Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, has upgraded its communications infrastructure with Clear-Com systems, enabling seamless coordination across its two performance spaces and extensive backstage areas.
The Tony Award-winning venue produces a mix of classics, new works, and community programmes, reaching nearly 200,000 people annually. To support technically demanding productions across its 774-seat Hubbard Theatre and 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre, Alley has deployed Clear-Com’s Arcadia Central Station, FreeSpeak II digital wireless beltpacks, and HelixNet digital partyline system.
The setup includes Arcadia with Dante integration for backstage paging and archival recording, 20 FreeSpeak II wireless beltpacks with six transceiver antennas, and 20 HelixNet wired beltpacks with multiple remote stations. Speaker stations are also installed in offices and automation areas, extending coverage throughout the 75,000-square-foot Meredith J. Long Theatre Center.
According to assistant sound director Chandler Oppenheimer, the system provides the flexibility to scale between productions: compact setups can support smaller Neuhaus performances, while large-scale shows in the Hubbard Theatre can rely on up to 16 wireless beltpacks used simultaneously to synchronise lighting, sound, projections, fly rail, and stage crews.
“Clear-Com is absolutely essential to the way our team communicates,” said Oppenheimer. “We utilise wireless beltpacks with Bluetooth integration for our FOH mixers, and rely on HelixNet to support our automation crews. Clear-Com provides the reliability and flexibility we need to produce theatre at the highest level.”
The integration allows Alley Theatre to mount repertory productions efficiently, adapting quickly to changing requirements. Clear-Com’s coverage ensures mobility across the site, helping technical teams maintain reliable connections even during complex changeovers.