The Alley Theater

The Alley is a great little theatre. It's located right off Main Street in the heart of Louisville's Whiskey Row - so it would be super easy (and convenient) to get a bite & a bourbon somewhere within walking distance before or after the show. (highly recommend Dish on Market) Also, most of the performances are in the evenings -- which means meter parking is FREE! (woo-hoo!)The shows are all pretty low-key performances with a focus on the play's content, (really) creative use of props and often, audience interaction -- versus grandiose sets and special effects. The theatre is small -- maybe seats 60? 90 if they bring in extra seats.. which they sometimes do. (check out their Evil Dead Musical -- it put them on the map for me) The actors are typically not using microphones but they are easily audible from every seat. If you love to be in the middle of the action with an actor literally within reach (or blood being sprayed on you (evil dead musical "splatter zone") -- then sit on the front row, or at the end of a row. The $18 advance/$20 day-of-show price is pretty reasonable considering -- there are no bad seats in the house, the shows are highly entertaining and often involve some amount of pop culture relevance and improv. BUT -- if you love frequenting the Alley & saving money, they offer a "SIXTIX" card for $80. It gets you 6 tickets ($120 value). You can use it to redeem up to 2 tickets at a time to any show. You can do this online, by calling the box office or emailing them. If you don't use the sixtix within a season, no problem -- the 6 tickets stay on your card until you redeem; like rollover minutes (but without all the fine print & secret charges)The theatre company offers lots of variety in performances (musicals & comedies mostly), but most involve off-color, NSFW content-- so leave the kiddies at home. This is the cards-against-humanities of theaters -- wonderful theatre for terrible people (and alcoholics, hipsters and locals). The snack bar features really cheap drinks, a few snacks and $3?, unlimited refillable popcorn! Beers range from $5 Sam Adams & on draft pours to $2 PBRs (to feed the hipsters)... and if you're into knick-knacky, nerdy things or local art -- there is a gift? shop full of these things right off their entrance on Main Street. Take the elevator or stairs up to the 4th floor & you're in for a fun & fairly cheap 2 hours of entertainment!

I wouldn't take me places in public but Karen is a glutton for punishment so off we went to the Alley Theater to see, "The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged." Once you get over parking down town it isn't a bad place to be! You enter on a first floor into a gift shop and ride an elevator to the theater. I am not a fan of elevators; luckily Captain Awesome let me walk down on our way out. One should only push his luck so hard. Once on the floor with the theater you encounter displays of upcoming shows and programs from shows that have run their course, there is also a bin for the programs you'd like recycled. They also have clean bathrooms and a bar that provides appropriately priced beers, sodas, wine, and snacks. Dude, you can get popcorn with free refills. I was as hungry and hangry as a fourteen-year-old. Karen made sure that I had popcorn and beer to prepare me for CULTURE! The only thing I didn't like about the Alley Theater was the seats were tiny/close together and I was cuddled up to Karen who was clearly not into it. Oh, the show was good and it wasn't uncomfortable in the theatre (in terms of temperature) and I had a great time outside of sitting in the seat where the audience participation happened. I'm high functioning autistic; I just want to blend into the woodwork when I leave the house. This was so painful and I hope I didn't ruin the show for people. They called it the "Bob seat" which was funny because that's what my buddy calls his penis and that buddy texted me a couple times during intermission. I'm sharing this because if I we hang out you'll wonder, "which friend?" If it's in my head it should be in yours, too. Let's suffer together. The acting was good and the play was fantastic. I didn't feel like I was at some uncomfortable, stuffy, avant-garde kind of thing and it wasn't overly formal. I can usually endure the theater pretty well if the show is good (I can't do with the droves of humans, the expected behaviors, the sitting) but I was able to enjoy myself at this show. That's just my personal issue but it was one that was accommodated by the design of the place. My friends love going to shows and this should be a way for me to participate instead of always turning them down. After the show the actors come out and interact with the audience which is so much fun, if you're into that. I am not. I don't like interacting with me and I don't expect other people to either. There are people who have good questions for actors or want to congratulate them on a good show. I did, of course, tell them I enjoyed the show and pretended I wasn't painfully uncomfortable participating so much. They had no idea and I did sit in the Bob seat. I'm not telling YOU where the Bob Seat is. You'll just notice me not sitting in it again. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience culture, especially people like me who aren't good at it. Tip your bartender, that's the only money they make.

