Thursday, May 31, 2012

Opportunity: Inside Theatre with Amparo Garcia Crow and Aralyn Hughes, 1000 Passions, June 1 - 13


1000 Passions Austin TX

presentsAmparo Garcia Crow (image via 1000 passions)

Inside Theatre

Opportunities June 1 - 13 $425 for up to four persons,


click to go to the web page


Observe the process of how a theatrical piece is conceived, step by step, by attending working rehearsals of a new show with acclaimed writer and director Amparo Garcia-Crow and performer Aralyn Hughes. You’ll have the chance to witness a work in development, with the unique opportunity of being able to contribute to its creation.
During the last year Amparo has developed and directed a series of interactive one-woman shows starring Aralyn Hughes, iconic artist and performer. The current show is called I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency), which will be performed at the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin on June 14th, 15th, and 16th. The 8th solo performance in the series, I.C.E. poses the question: "Who do you call to resuscitate you when you're no longer looking for love in all the wrong places?" If Gloria Steinem was your hero--and you too passed on the role of the "homemaker and motherly hand that rocks the cradle"--where did that all get you?

As part of your experience, you’ll spend the day with the director and actor as they rehearse, taking on an active role if you desire by giving feedback and interacting with the show and its content. The writing and creation of the material is an ongoing process, with changes and modifications being made every day. You’ll then return to see the show performed live and possibly participate as well, if your interaction proved integral to the material. Plans are being made to turn the series into a documentary film.

Join us for this unique chance to see how a show is brought to life, and experience cutting edge theater from the inside!

This unique event, for private groups of 1-3 people, is presented by 1000passions.com, a new website where people can buy behind the scenes experiences in entertainment, art, fashion, sports and nature. You can read more about the event, and book online, at: http://www.1000passions.com/en/entertainment-culture/listexpdetails/Inside_Theater-_One_Person_Show

Upcoming: The Flame, Sky Candy Aerial Arts, July 12 - 27


Sky Candy Aerial Arts Austin






presents

The Flame
the journey of the Olympic flame from ancient Greece to the London 2012 Olympics

featuring aerial stunts, poetry, and an original score
JULY 13 – 27, Fridays - Sundays at 8 p.m.
3 p.m. matinees on Sundays

507 Calles Street (click for map)
Sky Candy aerial arts collective will produce “The Flame,” a theatrical presentation of the story of the Olympic flame, running July 17 - 27, 2012, at its studio atin East Austin.

"The Flame" is an original contemporary interpretation of the history, meaning and spirit of the Olympic flame, conceived, produced and directed by Sky Candy founding member Andy Agne. The audience will be taken on a journey from ancient Greece, when the flame was born, to modern day England as the torch arrives in London for the Olympic Games and takes the spirit of the Olympic games into the future.

“I’m excited about showing the timeline, the progression of the Olympic Flame from ancient times to the present,” said director Andy Agne. “It’s a reminder of what the Olympic games really are and should be, a friendly competition between countries, finding that common denominator that unites us all, that’s what the spirit of the Flame really is.”

“The Flame” will feature music composed by Chris Humphrey and dance & aerial choreography by Andy Agne, as well as aerial stunts on hoop, straps and trapeze, and ground-based dance, acrobatics, poetry and acting.

The final performance of “The Flame” will be held on the night of the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and the show will be followed by a viewing of the opening ceremonies and Olympic kick-off party.

“The Flame” will be held at Sky Candy’s studio located at 507 Calles Street in East Austin. Ticket prices range from $15-$25 for the show and can be purchased at http://theflame.eventbrite.com/. The show will run at the following dates and times:

Sky Candy debuted its first theatrical production, “The Red Shoes”, to Austin audiences in 2011, receiving rave reviews. Their follow-up “The Time Machine” in April 2012 was similarly well-received.

About Sky Candy Sky Candy is an aerial arts collective whose mission is to develop and foster interest for the aerial arts in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2010, it offers aerial classes in multiple apparatuses such as silks, lyra, static trapeze, static pole, corde lisse and hammock for all skill levels. Sky Candy also offers open studio and rehearsal space in the fast-growing artist haven of East Austin. For more information, visit www.skycandyaustin.com.

Upcoming: The Wolf and Its Shadows, Bastrop Opera House, June 2 - 3



The Bastrop Opera House
presentsThe Wolf and Its Shadows, Sandra Fenichel Asher, Bastrop Operat House TX
The Wolf and Its Shadows
by Sandra Fenichel Asher
Directed by: Chester Eitze

Saturday & Sunday
June 2nd & 3rd at 5:30 p.m.
at the Bastrop Opera House

Framed by the Aesop's fable "The Dog and the Wolf", THE WOLF AND ITS SHADOWS weaves together stories about wolves, dogs and humans. The play includes tales from Russian, Tlingit, English, Inuit and German folklore.

There is no cost to see the performance, however donations for the Opera House are accepted.

