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, the Alley Theatre Garage is the preferred garage. There are two entrances to the garage: one on Smith street and one on Louisiana street. 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
ECE Programs Manager
Camp Administrator
Office Phone: 713-315-5425
Email: EsmeW@alleytheatre.org
Chaney Tullos
Chief Education Programs Officer
Camp Director
Office Phone: 713-315-5442
Email: ChaneyT@alleytheatre.org
Elena Valladolid
Manager of Emerging Audiences
Camp Payment Contact
Office Phone: 713-315-5424
Email: ElenaVR@alleytheatre.org
Conservatory Teaching Artists & Staff
Ashley Love (she/they)
Intimacy
Ashley Love serves as an ECE Programs Manager, overseeing Alley Articulated corporate training and our Arts in Health initiative while helping to support Primary Programs. She is an award-winning professional director, intimacy choreographer, actor, and mental health coordinator who prioritizes curiosity, sustainability, and connection in their work. Her creative work has been seen at the Kennedy Center, Warner Brothers and Fever Entertainment’s Yule Ball, Stages, Queensbury Theatre, Crowley Theatre, The Wayward Artist, Bluff City Theatre, Theatre West Virginia, The Octarine Accord, The Blue Theatre, Haven Arts Theatre, Creative Movement Practices, University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, COM Theatre, Be Theatre, Sam Houston State University, and Angelo State University. Prior to joining the Alley Theatre, Ashley was a theatre professor who also taught guest workshops at The Ohio State University, TTU School of Law, University of Idaho, Rice University, middle and high schools across Texas, Texas Educational Theatre Association, Texas Thespians, and the Region 6 American College Theatre Festival. She was a recipient of the TEACH Fellowship, The Ohio State University Research Fellowship for Dalcroze archives, Innovative Research Award from American Theatre Education Association for her published research on the application of music in the rehearsal and training process, and multiple awards from the American College Theatre Festival for their work in educational theatre. They are a certified Mental Health Coordinator and Artistic Mental Health Practitioner with the Association of Mental Health Coordinators and a member of National Society of Intimacy Professionals. Ashley holds multiple certifications in trauma-informed mental health work, BFA in Acting from Texas State University, MA in Theatre from Texas Tech University, and an MFA in Directing from University of Idaho.
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.
Julia Krohn (she/her)
Acting
Original Las Vegas company of Jersey Boys (Lorraine); NYC Credits: ABBA’s Kristina (pre-Broadway workshop), Joy (Off-Broadway); Regional: Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Mack and Mable; TUTS: Anything Goes, Cats, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Camelot, Man of La Mancha, Spamalot, A Chorus Line, Elf, Hands on a Hardbody, Sweet Potato Queens, All Shook Up, The Ugly Christmas Sweater Musical; Alley Theatre: Cowboy Bob, A Christmas Carol, Sherlock Holmes, Toward Zero, Quack, The Three Musketeers; Catastrophic Theatre: Small Ball; 4th Wall Theatre: The Father; Teaching experience: St. John’s School (Houston), The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Houston), The Professional Performing Arts School (NYC); First Place both as Presidential Scholar In the Arts and NFAA.
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.
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.