Four stars is just about where this should be rated, I think.The price cannot be beaten, for a live play. That is número uno.The atmosphere is fantastic. Very small and intimate theatre. I think I counted 55 seats. That's it. And they're really close to one another. But people are laughing and talking. It has a great buzz.The play I saw this time was Superman: A Musical Comedy. It was pretty funny. It didn't keep you laughing through the entire show, but it was funny enough. One thing though - it was very long. Like 2.5 hours. I didn't anticipate that. Was getting tired.As someone else said, the alley theater is not a place to come if you're expecting great production. It's not. They're doing what they can with what they have. So it's low budget. And that's fine. But just putting it out there.It's certainly worth the night out. It's a fun evening. Get there early if you want a good seat up front.

I went here for Evil Dead: the MusicalYou wouldn't know it for a theater just walking past, but you go in and up to the 4th floor where they have poster and programs from different shows lining the walls, a concession and ticket table and then the small theater. In the theaterm the seats are find, but many of the cup holders were non-functional, just holes in the arm rest. That just means you have to hold your drink.I loved the feel and atmosphere of the theater. I liked the show I saw and other shows past and future look great. I look forward to seeing more!

Main Street may feature Whiskey Row and the Yum Center, but it's also the heart of Louisville's theater district. A lot of talent comes through the Kentucky Center, and of course there is Actors Theater with its awesome Brown-Forman and Humana-endowed productions.Which brings us to Alley Theater. Don't be fooled by the Main Street address. If Actors Theater is HBO, Alley is that basic cable program competing with infomercials. Not a lot of deep pockets. Not heavy on production value. Very whimsical in their offerings. Some improv. The last show I went to was in front of about 50 chairs. Fortunately, those chairs had butts in them, so I think they do a good job of getting butts in them.So yeah, I'm a fan of Alley Theater. That said, I've only seen two plays here so far, and neither was particularly good. But both were written, directed, and acted by locals. It's no different than seeing a local band at the bar down the street. They aren't all going to become My Morning Jacket. So be it.

It's the same old Alley in a brand new fancy location!Although they have moved downtown, they still have their off-beat and fun programming. You enter at street level and go up to the performance space on the 4th floor. Down a hallway is the fancy looking new snack bar (with beer on tap and in the fridge).Get thee to the theater and enjoy something off the beaten path!

Matt R. said it best, "If Actors Theater is HBO, Alley is that basic cable program competing with infomercials."The theatre is above a store which was slightly confusing. No one took tickets or made sure we had purchased tickets. It relies heavily on a honor system. There is a stand to purchase popcorn, candy, soda, beer and wine.The set was simple. There were only 3 actors and I believe 2 of the actors owned the theatre. There was improv mixed with audience participation so be prepared to be pulled on to stage as I was. The place seats maybe 50 to 75 people. I think there was roughly 25 people on this Friday night. Alley Theater is not a traditional place. If you go into the theater with that mindset you will be fine. I did not so I was slightly thrown off. It took some time for me to settle into the groove of off beat acting and humor. After I was comfortable, I was able to enjoy the production.

Though I'm a long time community theater lover, last night was my first time at the Alley Theater seeing All New People by Zach Braff. If you don't purchase your ticket online, you buy your ticket in the shop space on the first floor and then go up to the 4th (stairs or elevator). There's a concession stand that serves alcohol. I believe you can take your concessions into the theater (but I'm not certain on that). The theater space is small but with stadium seating so there's not a bad seat. Because it's small though, I'd probably recommend getting your tickets ahead of time for a Friday or Saturday performance. As for the play I saw, the actors did a great job but I did not necessarily love the play itself (I was expecting a light hearted comedy and at best it was a drama with funny moments). Regardless, if you like theater, it's worth checking it out! Also, Mussels & Burger Bar and Bristol are right across the street if you want to eat beforehand!

Uncomfortable seating, no air conditioning, rude staff, poorly produced shows, disgusting restrooms, dirty bar/concession area, terrible parking in the area around the theater, this place hits all the low notes. If you've ever imagined to yourself "what would be like to watch a play in Hell?", the Alley Theater is the answer to that question. Thankfully it's closing, so hopefully the next tenant in that space can bring in an exorcist, or the Ghostbusters, or maybe John Constantine to wash the evil away.

Saw Shakespeare's Star Wars. Very imaginative. Very entertaining. Well worth it. Looking forward to visiting The Alley again.