need attention. Alley Conservatory will need a written action plan that details any symptoms and what is to be done in the event of an emergency.
Allergies: It is very important that you inform Alley Conservatory staff of any allergies that may impact your student’s ability to participate in Conservatory.
Illness: Students showing signs of illness, especially fever or flu-like symptoms, should stay at home and will receive an excused absence. Please call or message the camp administrator.
Medication: Unless a student is having an allergic reaction, the Alley Conservatory staff is unable to administer any type of medication. If your student needs medication, they must be able to administer it themselves. Parents can also arrange for someone to come to the theatre to administer medication.
Conservatory Campus Map
Contact Information
Conservatory Phone (Google Voice): 713-489-0626
Esme LeJeune Wu
School Programs Manager
Camp Administrator
Office Phone: 713-315-5425
Email: EsmeW@alleytheatre.org
Chaney Tullos
Director of Education Programs
Camp Director
Office Phone: 713-315-5442
Email: ChaneyT@alleytheatre.org
Monica Marcha
Administrative Coordinator
Camp Tuition Contact
Office Phone: 713-315-5389
Email: MonicaM@alleytheatre.org
Conservatory Teaching Artists & Staff
Brendan Bourque-Sheil (he/him)
Playwriting
Brendan Bourque-Sheil's plays include Dogrose Patrol (written with Madison Smith), Sunrise Coven, Between Two Caves, and The Book of Maggie. His work has been produced in Houston, New York City, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Ann Arbor. He’s been a finalist for the National Playwright’s Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Reva Shiner Comedy Award, and Southwest Theatre Productions “Plays With a Strong Female Lead” Competition, and a winner of the Moondance International Film Festival Stage Play Competition. He has participated in the Stillwright Retreat and won the Writer's Colony's “Real People, Real Struggles, Real Stories: Writing About Mental Illness” Fellowship. For ten years, he has worked as a teaching artist for Alley Theatre, and a consultant in Creative Writing for the Kinder High School of Performing and Visual Arts. He’s a member of the Rec Room Writers Group and The Dramatist Guild. He also tells personal narrative stories for a live audience at shows including Grown-Up Storytime, City Cast Houston, and World Channel's "Stories From the Stage." He enjoys learning American Sign Language and taking long walks in graveyards.
Chaney Tullos (he/him)
Director
Chaney has worked regionally as an actor, director, and stage manager. He has performed with companies including Ford’s Theatre, the American Shakespeare Center, Virginia Stage Company, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, SITI Company, and the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival. Before moving to Houston, he served as Associate Artistic Director of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival and was an adjunct faculty member at Tulane University where he taught courses in Acting, Shakespeare, and Stage Management. Additionally, Chaney also served on the faculty of the prestigious New Orleans Center for Creative Arts where he helped students earn spots in the nation’s best acting programs. He holds an MFA in Acting from LSU and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.
Esme L. Wu (she/her)
Camp Administrator, Playwriting
Esme is a Houston playwright, actress, and educator who received her MA in Playwriting from Royal Holloway, University of London, where she graduated with Distinction in 2012. Her original works include The Visit (Landing Theatre/Houston), Tuning In (White Bear Theatre/London), In the Absence of Grace (MISK Theatre/London, Bierkeller New Writing Platform/Bristol), and Metanoia (MISK Theatre/London), All of This Seems True (workshop reading at Soho Theatre/London), and The Mariner (Cohen New Works Festival at UT Austin). In addition to playwriting and acting, she is one of two playwriting instructors for the Alley Conservatory, and manages in-school programs for the Alley Theatre, which delivers over 800 hours of Arts Education programming in the Greater Houston Area each school year.
Melissa Pritchett (she/her)
Intimacy
Melissa Pritchett recently appeared in the Alley Theatre’s The Nerd, Jane Eyre, Little Comedies, Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Servant of Two Masters, Clue, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and Sense and Sensibility. She has done movement direction for several Alley productions: Clue, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Sense and Sensibility, Doris Baizley’s A Christmas Carol, and The Winter’s Tale. She also choreographed several shows for Bayou City Concert Musicals including Promises, Promises, Bells are Ringing, and The Pajama Game.
Katie Bland (she/they)
Conservatory Intern, Stage Management
Katie Bland (She/They) is a born and raised Houston-based artist specializing in directing, lighting design, and playwriting. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Performance and Production at Texas State University, where she serves as Vice President of the Association of Theatrical Producers. Katie has extensive experience in educational theatre leadership, having served multiple terms as a Thespian Officer in their high school troupe and as a State Thespian Officer for the Texas Chapter of the International Thespian Society. Recent credits include performing as “Nettie and Others” in the U.S. premiere of Karagula by Philip Ridley and working as a production assistant on Bright Half Life, both at Texas State. She is looking forward to assistant directing Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties on the university’s mainstage this fall. Katie is excited to be spending their summer interning at the Alley and looks forward to learning, growing, and creating alongside the incredible team.
Nadiya Naehr (she/her)
Conservatory Intern, Directing
Nadiya is a musical theatre performer, dancer, choreographer, and educator currently pursuing her BFA in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. A Houston native, she has performed in Les Misérables (Theatre Under the Stars), Little Shop of Horrors (Wildfish Theatre), and Pride & Prejudice (St. John’s School), among others. She trained with 713 Dance Ensemble, a pre-professional contemporary dance company, and performed in European concert tours for both dance and a cappella choral music. At NYU, she performs with her Bollywood dance team and hopes to one day bring South Asian styles to the Broadway stage. In addition to performing, Nadiya is a passionate educator. She has worked as a dance instructor with Dance Houston, served as a summer educator at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, and also works as an SAT tutor.
Vincent "BlackBluez" Johnson (he/him)
Poetry
Vincent “Blackbluez” Johnson is a writer, poet, and actor who has been performing poetry in Houston since 2002. He was introduced to slam poetry competitions in 2007 and has been on more slam teams than anyone else in Houston, TX. He created his own “chap book” and recorded an album of his poetic offerings. Next, he became the primary director and stage manager for JalaWorld Productions. He began coaching critically acclaimed and rewarded slam teams in 2016. Shortly after, he became a Slam Poetry and Creative Writing Teaching Artist. In 2023, he released a book of poetry entitled “A Coward’s Funeral” and has been lighting stages up with dynamic performances of his new collection.