Excitement fills the air as the Tony Award®-winning Alley Theatre proudly brings to the stage the world premiere of Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium, a thought-provoking play completed from the Pulitzer Prize Winner’s unfinished full-length script. Under the direction of Artistic Director Rob Melrose and completion by Kirk Lynn, this existential journey poses the question: If life is a job interview, do we qualify for our existence?

While Thornton Wilder is renowned for classics like Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, he left behind an unfinished masterpiece: The Emporium. Thanks to Kirk Lynn’s meticulous study of Wilder’s papers at Yale University, this previously incomplete script has been brought to life for the first time.

Drawing inspiration from Kafka's The Castle, The Emporium follows the tale of a young man from an orphanage who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, only to find that his experiences are but a metaphor for the complexities of existence itself.

This marks the second time the Alley premieres a completed posthumous work of a Pulitzer Prize winner, continuing its legacy of honoring American playwrights. The anticipation surrounding The Emporium is palpable, with audiences eagerly awaiting to experience Wilder’s inventive storytelling firsthand.

The stellar cast, including Alley Resident Acting Company members Elizabeth Bunch, Shawn Hamilton, David Rainey, and Christopher Salazar, along with Shawn Sides, Raven Justine Troup, and Sally Wingert, promises to breathe life into Wilder’s enchanting narrative.

 Elizabeth Bunch, Shawn Sides, Shawn Hamilton, Sally Wingert, and David Rainey in Alley Theatre’s Alley All New Festival workshop of Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium . Photo by Lynn Lane
 

 

Supported by a talented creative team and generous sponsors including Angela and Craig Jarchow, Connie and Roger Plank, and SLB, The Emporium is set to captivate audiences from May 10 to June 2 at the Neuhaus Theatre.

Ticket Information: Tickets for Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium are now on sale, starting at $51. Discounts are available for military, seniors, educators, and students. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary theatrical experience—secure your tickets today online at alleytheatre.org or by phone at 713.220.5700.

Alley Chat Events: Enhance your theatergoing experience with pre-show and post-show Alley Chats. Engage with the design team and Thornton Wilder’s nephew, Tappan Wilder, and delve deeper into the world of The Emporium. Alley Chat events are free with a ticket to the corresponding performance.

As anticipation builds for this groundbreaking premiere, the Alley Theatre invites you to embark on a journey of self-discovery and existential inquiry with Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium.

For more info, visit  @alleytheatre, #AlleyWilder

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