Cast members:
Danielle Huber (wolf)
Keaton Holcomb (Hunter, Sheppard)
Landon Holcomb (dog)
Dominic Holcomb (sounds)
Joe Holcomb (sounds)

40 minutes, rated G.

Then on Saturday, June 9 at 7 p.m., The Bastrop Opera House will present The Wolf and Its Shadows at the at the 17th Annual Youth Conference at the MCL Grand located at 100 N. Charles Street in Lewisville, Texas. There this youth cast will perform alongside 11 of the best youth theater companies from throughout Texas. See http://www.texastheatres.org/ for tickets, or purchase at the door in Lewisville.

Upcoming: The Cat Princess by Bill Hayden, Way Off Broadway Community Players at Robin Bledsoe Park, Leander, June 2


Way Off Broadway Community Players, Leander






Way Off Broadway Community Players
in conjunction with Leander Parks and Recreation
are pleased to announce a FREE performance of Cat Princess Bill Hayden Way Off Broadway Community Players Leander

THE CAT PRINCESS
by Bill Hayden
at the Robin Bledsoe Park in Leander, Texas on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 4pm.
This is Fun for the Entire Family, and something you don’t want to miss!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Funding Appeal from the DA! Theatre Collective for DayBoyNightGirl at the Rollins Theatre



DA! Theatre Collective, Austin, TX
Just Say "DA!" - About DA! Theatre Collective
DayBoyNightGirl DA! Theatre Collective Austin TXDA! Theatre Collective is proud to announce that we will soon be debuting our latest original show, DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL, at Central Texas' premiere performing arts facility, THE LONG CENTER! For one exciting week, June 6 - 10 at the Rollins Theatre, we will showcase the talents of our entire team (plus several incredible guest artists) for the full-length premiere of DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL, a multi-disciplinary production freely adapted from a magical 19th Century short story by illustrious Scottish author George MacDonald.

[To see developmental footage of DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL from earlier workshop incarnations, go to the video below at 16:48.]




IndieGoGOThis Indie-Go-Go campaign will specifically "Go-Go" towards compensating the work of the incredible artists on our team! Paying local artists a decent wage for their work is a core value that we chose to inherit from our beloved parent company, Hyde Park Theatre. The goal is $2012 by June 17. Please click on the IndieGoGo symbol to go to the fundraiser page where you can contribute and view the perks we're offering.

"Da" means “yes” in Russian. Yet DA! is more than a word and more than a company; it is a way of life. Rooted in contemporary Russian acting and movement theory, DA! Theatre Collective believes in the power of intention and the value of hard work --and that Austin, Texas in the 21st century is the very best place and time to be doing this hard work.

Click 'Read more' for additional information -- or go to the fundraiser page

Upcoming: The Baby Harp Seal Diaries by Alex Garza, City Theatre, June 18 - 27


THE BABY HARP SEAL DIARIES

by and with Alex Garza
(image: National Geographic)

June 18 – 27,  Mondays - Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

The City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd. Suite D. 78722 – east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38 ½ Street. (click for map)

For reservations, 512-524-2870 or info@citytheatreaustin.org. General seating $10. Tickets available at the door. www.citytheatreaustin.org

In his new one-man show, Alex Garza turns to the animal kingdom and investigates the lives and perspectives of our planet’s forgotten creatures in danger of being lost forever.  Funny, emotional, inspiring and family-friendly, this journey will have you meet all sorts of interesting and exotic wildlife, including a tribute to Steve Irwin, aka “The Crocodile Hunter.”

Monday, May 28, 2012

Upcoming: Next to Normal, musical, Woodlawn Theatre, San Antonio, June 29 - July 14


Woodlawn Theatre San Antonio






presents the musical

 Next to Normal Woodlawn Theatre San Antonio
Next to Normal

June 29 -July 14
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.
at the Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, 78201 (click for map)
General admission $22, military & SATCO $19, students $15
Winner! 2010 Pulitzer Prize

Winner! 2009 Tony Award Best Music

“Like all good musicals, it breaks your heart without crushing your hope.” – Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

“Next to Normal’ shouldn’t fail to absorb anyone interested in what’s happening in American musical theatre and, not incidentally, in American families.” – Bob Verini, Variety

“A work of muscular grace and power. It is much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical.” – The New York Times

“An emotional powerhouse. The best musical of the season — by a mile. It’ll pin you to your seat.” – Rolling Stone

Featuring a compelling and surging pop rock score, Next to Normal shatters through the façade of a suburban family dealing with the direct and indirect effects of mental illness. Winner of 3 Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this intense, emotional and ultimately hopeful musical makes a direct grab for the heart with its story of a family coming to terms with its past and bravely facing its future.

Different Stages, Austin TX




presents
Is Life Worth Living?
by Lennox Robinson

directed by Norman Blumensaadt
June 29 – July 21, 2012

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd map
Tickets are Pick your Price: $15, $20, $25, and $30.

