Chris served as Alleyway’s Associate Artistic Director for two seasons before his appointment as Executive Artistic Director in June 2020. He grew up in WNY and has worked as an actor, director, educator across the country.

At Alleyway, he has been seen onstage in Navigators, Philosophus, Reefer Madness and Unholy Trinity. He is a five-time Artie nominee for his work on stages across the region.

His work as an actor and director runs the gamut from classic and contemporary musical theatre to Shakespeare and Ibsen, award-winning indie soaps to Mississippi Riverboat entertainment. In the new play field, Chris has directed and performed in multitudes of productions, workshops and readings, shepherding new work through all stages of development.

He previously taught Acting and Voice/Speech at Indiana University and is currently on the faculty at SUNY Fredonia where he teaches Acting and Directing. He is Vice President of the Theatre District Association, a Cullen Fellow, 2019 Spark Awards Finalist for Artist of the Year, and previously served on the Buffalo/Rochester Actors’ Equity Liaison Committee.

MFA Acting Indiana University, BFA Musical Theatre SUNY Fredonia.

Emma is an Artie Award winning theatrical designer and technician, specializing in lighting design and production/stage management. She is a Buffalo native who moved back to the area after spending a decade working in New York City. While there, she worked as a freelance lighting designer and at several private secondary schools in Manhattan as a designer, stage manager, technical director and faculty member. Emma also took time to travel to London in order to achieve her Master’s degree, and is still looking for an opportunity to travel there again.
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Upon returning to Buffalo, she became Shakespeare in Delaware Park’s Resident Lighting Designer and has designed lighting for several other local theatre companies. Most recently, she was the Production Manager at UB’s Center for the Arts. Artvoice Artie award winner for Outstanding Lighting Design 2014, 2004 . BA:  State University of New York at Buffalo; MA: Royal Central School Of Speech And Drama, University of London.

Tracie Lane Thomason is an actor and educator based in New York. She currently serves as the Education Director at Alleyway Theatre and is on faculty at Niagara County Community College. Tracie has trained with some of the most respected acting teachers in the United States and abroad including Evan Yionoulis, Richard Feldman, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Michael Kahn, Andrew Wade, Liz Smith, Moni Yakim, Ellen Lauren, Jack Young, and Bob Krakower (on-camera). She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance and an MFA from the Drama Division at the Juilliard School, Group 48. Tracie is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and has been seen on stages in New York City as well as in regional theaters and at Shakespeare festivals across the country.

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