Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Upcoming: Quiet Frenzy by Stacey Karen Robinson, University of Texas, September 8, 9, 11


Found at the website of the Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Texas at Austin


Performing Blackness Series

presents Quiet Frenzy Stacey Karen Robinson University of Texas


Quiet Frenzy

by Stacey Karen Robinson

September 8 and 9 at 8 p.m., September 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Theatre and Dance Info Line - inquiry@uts.cc.utexas.edu or 512-471-5793
Free Admission
F. Loren Winship Drama Building (WIN) 2.180, located on the East Mall circle near the intersection of San Jacinto and 23rd streets.
Parking available in the San Jacinto Garage on San Jacinto near Dean Keeton

A solo show written and performed by Stacey Karen Robinson, Quiet Frenzy looks at the explosion, dispersion and reintegration of a life devastated by loss. Still reeling from the sudden death of her twin sister, protagonist LaShonda wanders into a crack of time where strangers, spirits, memory and magic collide. A reception immediately follows the September 8 performance.



Arts Reporting: Charlotte Canning Awarded UT Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award


Found at the website of the College of Fine Arts, University of Texas at Austin:


Professor Charlotte Canning,

Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award Recipient

Charlotte Canning, Ph.D. (image: UT College of Fine Arts)

Performance as Public Practice Area Head, Professor Charlotte Canning is among the 72 recipients from throughout The University of Texas System who have been presented the Board of Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards.

The awards, which range from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on level of experience, are believed to be among the highest in the country for rewarding outstanding undergraduate faculty performance and innovation.

Candidates for the teaching awards were nominated at the campus level then evaluated on several criteria, including student and peer evaluations, teaching portfolio and student learning outcomes.

Dr. Canning received her doctorate from the University of Washington. She serves as head of the Performance as Public Practice Program at The University of Texas at Austin, where she began her career in 1993. She teaches theatre and performance history and historiography, as well as feminist performance theory.

Read more at the website of the UT College of Fine Arts . . . .

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Arts Reporting: Resignation of Executive Director San Pedro Playhouse, San Antoniotor Resigns



Received from

San Pedro Playhouse, San Antonio





San Pedro Executive Director Announces Departure

After more than eleven years as San Pedro Playhouse’s executive director, Di Ann Sneed has announced that she is stepping down to pursue other interests. She will continue as a consultant at least until the end of the year. Board President Norbert Gonzales will assume the position of interim director.

Di Ann Sneed (image via examiner.com)Sneed joined the Playhouse as executive director in April, 2000, following a 20-year long legal career in Houston, Texas. Last year she was named a “Living Legend” by the San Antonio Theatre Coalition for her contribution to theater arts in San Antonio and the state. She served on SATCO’s board of directors and as its president for two terms. The San Antonio Business Journal named her a “Woman of Influence in the Arts” in 2008. She also served on the board of governors of Texas Nonprofit Theatres, Inc., a state-wide organization, for eight years and served as its president for four years.


From Diane Malone's account in examiner.com of the 2010 "Living Legends" story: "Di Ann Sneed, Executive Director of the San Pedro Playhouse, was introduced by Ruth Lown and serenaded by MC Joe Libby. Ms. Sneed came to San Antonio from Houston, where she was a practicing attorney and former mathematician for NASA. Since taking the helm of the San Pedro Playhouse about 10 years ago, Ms. Sneed has produced several new plays by both San Antonio and Texas playwrights, including Dark Horse, Pale Writer by Gregg Barrios in 2002 and locally written one-acts in the annual SAT Playwrights Festival.. She is a past board member and president of SATCO, currently the President of the Board of Governors of Texas Non-Profit Theatres (TNT), and proud mom of lawyer son Adam."



Upcoming: The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward's University, September 29 - October 9


Received directly:

Mary Moody Northen Theatre St Edward's University





presentsFurther Adventures of Hedda Gabler


The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler

by Jeff Whitty

directed by David M. Long

September 29 – October 9

Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

Added performance on Wednesday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Mary Moody Northen Theatre

St Edward’s University, 3001 South Congress Avenue

Tickets: $18 Advance General Admission ($15 Students, Seniors, SEU Community), $20 at the door

Available through the MMNT Box Office, (512) 448-8484, Mondays - Fridays from 1- 5 p.m.

Special student discount night Friday, September 30. Student tickets $7 with ID.

The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler is recommended from mature audiences. The play contains strong language and adult situations.

