Open House: En Garde at the Alley Theatre This Sunday

By Margaret Downing Thu., Aug. 27 2009 at 11:59 AM

Categories: Stage

Photo courtesy of the Alley Theatre

Brian Brynes (left) demonstrates stage combat on the Alley Theatre's Hubbard Stage.

All you people out there who've spent years fencing with empty paper towel rolls and plastic swords, this is your chance to pick up techniques and strategies from the real players -- actors who fence on stage at the Alley Theatre.

Actor Brian Byrnes -- who has employed his love of fighting into roles at the Alley's Cyrano de Bergerac, Othello and The Pillowman -- will lead the charge at the open house from noon to 4 p.m. this Sunday at the theater at 615 Texas Avenue.

"Brian will demonstrate how we choreograph and present fights for the stage; the movement involved whenever we have fights on the stage," said Lauren Pelletier, the Alley's public relations associate.

Not a fight fan? There will also be backstage tour, theater games with the Young Performers Studio, face painting and a close-up look at costumes. And more, according to Alley Managing Director Dean R. Gladden:

"We are delighted to invite Houstonians into our theater during Open House to share how we build our costumes and sets in our impressive center for theater production," said Gladden. "This is a great free family day where children can participate in theater activities on our Neuhaus Stage, watch a stage combat demonstration on our Hubbard Stage, dress up in costumes, and rummage through our Back-Alley Garage Sale to buy costumes and props from our productions.

"This is the day when we offer our best prices of the year, giving away two plays free on 8-Play season ticket packages, free parking for 5-Play packages and offering $19 and $25 tickets for select performances to every 2009-2010 play."

Email to Friend