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A World Premiere
Overview
A unique vision.
A legendary director.
A Resident Acting Company.
A new translation of 5 classic plays.
Some of the best designers and translators in the world.
Let’s explore why this production will be an incredible theatrical experience for you.
The Alley is one of the few major theatres in the USA to have a Resident Acting Company?
That means that 9 actors perform full-time at the Alley, and our seasons are picked with each of them in mind.
Did you know...?
The Little Comedies creative team is such a big deal, that the Alley is presenting them all with the Alley Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Read more about it here.
Fun Fact
The Style
Alley Theatre is honored to be hosting four theatrical legends and two award-winning translators to join its resident Director of Design for a world premiere production of Little Comedies. Learn more about the production here. Click through the slideshow below to learn about these creative luminaries and click on their photos for a deeper dive into their impressive work. From Broadway favorites to Taylor Swift world tours, they have truly made their mark on the industry in remarkable ways.
A Unique Approach
Director Richard Nelson wants to bring you, the audience, a truly incredible and intimate theatrical experience. He wants you to see characters that are like real people: Complex, captivating, and funny. Here are some of the unique aspects of this production. What stands out to you?
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Characters will occasionally talk to the audience. There is no “fourth wall.”
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The set is “in the round” with the audience on all four sides of the stage.
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Our expert design team has carefully crafted the world of Little Comedies to be...real. The set and costume pieces were carefully chosen to remind the audience that they are at Alley Theatre in 2023. For this production, there is no time and place to create a set or costumes around. It is designed to be timeless.
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The team is aiming for a approach that echos the realistic style of Chekhov's storytelling. The style is the opposite of theatrical. It's just people in a bare, unpainted theatre, being people (Alley Theatre's Neuhaus Theatre, to be exact).
Photograph by Brian Golman
Revolutionary Sound
It’s time to geek out. Little Comedies features a state-of-the-art sound system that will allow the actors to fully commit to realism and speak in normal voices (as opposed to stage voices). Instead of "stage-whispering" or projecting their voices to reach every audience member, the actors will have the opportunity to strip back the theatricality of their voices and focus on being these authentic characters – authentic humans. Microphones and speakers strategically placed across the entire theatre will provide a brand-new way for the audience members and actors to experience this production. Keep your eyes peeled for them when you enter the theatre!
“In real life people don’t spend every minute shooting each other, hanging themselves, and making confessions of love. They don’t spend all their time saying clever things. They’re more occupied with flirting, eating, drinking, and talking stupidities... Let everything on the stage be just as complicated, and at the same time just as simple as it is in life.”
–Anton Chekov
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