Mary Moody Northen Theatre, the award-winning producing arm of the St. Edward’s University professional theatre training program, kicks off its 39th anniversary season with the regional premiere of The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler by Jeff Whitty, running September 29 – October 9, 2011.

From Tony-Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) comes a crazy theatrical exploration of an imaginary universe where fictional characters must remain so long as we remember them, doomed to repeat their actions. Hedda Gabler keeps shooting herself, and Mammy her housemaid keeps cleaning up the mess. Tired of her selfish ways, Hedda sets off in search of her author for a full makeover, taking a bizarre contingent of characters with her. Featuring Equity guests Jill Blackwood, Jarrett King and David Stokey, this production promises to leave you laughing. No knowledge of Ibsen required.

“[C]elebrates creation and creativity … in a mad invention that is as fascinating as it is funny.”

— Theatretimes.org


About Mary Moody Northen Theatre Through the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, students work alongside professional actors, directors and designers to explore all facets of theatrical production, create vibrant productions and earn points towards membership in Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. This program is one of only three in the country that offer Equity member candidacy within an undergraduate-only curriculum. MMNT operates under an AEA U/RTA contract and is a member of Theatre Communications Group. For more information, contact the theatre program at 512-448-8487 or visit us online at www.stedwards.edu/theatre.


Upcoming: Charlotte's Web, Theatreworks USA at the One World Theatre, October 8

Found on-line:


Theatreworks USA



presents


Charlotte's Web


based on the story by E.B. White


appropriate for grades K through 5


Saturday, October 8, at noon


at the One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Caves Road (click for map)




[Apple users: can't see the video? Click here to view it on YouTube.com]


Join us as Theatreworks USA spins the timeless tale of Charlotte’s Web. It is the story of a pig named Wilbur who finds friendship in an unlikely place- a talented spider named Charlotte who weaves a clever plan to save Wilbur from his destination- Zuckerman’s dinner table! This classic story of courage, creativity and selflessness will leave everyone thinking Wilbur is “some pig.”


Click to review and download study guides and promotional material for Charlotte's Web, presented by Theatreworks USA

Upcoming: Always, Patsy Cline, Silver Spur Theatre, Salado, September 17 - October 8 (Saturdays only)

Found on-line:

Silver Spur Theatre Salado TX






presentsAlways, Patsy Cline Silver Spur Theatre Salado TX

Always, Patsy Cline

by Ted Swindley

September 17 - October 8 (October 1 performance sold out)

Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.

Silver Spur Theatre, 108 Royal Street, Salado (click for map)

Based on the true story of Patsy Cline's friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger, the play focuses on the fateful evening at Houston's Esquire Ballroom when Seger hears of Cline's death in a plane crash. Seger supplies a narrative while Cline floats in and out of the set singing tunes that made her famous--Anytime, Walkin' after Midnight, and others.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Monday, August 29, 2011

Upcoming: Beehive, the 60's Musical, Georgetown Palace Theatre, September 23 - October 23

Found on-line:

Georgetown Palace Theatre



presents


created By Larry Gallagher

directed and choreographed by Danny Herman and Rocker Verastique

weekends Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Georgetown Palace Theatre,810 South Austin Avenue, Georgetown (click for map)

Tickets for reserved seats available on-line: General admission, $24; Senior (55+), $22; Student (13-22)/Active Duty Military (with ID), $14; Children 12 or younger,) $1

This high-energy musical revue traces the coming of age of women’s music through 37 popular hits of the 1960s. The Chiffons, The Supremes, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin are just some of the 60’s pop stars portrayed. Hear such favorites as My Boyfriend’s Back, One Fine Day, Where the Boys Are, Downtown, Proud Mary, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and Respect.


Sunday, August 28, 2011

Upcoming: The Head, Hands and Toes Tango Show by Tongue & Groove Theatre, September 9 - 18


Received directly:

Tongue and Groove Theatre Austin Texas




presents

The Head, Hands, and Toe Tango Show!

directed by David Yeakle

September 9 - 18, Fridays - Sundays at 8 p.m.

Kenny Dorham's Back Yard, 1106 E. 11th Street (click for map)

Tickets are available at the door. $10/adults, $5/children 12 and under.

