HOUSTON, TX – Tony Award®-winning Alley Theatre and Artistic Director Rob Melrose announce the cast of The Janeiad. Directed by Melrose, this exploration of longing and hope by Anna Ziegler follows a woman’s journey of resilience and perseverance. The Janeiad tells the story of a 9/11 widow through the lens of Homer’s The Odyssey.
“I’ve always loved epics. I’ve always loved romances,” mused Melrose. “Can the epic or the romance exist in our contemporary world? What is remarkable to me about Anna Ziegler’s new play The Janeiad is that by looking deeply and empathetically into the experiences of a 9/11 widow, Anna can find an epic, romantic story for our day and age. The events are contemporary, but the feelings, wants, desires, and needs are ancient and essential to the human experience. I’m so grateful to Anna for writing this play that feels so new and, at the same time, gets back to the essential elements that made me fall in love with the theatre in the first place.”
Ziegler, known for her thought-provoking and character-driven works, shared her insights on the production, “I can’t wait for my new play’s world premiere at the Alley! It’ll be great to experience it for the first time alongside Houston audiences. Hopefully, we’ll all be treated to a profoundly moving meditation on life and loss.”
The cast of The Janeiad includes Jenn Harris (Film: American Fiction) as Jane, Miriam A. Laube (Broadway: Bombay Dreams) as Penelope, and David Matranga (Amerikin, Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers) as Gabe.
The creative team includes Scenic Designer Michael Locher, Costume Designer Helen Huang, Lighting Designer Thom Weaver, Sound Designer Kathy Ruvuna, Projection Designer Victoria Beauray Sagady, Fight Director & Intimacy Specialist Adam Noble, Stage Manager Debs Ramser, and Assistant Stage Manager Kaylee Sarton McCray.
The Janeiad has had a journey of its own. Developed in the 2023 Alley All New Festival, The Janeiad returns in a fully realized World Premiere alongside the 2024 Alley All New Festival. The Festival features four new play readings from some of the most exciting voices in contemporary theatre. Of the 38 plays developed in the Alley All New Festival, 28 have received a world premiere at Alley Theatre or another theatre institution in the US. The 2024 Alley All New Festival runs October 25 – October 27, 2024.
SPONSORS: The Janeiad is generously supported by the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. Alley Theatre is supported by the 2024-25 Season sponsor United Airlines, the official airline of Alley Theatre, and Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites Downtown Houston, the official hotels of Alley Theatre.
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES: Captioned Performance on Sunday, October 20 at 2:00 PM, Audio Described Performance on Sunday, October 20 at 7:00 PM and ASL Interpreted Performance on Wednesday, October 30 at 7:30 PM.
TICKETS: Performances run Friday, October 11 to Sunday, November 3 in the Neuhaus Theatre. Tickets are on now sale, starting at $58. Discounted tickets are available for military, seniors, educators and any student, regardless of age, with a valid ID for designated performances in designated sections. Tickets can be ordered online (alleytheatre.org) or by phone (713.220.5700).
PRESS NIGHT: Wednesday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. Invitations to be sent at a later date.
CONNECT WITH US: @alleytheatre, #AlleyJaneiad
ABOUT ALLEY THEATRE:
Alley Theatre, one of America’s leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley is committed to developing and producing theatre that is as diverse as the Houston community. The Alley produces up to 11 plays and nearly 400 performances each season, ranging from the best current work and classic plays to new plays by contemporary writers. Home to a full-time resident company of actors and expert artisans in all theatre crafts, the Alley engages theatre artists of every discipline – actors, directors, designers, composers, playwrights – who work on individual productions throughout each season as visiting artists.
Alley Theatre performs at the Meredith J. Long Theatre Center which is comprised of two state-of-the-art theatres: the 774-seat Hubbard Theatre and the 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre. The Alley reaches over 200,000 people each year through its performance, education, and community engagement programs.
