Alley Theatre — Attraction in Houston

I went to see The Nerd playing at the Alley Theatre and left at intermission. I thought the play was horrible from what I saw and here are some examples of why I did not think this play is funny:

The nerd is a 30-year-old man who asked an 8-year-old girl to marry him. This is not funny, it is sick. The nerd sticks his finger up his nose and then refuses a Kleenex after it is offered to him. He subsequently rubs the armchair with his nasal discharge. Gross and not funny. The nerd sticks his forefinger into multiple deviled eggs and then sticks his finger into his mouth. Gross, not funny. The boy in the play obviously needs psychiatric help. The father attempts to bribe the boy out of a room with money. He stated he has done this before. He makes the boy a monetary offer to come out of the room and the boy requests an increase in the amount of money. Very poor parenting. The father spanks the boy who is obviously too old to spank. I have 2 grown adult daughters who I never spanked. There were consequences to bad behavior, but they never involved hitting them. *The scene where the cast takes off their socks and shoes and places them in a sack was ridiculous but not funny. They then place bags over their head with a hole in it for sight was also not funny. The impersonations of Jimmy Durante and Jimmy Stewart were simply horrible. Also not funny. The tambourine playing was irritating.

I guess if you are a fan of bathroom humor and "pull my finger" jokes then you would find this play hilarious. I did not and I believe I have a great sense of humor. I love to laugh. But this play...

I adore the resident actors. They are so fun and so good at what they do. Each has a different strength that really makes them all play off each other and play to their strengths in a way that is very artful and entertaining. Elizabeth Bunch does the best dramatic scenes, Dylan Godwin can amazingly be the funniest person in the room with his facial expressions and playful persona, but can just as easily give you a meaningful and dramatic performance that moves you, Michelle Elaine is such a fun actress to follow. I haven't seen her as much as some of the others but I am really enjoying her characters and her stage presence is commanding and joyful, Melissa Pritchett is delightful and QUITE THE BALLERINA!, wonderful dance number at the endshe is also very versatile and gives a funny yet dramatic performance that makes you laugh while feeling deeply for her character. Chris Hutcheson has always drawn me in with his characters, it seems like his soul is on the stage with you, Todd Waite's performance as Lady Middleton was so memorable and his delivery - just fabulous! Another wonderful Alley cast member. David Rainey gave a wonderful performance as Sir John Middleton and can make the smallest role just announcing a guest on stage give that certain charm the Alley has become known for. Thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Salazar as Edward Ferrars! He portrayed a nervously awkward Beau so well! It was fun to watch his facial expressions throughout the play and the bit about the handkerchief and ink was beautifully executed. I loved this play and it endears me to the...

We’ve been coming to the Alley Theatre for years. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, and the resident acting company is extraordinary. I always look forward to the Summer of Chills and A Christmas Carol productions. My 4-star rating is comprised of my previous experiences with dozens of performances—the quality of those performances and the theater itself. They lost a star due to my most recent experience.

As so many recent reviewers have commented on the 2021 production of A Christmas Carol, I’ll add my own opinion. This was a letdown compared to every other year’s performance I’ve seen. It felt rushed and thrown together. (It had a shorter run time, with no intermission.) There was no magic, no excitement, no energy. The attempts at humor and relevance fell flat. This classic tale is best taken at face value. The audience expects to be transported to a Dickensian world. The modern music and jokes detracted from the storytelling. I do not wish to see this rendition again and truly hope they will bring a full-length, more traditional version of the play next year.

I’ll continue to visit the Alley and am looking forward to seeing Sense and Sensibility in the spring. I’m hoping this year’s Christmas Carol was just a casualty of circumstances and not an indication of the quality of future...