Opening September 9, The Head, Hands, and Toe Tango Show! is a delightful, family-friendly series of vignettes performed to tango tunes. Directed by David Yeakle, this unique production features the on-stage talents of Greg Griffin, Miranda Guillory, Matthew Barrera, Roxanne Rohmann, Zach Pettichord, Blake Addyson, Gricelda Silva, Adrienne Mishler, and Harmony Zambrano. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, September 9-18. All shows are at 8:00pm at Kenny Dorham’s Back Yard, 1106 East 11th Street (3 blocks east of I-35, next to the Victory Grill) near downtown Austin.

Live theatre under the Texas sky! Free parking! Lawn seating and concessions available.

This original production is made with the cooperation and generous support of DiverseArts culture works.

[Image by Wendy Mitchell]


Friday, August 26, 2011

Upcoming: D.O.A., A Noir Musical, Overtime Theatre, San Antonio, September 30 -

Received directly:

Overtime Theatre San Antonio Texas



presents the world premiere of a new musical

D.O.A., A Noir Musical

September 30 – October 29

8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.

One 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, October 16. No show on First Friday, October 7.

The Overtime Theater, in the Blue Star Complex, 1414 S. Alamo, #103, San Antonio, TX 78210.

Tickets are $12 general admission, and $9 for teachers, students, seniors 65+, active military, and SATCO members. Tickets can be purchased online at www.theovertimetheater.org.

Information at www.theovertimetheater.org, info@theovertimetheater.org, and (210) 557-7562.

In October 2011, the Overtime Theater presents the world premiere of D.O.A. - a Noir Musical, a new play written and adapted by Jon Gillespie and directed by Matthew Byron Cassi. The new play features original music composed by Jaime Ramirez, with lyrics by Jon Gillespie and Jaime Ramirez.

D.O.A. is a classic, 1949 film noir about a man, Frank Bigelow, who is poisoned and has 48 hours to live. Bigelow races to find his killer, confronting many different suspects including femme fatales, brutish henchmen, shady accountants, and mysterious gang leaders.

D.O.A. a Noir Musical will take the original public domain movie and turn it inside out, featuring jazz and blues songs by composer Jaime Ramirez. This new stage adaptation will be a fast-paced, frantic thriller with original music performed by some of the best musical theatre singers in town and played by a great live band, complete with horn section!

On Tuesday, September 13, the Alamo Drafthouse movie theatre at the San Antonio-Stone Oak location will sponsor a “Theatre Appreciation Night.” The Drafthouse will screen the original classic movie version of “D.O.A.,” and cast members of D.O.A. a Noir Musical will be on hand to perform a song from the stage show. The September 13 Appreciation Night festivities begin at 7 pm.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Arts Reporting: Salvage Vanguard Theatre Receives TCG-MetLife Grant to Support Scenery Co-op

News received directly from Jenny Larson, Artistic Director of the

Salvage Vanguard Theatre




The SVT has been chosen for a $50,000 "Do It" grant to assist in the set-up of a cooperative stock of scene material to be shared among Austin Theatres. From the press release of the Theatre Communications Group and the MetLife Foundation:

"MetLife Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announce the fourth round of recipients for the MetLife/TCG A-ha! Program: Think It, Do It, which supports the creative thinking and action of TCG member theatres with the goal of impacting the larger theatre community. Five theatres were awarded grants, totaling $225,000, to either research and develop new ideas or experiment and implement innovative concepts.

"The A-ha! Program has two components: Think It grants ($25,000), which give theatre professionals the time and space for research and development and Do It grants ($50,000), which support the implementation and testing of new ideas. The projects and initiatives supported by the A-ha! Program impact more than just the recipient theatres. Successful projects serve as models for theatre and arts professionals across the country.

Click to view list of grantees at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Spring Awakening, Zach Theatre, September 20 - November 13


Received directly:

Zach Theatre logo



presents

SPRING AWAKENING

Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater • Music by Duncan Sheik• 
Based on the play by Frank Wedekin

Directed by Michael Baron
Music Direction by Allen Robertson • Choreography by Andrea Beckham

Set Design by Michael Raiford • Costume Design by Michael McDonald Lighting Design by Jason Amato

September 20 - November 13

Zach Theatre Kleberg Stage, 1421 Riverside Drive at South Lamar (click for map)

Previews: Sept. 20 - 23. Champagne & Press Opening Night: Sat., Sept. 24

Performances continue areTuesdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through Nov. 13

GLBT Wilde Party: Thursday, Oct. 6 with pre-show mixer

Tickets range from $25-$60. $15 tickets are available to students starting one hour before curtain time. To order tickets call 512-476-0541 ext. 1 or visit www.zachtheatre.org.

