Kitchen Confidential! Director Weinbrenner’s Hot and Tasty ‘Seared’ Extended at Alley

ONE OF HOUSTON'S favorite theater makers — Alley Associate Artistic Director Brandon Weinbrenner — has gotten some delicious news about his latest show. The run of his Seared, a sometimes-funny and sometimes-intense tale of life in the kitchen at a suddenly hot New York restaurant by playright Theresa Rebeck, has been extended beyond its original schedule and will now be up through March 9.

“Seared serves up a high-stakes battle of art versus commerce in the pressure-cooker world of an up-and-coming restaurant,” per the Alley Theatre. “When a hotshot chef’s genius meets the hard-nosed reality of the business, tempers flare, egos clash, and the flames of ambition burn high. The arrival of a seasoned restaurant consultant only turns up the heat, igniting a battle for creative control that’s as hilarious as it is mouthwatering.”

The show, up and running now, garnered considerable pre-opening buzz when it was learned that noted Houston chef Justin Yu of Theodore Rex had signed on as a chef consultant for the play. His guidance was needed since, during the performance, actors make real restaurant-quality food in a working kitchen! Indeed, audiences are leaving the at the end of the show hungry for salmon, gnocchi and, per an inside joke in the story, scallops.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to direct Seared in a city like Houston,” Weinbrenner noted. “Like any other sensible Houstonian, I love dining out. And not just for the delicious food but also for the drama! There are high stakes, urgent timing, opinions galore, relationships in the kitchen and on the floor, and all of that in Theresa Rebeck’s Seared.

“And I get to collaborate with friends! Theresa and I have been friends for a decade,” the director added. “The cast is made up of our beloved resident acting company members and a big local talent.”

The cast includes Elizabeth Bunch, Chris Hutchison, Christopher Salazar and Kory LaQuess Pullam.

'Seared' director Weinbrenner is known for his fast-paced style.