When Chris Hutchison steps on stage each performance in The Alley’s production of The Da Vinci Code, he’s marking a milestone. The show is his 100th production with the company.
“It’s really unbelievable!” he says. “For my own soul, it’s just an incredible milestone. It’s a mix of good luck, and good fortune. I’m incredibly humbled by it.”
Hutchison is part of The Alley’s company of resident actors, which means he performs in shows throughout the organization’s season. While many actors audition for roles, those in the Alley’s core company do not. They are guaranteed work.
“That’s a rare gift for actors,” Hutchison says.
He’s been a company member for the last 19 years, but his history with the theater began two years before that. He was living in New York City, auditioning for parts in the city and for other repertory companies around the country. His girlfriend—and now wife—Elizabeth Bunch, was invited to Houston to do a show with The Alley, and Hutchison came along.
Over the next couple of years, they were both cast in Alley productions and invited back season after season. When they were invited to become members of the company, they were elated.
The opportunity has afforded Hutchison the chance to act in a variety of productions. He says actors are encouraged to consider plays they’d like to be in, offering those as part of the potential mix of shows that will eventually become part of the theater’s season. He’s performed small parts and large ones, building his skill set and bringing what he can to the ensemble.
“ You do your best work and support people when they need it, and then your kind of chances keep coming around,” he says.
In The Da Vinci Code, he plays Silas, an albino monk and member of Opus Dei, the fanatical organization that’s trying to stop professor Robert Langdon from uncovering a secret that would not only upend the Catholic church but world history.
“ He’s a tragic character ultimately,” says Hutchison. “ He has a real arc. He learns things, he grows for better or for worse. He’s tortured; he’s a human being who is looking for answers. He is looking for guidance. He wants to trust, he wants to believe.”
It’s a meaty role, and a challenging one. Hutchison loves bringing this multi-layered character to life each performance.
More than that, he loves that this company he’s been a part of for two decades is celebrating his milestone with him.
“It’s nice to see the Alley team celebrating this,” he says. “And the audiences! There are a lot of people showing up in the theater every night who have seen me in almost every show I’ve done for 20 years. Just knowing that they know, it’s really fun.”
The Da Vinci Code runs through Sunday, October 19, 2025.
You can find Chris Hutchison online at his mostly rapt-audience-silent Instagram account @xihutch.
This article was developed in partnership with Alley Theatre, allowing us to expand our coverage of the performing arts, activities and events around the Greater Houston area.