Winner of eight Tony Awards, this electrifying, folk-infused rock musical was hailed by critics as “daring,” “remarkable” and “a Broadway landmark.” Spring Awakening explores the intimate journey from adolescence to adulthood with unforgettable poignancy and passion. Starring an acclaimed cast of the finest actors and musicians in a dynamic new production on ZACH’s Kleberg Stage.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Weird Sisters Theatre Collective at Center Stage on Real, August 18 - 27



A Midsummer Night's Dream Weird Sisters Theatre Collective

by Michael Meigs

Once a year, a theatre production of the Weird Sisters Collective briefly appears like a friendly comet in the Austin evenings. Like comets, they're "wanderers," at least in recent years -- you need to be alert for news of them each July or August, because the venues for their productions have changed from year to year.


They had planned to do the Jacobean drama The Roaring Girl by Dekker and Middleton, under the guidance of their friend Dr. Lizz Ketterer, but Ketterer's unexpected death in February left them adrift. They turned to comfort theatre -- Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of those reliable pieces that, as Robert Faires of the Austin Chronicle once commented, comes around on Austin stages with the regularity of clockwork.


Faires' observation was accurate. A Midsummer Night's Dream is familiar and beloved for its airy fantasy and good-hearted mockery of the predicaments of love. We all enjoy white magic, whether it involves transformation of brash tradesman Bottom into an ass or transformation of love-besotted young persons into fools. Plus, it's the shortest of Shakespeare's plays.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Auditions for Heroes, Theatre Action Project, August 29 & 30


Posted at www.AustinActors.net by

Theatre Action Project

Casting role in touring play Heroes

Theatre Action Project seeks one actor of either gender to join our daytime touring play, The Heroes/Los Héroes.

The Heroes/Los Héroe
s is a 2 actor, 4-day, bilingual puppet performance for students K -2nd grade. The show is performed during school hours between the hours of 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. We are casting this role for the fall semester, with the option to renew in the spring. Every year the program is performed in more than 20 schools across Austin. Actors can expect to be scheduled nearly every week of the fall semester, with occasional weeks off as well as holidays and school vacations. Because the performance lasts 4 days you will have either Mondays or Fridays off, depending upon the school schedule.

The actor we are casting performs multiple roles, must be comfortable singing (songs available on our website) and must be comfortable facilitating conversations with youth. Experience teaching youth required. Experience with puppetry, knowledge of Spanish and ability to play a musical instrument beneficial but not required. Absolutely must be available between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays, with minimal conflicts. Drivers license and access to vehicle essential.

Pay is $30 hour. Actors typically perform anywhere from 4 to 12 hours per week.

For more information on the play and to listen to the music visit http://www.theatreactionproject.org/prog_ip_heroes.html.

Auditions will be held on Monday, 8/29 in the early evening or Tuesday, 8/30 in the morning. To schedule an audition appointment please write to brian@theatreactionproject.org. For the audition, please prepare a short excerpt from a children’s story followed by a few comprehension questions you might ask a youth audience. Additional sides may be provided.

Contact: Brian Fahey brian@theatreactionproject.org
Website: www.theatreactionproject.org/prog_ip_heroes.html

Upcoming: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Soubrette Productions at the Boyd Vance Theatre, September 23 - October 9

Received directly:25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Soubrette Productions

Soubrette Productions
is proud to present the Tony-Award-winning musical


The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

by William Finn with book by Rachel Sheinkin

directed by Philip Olson with musical direction by David Blackburn

September 23 - October 9
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. with additional Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
at the Boyd Vance Theater, George Washington Carver Center, 1161 Angelina Street (click for map)
Tickets $15, discounts available for students and seniors -- purchase via www.austincreativealliance.org


The cast includes Derek Jones, Kylie Baker, Mitch Mahoney, Brian Lasoya, Oliva Frierson, Audrey Johnson, Amy Chang, Aaron Glover, and Julia Lorenz-Olson.

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (image from Soubrette Productions)S
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Soubrette Productions)oubrette Productions and its artistic director Philip Olson believe that Austin deserves excellent, affordable, and accessible theater. Soubrette also believes Austin's community of theater artists needs more opportunities to shine, flourish, and expand. Soubrette aims to accomplish these goals, while supporting local community arts programs and students through benefit performances. A portion of the proceeds from this production will benefit Tapestry Dance Studios.


