Black graphic design featuring a skull with two rolled joints crossed behind it, a banner at the top reading 'Bottle Alley Theatre Co', the date 'Est. 2012' in the middle, and 'D.I.Y. Punk Theatre' at the bottom.
Black background with the words 'art' and 'trust' written in beige, cursive script, with 'art' underneath 'trust'.
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A white compass rose on a black background.
Handwritten-style text that reads 'found us' on a black background.
The word 'donate' written in cursive, light-colored script on a black background.
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Born and Raised in Austin, Texas

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a bunch of punks who like independence, experimentation, and honesty · in a constant search for catharsis · theatre of cruelty inspired work ·


​specialists in found space theatre · producers of strictly original and weird work · risk-takers · do it yourself attitude

once, one of our rehearsals was strictly smashing computer parts in a parking lot with a baseball bat and a machete.
​this pretty much describes what it is like to work with us.

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Who We Are

  • Profile of a man with glasses and a beard wearing a wide-brimmed hat, outdoors during sunset.

    Chris Fontanes

    Founder. Executive Director. Big Red enthusiast. Horror Movie Expert.

  • Close-up of a woman with short curly dark hair and glasses, touching foreheads with another person, with sunlight creating lens flare in the image.

    Julia Bennett

    New blood. New Artistic Director. The Substance. You are one.

  • Two women with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing knit beanies, are among colorful balloons, with one woman in the foreground and the other partially obscured behind, in a brightly lit setting.

    Sarah Hogestyn

    Social media manager. Director. Stage manager. Baja Blast Connoisseur. Never has a charged phone.

  • A young woman with brown hair and light skin taking a selfie against a black background with white star and sparkle doodles. She is smiling, wearing a yellow and navy striped t-shirt and brown pants, with tattoos on her arms.

    SJ Anderson

    Senior graphic designer. Illustrator. Poster wizard. Loves dirt.

  • A man with wavy dark hair and a light beard, wearing a dark patterned jacket over a black lace top, stands against a textured, pink wall with paint splatters and streaks.

    Trace Turner

    Director. Playwright. Dr. Pepper Addict. Has 2 conjoined toes.

  • A woman with curly dark hair and wearing a light yellow dress is looking up, standing behind a glass surface, with balloons reflected on it.

    Marian Kansas

    Director. Playwright. Lover of dogs. Can talk about Indian food for hours.

  • A woman with red hair, glasses, and makeup looking upwards and to the side, wearing a striped jacket, against a green wall.

    Jessika Land

    Stage Manager. Actor. Rave she must.

Our Critics Say…

  • "Aurora works as a play and an encapsulation of what makes Austin special. It’s off the beaten path in a laid-back way. Do you yearn to actually keep Austin weird? Because Bottle Alley is furthering that cause."

    Cat McCarrey, Austin Chronicle on Aurora

  • "As Bottle Alley's fine fable of loss and grief played out, it felt less like a work of theatre and more like a communal ritual, a ceremonial rite bursting with youthful vigor and punk exuberance that left its audience sweat-drenched, tear-stained, and breathless."

    Ryan E. Johnson, Austin Arts Watch

  • "For me, the most successful element of the evening was the experience created by Bottle Alley."

    Adam Roberts, Austin Chronicle on The Insomniacs Ball

  • "Bottle Alley Theatre has pulled off something truly remarkable. While some scenes are hysterically funny, others touch the audience's hearts and a few reach in, grab your soul and give it a good shake."

    Lynn Beaver, Broadway World on Self Portraits 3

  • "As self-described DIY punk performers, this ensemble is clearly experimenting with thought-provoking, immersive and original work."

    Amy Tarver on Black Dog

  • "Bottle Alley Theatre has made an art of making art in minimal spaces."

    Michael Meigs, Central Texas Live Theatre on Apocalypse

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Awards and Nominations

  • Nominations:

    AUSTIN CRITICS TABLE DAVID MARK COHEN NEW PLAY AWARD - Chris Fontanes

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST WRITING, ORIGINAL WORK - Chris Fontanes

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY - Chris Fontanes

    B. IDEN PAYNE OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA - Emily Rankin

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY - Emily Rankin

    B. IDEN PAYNE OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A DRAMA - Ellen Falterman

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY - Ellen Falterman

  • Awards:

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST DIRECTION OF A DRAMA - Dani Stetka

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCRIPT) - Chris Fontanes

    BROADWAY WORLD AUSTIN BEST PRODUCTION OF A DRAMA

  • Nominations:

    BEST PERFORMER IN A STREAMING PLAY (Danielle Grisko) - Broadway World Austin

    OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES DESIGN - B. Iden Payne

  • Nominations:

    BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY (Chris Fontanes) - Broadway World Austin

    BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY (Miki Johnson) - Broadway World Austin

    BEST IN PERSON PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - Broadway World Austin

    OUTSTANDING LIVE PRODUCTION - B. Iden Payne

    OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES DESIGN (Chris Fontanes) - B. Iden Payne

    OUTSTANDING STAGE MANAGEMENT (Chris Fontanes) - B. Iden Payne

  • Nominations:

    OUTSTANDING SHORT DIGITAL PRODUCTION (EDITED) for Sad Pikachu by Santiago J. Facundo III and Adriana Fontanez - B. Iden Payne

    OUTSTANDING DIGITAL PERFORMER (EDITED) for Emily Recites The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot by Emily Rankin - B. Iden Payne

  • Nominations:

    OUTSTANDING DIGITAL PRODUCTION (EDITED) - B. Iden Payne

  • Awards:

    SPECIAL CITATION FOR OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL INTEGRATION - B. Iden Payne

  • Nominations:

    OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN - B. Iden Payne

  • Nominations:

    OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCRIPT (Chris Fontanes) - Austin Theatre Critics Awards

  • Wins:

    OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN (Cody Arn) - Austin Theatre Critics Awards

    Nominations:

    OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES DESIGN (Marian Kansas) - B. Iden Payne

    OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN (Gavin Kenter) - Austin Theatre Critics Awards

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (N.R. Oglesby) - Austin Theatre Critics Awards

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