HOUSTON, TX—Tony Award®-winning Alley Theatre and Artistic Director Rob Melrose announce the cast and creative team of Noël Coward’s Private Lives. Director KJ Sanchez (The Night Shift Before Christmas, American Mariachi) brings a fresh twist to Coward’s timeless comedy, transporting the setting to 1930s Argentina and Uruguay.
“Private Lives may be the finest showcase of Coward’s razor-edged humor: elegant, biting, and hilariously brutal in its portrayal of love and loathing,” remarked Melrose. “What excites me most about director KJ Sanchez’s vision is her decision to relocate the play to Argentina and Uruguay. Private Lives revolves around the magnetic push and pull of romance—the spark of attraction, the sting of separation. KJ amplifies this emotional dance by incorporating an actual dance: the tango. Rooted in South American tradition, the tango simmers with sensuality and seethes with tension—just like Coward’s dueling lovers. Their flirtations, feuds, and fast-paced banter find a perfect mirror in the tango’s smoldering embraces and fiery footwork. The result is a fresh, invigorating take on a classic comedy of manners.”
KJ Sanchez, known for her bold storytelling and imaginative visions, shared her insights on the production, “With blessing from the Coward Estate, I set the play anew in Argentina, 1930, with Tango dancing so we could lean into everything that has always made Coward’s classic so popular: it’s sensual, sexy, feisty, fun, and really funny.”
The cast includes Alley’s Resident Acting Company member Melissa Molano as Amanda Prynne.
She is joined by Orlando Arriaga (American Mariachi, Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Jersey Lily) as Victor Prynne, Hugo E. Carbajal (American Mariachi) as Elyot Chase, and Briana J. Resa (The Night Shift Before Christmas, American Mariachi) as Sibyl Chase.
The creative team includes Scenic Designer Tanya Orellana, Costume Designer David Arevalo, Lighting Designer Carolina Ortiz Herrera, Sound Designer Jake Rodriguez, Fight Director H. Russ Brown, Intimacy Coach Melissa Pritchett, Tango Instructor Susana Collins, Voice Coach Micha Espinosa, Stage Manager Denise Cardarelli, and Assistant Stage Manager Ethan Mitchell.
SPONSORS: Noël Coward’s Private Lives is generously sponsored by Ken and Mady Kades (Honorary Producers), Sidney Faust, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Joel Glover and Julie Stephenson (Associate Producers). 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: Simultaneous Spanish Translation Performances on Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 PM, Audio Described Performance on Sunday, June 1 at 7:00 PM, Captioned Performance on Sunday, June 8 at 2:00 PM, and ASL Interpreted Performance is Wednesday, June 11 at 7:30 PM.
TICKETS: Performances begin Friday, May 23 to Sunday, June 15 in the Hubbard Theatre. Tickets are now on sale, starting at $29. 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).
CONNECT WITH US: @alleytheatre, #AlleyPrivateLives
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.