Upcoming: Luminalia fundraiser, Austin Shakespeare at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, October 16



Received directly from







The Luminalia
Sunday, October 16, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E. Lee Rd. (click for map)

O for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention...
Henry V, Prologue


Austin Shakespeare celebrates "The Triumph of Light" with its third annual Luminalia, Sunday, October 16, 2011 from 6 - 9 pm at The Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Combining pageantry, poetry, dance, music, spectacle and feasting, The Luminalia is one of Austin's most distinctive and exciting fundraisers. To purchase tickets or find out more information, contact alex@austinshakespeare.org or 512-470-4505.



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Upcoming: Barrio Daze by Adrian Villegas, New Movement Theatre,September 2 and 3


Received directly:


Adrian Villegas presents his one-man comedyBarrio Daze by Adrian Villegas

Barrio Daze

a laugh-out-loud-funny comedy about inner-city lives during a fateful day in the barrio

ONE WEEKEND ONLY!
Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd at 8 p.m.
at the New Movement Theater, 1819 Rosewood Ave (click for map)
$8 general admission, available at the box office on performance evenings

Adrian Villegas, atistic director for the award-winning Latino Comedy Project, returns with his one-man comedy Barrio Daze. Set against the backdrop of a fictional national election, Barrio Daze is a sprawling and irreverent one-man tour through a single day in the barrio. In a hilarious God's-eye-view of barrio life, Villegas brings to life a vivid gallery of unforgettable characters ranging from a hopeless panhandling borrachón (drunk) to an unlikely Chicano U.S. Senate hopeful.

Other members of his rich gallery of characters include a clueless burger-flipping high-school drop-out; a noble, hard-working illegal immigrant; and a culturally conflicted Hispanic "coconut" (brown on the outside, white on the inside) working for a prominent right-wing politician. On a single fateful election day, the diverse lives oft he nine characters overlap and collide in meaningful and surprising ways. The day culminates with the outcome of a heated senatorial race between a well-funded, rabidly conservative good-'ol boy politician and the inspiring grass-roots campaign of a dirt-poor Chicano school teacher.

Using a tapestry of slide photography, original audio parodies and stage monologues, Barrio Daze deftly mixes uproarious cultural humor with pointed social commentary to create a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud and unforgettably funny portrait of contemporary Latino life.

The Austin Chronicle wrote, "Performed with nothing less than brilliance…'Barrio Daze' is both absurdly funny and dead-on insightful…A series of damn funny and poignant sketches…This is laugh-out-loud material. Adrian Villegas is truly a gem.” The Dallas Morning News wrote, “’Barrio Daze’ is a free-for-all of social satire and wicked self-mockery. The only answer is helpless laughter. Mr. Villegas’ gift is in making we, the different people, laugh together.” Meanwhile, the Statesman's XL Ent. Weekly commented that Villegas' work "rivals the [one-man] shows John Leguizamo has done".

Villegas' rollicking one-man shows deal with barrio life, racial politics, and pop culture, and have played to packed audiences and critical acclaim at colleges, theatres and cultural arts venues across the country. In addition to his solo work, Villegas is also the artistic director for The Latino Comedy Project (L.C.P.), a popular, award-winning sketch comedy troupe. To date, the LCP’s YouTube comedy videos have received over twelve million views worldwide. The LCP cast also co-wrote and were featured in an MTV3 comedy ad campaign, which was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award.

As both a touring solo performer and artistic director for the Latino Comedy Project, Villegas strives to create work that entertains, bridges cultures, and taps into the hunger of under-served Latino audiences.

“Barrio Daze” will run one weekend only Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd at 8pm at The New Movement Theater, 1819 Rosewood Ave, Austin, Texas 78722. Tickets are $8 general admission, available at the box office on performance evenings.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Hamlet, Austin Drama Club at the Off Center, August 19-28


Rob Novak as Hamlet (image: Austin Drama Club)

by Brian Paul Scipione


An Unweeded Garden: Austin Drama Club’s 6th Production of Hamlet


Many will argue in favor of a favorite song or play is but few will put their money on what is the best. It is easiest to pinpoint what is the ultimate movie or band when one is, say, a freshman in college. Shakespeare is the best writer! Death Cab for Cutie is the most sublime band ever! Dostoevsky has captured the true infirmity of the human soul!


Yet as one ages, learns more, reads more and plainly just experiences more, one is likely to leave behind the notion that one is absolutely sure of anything. My favorite Shakespeare play is Measure for Measure but, nonetheless, Hamlet is probably the best of Shakespeares's plays.

