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Alley Theatre will bring four emerging theatrical works to Houston during the 2026 Alley All New Festival. The three-day event runs Oct. 23-25 and features free staged readings by Liz Duffy Adams, Jake Brasch, Gloria Majule and Luis Quintero.
The festival will coincide with the world premiere of Majule’s “Uhuru,” which Alley Theatre developed during its 2024 festival. Full casting and a detailed reading schedule will be announced later.
2026 Alley All New Festival Supports New Plays
Established in 2016, Alley All New Festival serves as an incubator for new American plays. Of its 46 featured works, 33 have continued to a world premiere.
Previous festival selections have reached Broadway, Off-Broadway and London’s West End. Other productions have appeared in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Seattle and Dallas.
Artistic Director Rob Melrose described the festival as one of his favorite periods in Alley Theatre’s season. Multiple groups of playwrights, actors and directors develop their projects at the theater simultaneously.
“The whole theatre feels alive with energy and excitement,” Melrose said. “The amount of work, ideas, and inspiration you are able to experience in one weekend is really exciting.”
‘Lunacy’ Combines History and Science Fiction
Liz Duffy Adams returns to the Alley with “Lunacy, or, The Emperor and Empress of the Moon.” Houston audiences may recognize Adams from “Born with Teeth” and “Dear Alien.”
Her new play takes inspiration from Aphra Behn’s Restoration comedy “The Emperor of the Moon.” The story combines a historical period piece with science fiction set inside humanity’s first lunar colony.
Adams developed the work with input from NASA scientists. The play moves across time, genres and space while exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with the moon.
Majule and Brasch Explore Community and Family
Gloria Majule’s “African Moms’ Book Club” follows four wealthy Tanzanian women who meet monthly to select a book. Their decision to read the Bible again becomes more complicated when a new member arrives from abroad.
Tensions expose divisions within the women’s polished lives and firmly held beliefs. Milwaukee Repertory Theater originally commissioned the play through its John D. Lewis New Play Development Program.
Jake Brasch’s “Family Weekend” takes place at a substance abuse treatment center in rural Colorado. Visiting families confront their relationships, a counselor and an elk that refuses to leave.
The dark comedy examines addiction, family responsibilities and the limits of love. Brasch previously earned attention for the Off-Broadway production of “The Reservoir.”
Quintero Reimagines an Ancient Tragedy
Luis Quintero will present “Hippolytus/Phedra,” a hip-hop-infused opera inspired by the ancient story of Phedra and Hippolytus.
The Queen of Troizen secretly desires her stepson while King Theseus remains absent. The growing conflict turns love into a potentially destructive force.
Quintero drew from works by Euripides, Seneca, Jean Racine and Sarah Kane. The adaptation follows his acclaimed hip-hop and battle-rap production “Medea: Re-Versed.”
‘Uhuru’ Receives Its World Premiere
Festival visitors can add a performance of “Uhuru” to their schedule. The Gloria Majule dramedy runs Oct. 16 through Nov. 8 under the direction of Shariffa Ali.
The play follows a Tanzanian American tourist, two missionaries and their guide during a Tanzanian-only ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro. Their journey raises questions about identity, access and belonging.
Free Readings and Weekend Packages
All four staged readings are free and open to the public. The programming is recommended for mature audiences.
Weekend packages cost $175 through Sept. 4 before increasing to $195. Packages include preferred seating, artist panels, receptions, an exclusive dinner, lounge access and a ticket to “Uhuru.”
Schedules and updates will be available at alleytheatre.org/allnew. Single tickets for Alley Theatre’s 80th season are also on sale.