Hamlet has the best lead role, the most emphatic villain, the saddest heroine, and comic foils everywhere. The plot is tight and movess between the supernatural and political themes with a seamlessness emulated in everything from Brave New World to Star Wars. Its ending is tragic beyond tragedy and its message as meaningful as it is morose. If a theatre company were to choose one work as their flagship production than they could do no better than this, Shakespeare’s magnum opus.

Of course, many would argue that the play is sprawling, complex, and behooving of a certain reverence: that is, it should not be approached lightly. This viewpoint was evident in the Hamlet produced last year by Black Swan Productions at the Scottish Rite Theatre and, later, at Boggy Creek cemetary.

Japhy Fernandes's most recent vision of the bard’s classic is on a different level, nay, on a different planet from the play’s traditional interpretation and this is by all means refreshing. He has crafted a version that highlights the eight main characters of the play and their stories. All minor characters and sub-plots have been completely excised. Horatio still barks that something is rotten in Denmark, but these characters are far from Denmark.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Upcoming: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Playhouse Smithville, September 9 - 24


Found on-line:

Playhouse Smithville TX



presentsA Midsummer Night's Dream Playhouse Smithville TX



"The course of true love never runs smooth. . . ."

September 9 - 24, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

110 Main Street, Smithville, TX 78957

(512) 360-7397 - playhousesmithville@yahoo.com

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE (single tickets $10; season tickets $60 for one, $55 each for two or more)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Upcoming: Gods and Idols by, staged reading by Punchkin Repertory, Spider House, September 3



Posted at Rob Faubion's www.AustinOnStage.com:

Punchkin Repertory Company, Austin

presentsGods and Idols by Jason Rainey

a staged reading of the new play

Gods and Idols

by Jason Rainey

September 3, 7:30 p.m.

at the 29th Street Ballroom of the Spider House, 2906 Fruth Street (click for map)


After they nearly strike a Sikh man on a bicycle, a young couple are haunted by growing obsessions in the new play Gods and Idols by Jason Rainey. Punchkin Repertory Theatre will offer a staged reading of the new work on Saturday, September 3rd, at the 29th Street Ballroom at Spider House.

Gods and Idols centers on the growing obsessions of a young couple, Harris and Joan. While driving on the interstate, Harris nearly strikes a Sikh man on a bicycle. Now Harris finds the man haunting his dreams, circling his apartment on the same bicycle. Meanwhile, Joan spends more and more time following a local musician, but it is unclear who has more to gain from Joan's loyalty. Harris and Joan strive to comprehend their fixations without losing their identities.

Directed by Pratima Agrawal, the reading will feature Agrawal and Rainey with actors Alison Stebbins, Ashley Rountree, Elizabeth Taylor, Jason Rainey, Kara White and Rae Petersen. The free reading will be followed by a question and answer session with playwright Rainey, who workshopped Gods and Idols during the Northern Writes New Play Festival this past July in Bangor, Maine.

Rainey's previous plays have received staged readings at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska, and Theatre Daedalus in Columbus, Ohio. His play Schadenfreude received a "Best of Fest" Citation during FronteraFest 2011.

For more information, visit www.PunchkinRep.org.

The Servant of Two Masters, Penfold Theatre outdoors in amphitheatres, Round Rock 8/04-21, Wimberley, 8/26-27


A Servant of Two Masters, Penfold Theatre

by Michael Meigs

I always enjoy watching the handsome and talented Penfold Theatre folk. Not only onstage in their accomplished presentations, of which The Servant of Two Masters directed by Beth Burns is only the latest shining example, but also as with considerable skill they build their presence and reputation.

Austin attracts graduates of theatre programs the way that Nashville attracts banjo pickers, and with not much effort I could name you half a dozen groups of friends who are putting their work up in dusty rented venues throughout this town. Talent is not lacking, and there's plenty of courage and ingenuity.

Ryan Crowder (image: Kimberley Mead)Nathan Jerkins (image: Kimberley Mead)The Penfold team is grouped around funnyface Ryan Crowder, playing the leading rascal in this show, and Nathan Jerkins, who gives his self-assured ironic humor to the stock role of Brighella the innkeeper. In 2007 they founded the company with their Abilene Christian University classmate Sean Martin, at about the same time I arrived in Austin.

Penfold formed an early alliance with St. Ed's musical jack of all trades Dr. Michael McKelvey (director of their sparkling chamber musical theatre pieces The Last Five Years, John and Jen and I Love You Because). Company members' work with Austin Shakespeare and with recent arrival from California Beth Burns helped build networks including many of the liveliest and most dedicated theatre folk in Austin. They won B. Iden Payne awards.

And unlike most other young devotees of the theatre, they looked around for a promising home in the greater Austin area. Penfold made friends in Round Rock, the rapidly growing community just north of Austin, and has secured support from businesses, the municipality and potential arts patrons for their vision of a resident theatre company in that town.

Their summer shows at the Round Rock amphitheatre, open to all without charge, are splendid marketing devices, making Round Rock residents aware both of their talents and of their intentions to put down roots in that town. Last summer they put on the frantic crowd-pleaser The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and through most of this month they've been performing this late classic of the Italian commedia dall'arte by Carlo Goldoni. In addition to the Penfold founders the cast of The Servant of Two Masters features lively character actors familiar to Austin audiences from many venues (for example, Robert Deike, Alejandro McDonald-Villarreal, Griçelda Silva, Andréa Smith and the recently arrived Toby Minor).

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Stage Combat Showcase by Toby Minor and class, August 29



Published by

Austin Shakespeare logo

Stage Combat Showcase

Monday, August 29, 8:45 p.m.Toby Minor as  the Pleaser, Spirits to Enforce, Capital T Theatre (photo: Bret Brookshire)

Clear Spring Studio, 605-A Copeland (click for map)

Enjoy Austin Shakes Stage Combat Showcase on Mon, Aug 29th at 8:45pm at the beautiful CLEAR SPRING STUDIO just off S 1st St. (605-A Copeland) with:Dakota Willingham, Emily Withers, Andrew Matthews, Ben Wolfe, Andrea Smith, Kathy Rodgers and Daniel Cline. taught by Toby Minor.


See hand-to-hand stage combat executed with safe, inspired, passionate VIOLENCE. Come watch them punch, kick, slap, and throw each other . Afterwards: Drinks and socializing at the Upper Decks (Barton Springs & Riverside)


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Auditions: A.R. Christensen's Divine Interpretation of the Tempest, Counter Culture Creative, August 27


Received directly:

Casting Call for

A.R. Christensen’s Divine Interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest

Saturday, August 27Illustrations to Shakespeare's Tempest by Walter Crane, 1893, via DominusVobiscum on Flickr.com

Counter Culture Creative is currently casting ALL ROLES for its upcoming production of A.R. Christensen’s Divine Interpretation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

Actors of all ethnicities are encouraged to audition; classic and/or heroic theater experience is preferred.

With the exception of the characters Alonso/Sebastian/Gonzalo/Antonio, the casting need not be gender specific.

Stage Combat and Dance experience preferred but not required.

NOTE: This adaptation deals with mature subject matter, sexual undertones and alternative forms of artistic expression

Auditions will be held Saturday, August 27 from 3 to 7 pm at The Circus Tent Theater, 6404 Hergotz Lane, Austin TX 78748 (click for map)

Auditions are First Come, First Seen.

Please come prepared with a 1-2 min classic monologue, along with your Headshot and Resume.

Callbacks will be held the following evening on Sunday, August 28th by appointment only.

Rehearsals booked for Sept 8, running Nov 2.

Tentative Performance Dates Thurs, Fri, and Sat evenings in December. Pay Deferred.

Contact Melissa Gratia at counterculturecreative@gmail.com with any questions.


KUT Video: Dos Pocitos by Raul Garza, Teatro Vivo, August 18 - September 3


Found on-line, KUT coverage on Michael Lee's Arts Eclectic of Teatro Vivo's Dos Pocitos by Raul Garza, playing at the Salvage Vanguard, August 18 - September 3:







[Apple users: can't see the video? Click to see it on Youtube.com]

Annual Unified Auditions: Austin Creative Alliance at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, September 17

Received directly from

Austin Creative Alliance logo

Annual Unified Auditions Updates

Hello all,


I hope everyone is having a great summer and your preparations for the Annual Unified Auditions [on September 17 at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.] are coming along well! Just wanted to share some updates with everyone about the AUAs. Here are some of the auditors we have confirmed so far for the auditions:

The Alliance - State Theatre School - Bastrop Opera House - City Theatre Company - Calliope Talent - Different Stages - DVA Talent - Esther's Follies - Sight Ain't Seeing Productions - SplitFace Productions - Tutto Theatre Company


We're still looking for more auditors and audition participants--for those who would like to audit the 2011 AUAs, please fill out our survey here. For those who would like to participate in the auditions and be seen by Austin's theatre and film groups, please register right here.
Also, please remember that the deadline for registration and headshot/resume submission has be extended to September 2nd, so register today!

If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to shoot me an email at arts@austincreativalliance.org or give our office a call.


Thanks and happy auditioning!


Casey Hines, Arts Associate, Austin Creative Alliance

701 Tillery, Austin TX 78702, (512) 247-2531

nowplayingaustin.com - austincreativealliance.org

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Groupon Discount Deal Today Only: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, State Theatre


Found on-line at 8 a.m., Wednesday, September 17:


Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Groupon 2011 08 17


Upcoming: Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor, Hyde Park Theatre, September 8 - October 8

Found on-line:

Hyde Park Theatre, Austin



presentsMarion Bridge Hyde Park Theatre, Rebecca Robinson, Emily Erington, Kelsey Kling (image: Brett Brookshire)

Marion Bridge

by Daniel MacIvor

directed by Ken Webster

September 8 - October 8

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m.


Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd Street at Guadalupe (click for map)

Buy tickets online or call 479-PLAY (7529).

From the author of HPT fave House: this September, HPT revives one of its most beloved productions, Danial MacIvor's Marion Bridge, with the same cast and the same director. See the American-Statesman and Austin Chronicle reviews of our acclaimed 2002 production, which garnered Austin Circle of Theatres (now Austin Creative Alliance) Payne Award nominations for Ken Webster (Director) and for Outstanding Cast.

An actress who does Chekhov in Toronto basements and drinks too much; a nun who disapproves of big-city talk like "Whatever"; and their peculiar, soap-opera-watching youngest sister. Three sisters reluctantly reunite in this bittersweet comedy from the author of House and The Soldier Dreams.

Ken Webster, Hyde Park Theatre's Artistic Director, directs Emily Erington, Kelsey Kling, and Rebecca Robinson in this HPT production.

The show runs at 8:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, September 8 - October 8, 2011. Every Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday, and Saturday tickets are $19 ($17 for students, seniors, and ACOT members), except for the final weekend (August 4-6), when ticket are $21 ($19 for students, seniors, and ACOT members). For reservations, call 479-PLAY or purchase tickets online.

Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. Covered off-street parking for the patrons of HPT is available in the lot at 4315 Guadalupe Street, just north of The Parlor. You can drive through The Parlor's parking lot to reach it. Evening HPT parking also available at Kenneth's Hair Salon, just south of HPT, and at the Hyde Park Church of Christ on the northeast corner of 43rd & Avenue B. We are grateful to them all for their generosity.

Hyde Park Theatre presents

Marion Bridge
by Daniel MacIvor


directed by
Ken Webster

September 8 - October 8, 2011

Buy tickets online or call 479-PLAY (7529).


From the author of HPT fave House: this September, HPT revives one of its most beloved productions, Danial MacIvor's Marion Bridge, with the same cast and the same director. See the American-Statesman and Austin Chronicle reviews of our acclaimed 2002 production, which garnered Austin Circle of Theatres (now Austin Creative Alliance) Payne Award nominations for Ken Webster (Director) and for Outstanding Cast.

An actress who does Chekhov in Toronto basements and drinks too much; a nun who disapproves of big-city talk like "Whatever"; and their peculiar, soap-opera-watching youngest sister. Three sisters reluctantly reunite in this bittersweet comedy from the author of House and The Soldier Dreams.

Ken Webster, Hyde Park Theatre's Artistic Director, directs Emily Erington, Kelsey Kling, and Rebecca Robinson in this HPT production.

The show runs at 8:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, September 8 - October 8, 2011. Every Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday, and Saturday tickets are $19 ($17 for students, seniors, and ACOT members), except for the final weekend (August 4-6), when ticket are $21 ($19 for students, seniors, and ACOT members). For reservations, call 479-PLAY or purchase tickets online.

Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. Covered off-street parking for the patrons of HPT is available in the lot at 4315 Guadalupe Street, just north of The Parlor. You can drive through The Parlor's parking lot to reach it. Evening HPT parking also available at Kenneth's Hair Salon, just south of HPT, and at the Hyde Park Church of Christ on the northeast corner of 43rd & Avenue B. We are grateful to them all for their generosity.