For tickets call 478-5282. For information go to http://www.main.org/diffstages
Different Stages continues its 2011 - 2012 season with Is Life Worth Living? by Lennox Robinson. A traveling repertory troupe comes to a small village in Ireland and after a week or so of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Strindberg, the town is driven mad. Is Life Worth Living? is a gloriously goofy comedy that imagines the undesirable effects a steady diet of serious drama might have on the amiable residents of the provincial seaside town of Inish.

The leading actors of the traveling troupe are played by Mick Darcy (Humpty) and Lorella Loftus (Elizabeth, the Heart of a King). The hotelier, his sister, and his wife are played by Andy Brown (Inherit the Wind), and newcomers to Austin Mary Kennelly and Jean Budney. Playing the romantic leads are Gabriel Pena (The 21 Would be Lives of Phinea Hamm) and Alexandra Russo (Antarctica). The other cast members include, Bethany Harbaugh (The Children’s Hour), Jonathan Urso (Mornings at Seven), Steven Fay (Murder on the Nile) and Ben Weaver (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot), Freddy Carnes (The Hamlet Project) and Ryan Chody.

Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p
.m.

Upcoming: Annie Get Your Gun by Irving Berlin, Georgetown Palace Theatre, June 29 - July 29

Annie Get Your Gun Georgetown PalaceThe Georgetown Palace Theatre
presents


Weekends June 29 - July 29, 2012 Fri. & Sat. at 7:30 p.m. and Sun. at 2:00 p.m.
UPDATE: Saturday matinees added at 2 p.m. on July 14, 21 and 28



By Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, and Herbert Fields (Show Revival by Peter Stone 1999)

Annie Oakley is the best shot around, and she manages to support her little brother and sisters by selling the game she hunts. When she's discovered by Col. Buffalo Bill, he persuades this novel sharpshooter to join his Wild West Show. This rousing musical hits the mark every time in a testament to the power of female ingenuity.
Prices:
General: $24
Senior(55+): $22
Student(13-22)/Active Duty Military (with ID): $14
Children(12 or younger): $10

Sunday, May 27, 2012

McCallum Fine Arts Academy Announces 2012-2013 MacTheatre Season


McCallum Fine Arts Academy MacTheatre Austin TXWe are very proud to announce our 2012-2013 season of shows.

In August: Our co-production with award-winning Tutto Theatre of
The Twelfth Labor, a new play.

In September:
Beauty and the Beast goes on tour across town, across the state and hopefully across the continent.

In October: Faculty Emeritus William Staples directs
Harlequinade

In November:
The Secret Garden takes the stage as our fall musical.

In December:
Whatcrackah?! 2.0 leaps into your life with our fresh take on the classic ballet.

In February: 53 years ago the Royal Court Players produced the largest high school musical ever seen in Texas. This year we will remount
Oklahoma! And it's going to be just as big!

In March: Shakespeare's immortal love story
Romeo and Juliet comes to McCallum.

In April: Student directed 10-minute plays will take over the program.


In May: The boy who never grew up has an origin story all his own in
Peter and the Starcatcher.

Keep an eye open for all these and so much more, season tickets, and a few extra surprises.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Upcoming: The Austin Puppet Incident, sponsored by Trouble Puppet and Glass Half Full, June 9

and
present
the Austin Puppet Incident
an evening of short puppet works from a variety of Austin-based puppet artists
June 9 @ 8 pm & 10 pm
at The Fort, 301 Chicon Street, Austin, TX, 78702 (click for map)
Tickets $10 General Admission/ $8 Student or senior.
Glass Half Full Theatre and Trouble Puppet Theater Company bring you the third Austin Puppet Incident, featuring short puppet acts for adults in a variety of styles, from time-based puppet installation to Taiwanese Fighting Puppets performing martial arts.

For this summer’s Incident, we’ve relocated to the Fort, an indoor/outdoor arts venue. Short puppet pieces will be performed all over the Fort, from the backyard stage to under the kitchen sink. Two Showings. One Night Only!  

The Austin Puppet Incident is a joint creation of Glass Half Full Theatre and Trouble Puppet Theater Company to highlight short works of puppetry for adults on the Austin stage. We encourage artists to participate in our reciprocal model, in which artists work with and for each other in a variety of pieces. This Incident will showcase local performers. The Incident is funded by a grant from the Puppet Slam Network.      

Glass Half Full Theatre creates puppetry and physical theatre of objects and ideas, devising visually driven narratives inspired by issues that concern humans across the globe. Our goal is to share stories that are generous, not only in their core content and narratives, but in their deeper invitations: to imagine, to participate, to question, and to strive for meaning. The company was formed in Paris, France in 2003 by a group of students from the Ecole Internationale de Theatre, Jacques Lecoq, and was based in Paris and Baltimore before settling in Austin, Texas in 2010.  Glass Half Full Theatre is a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance and is funded in part by the Jim Henson Foundation and the Creative Fund. www.glasshalffulltheatre.com

Trouble Puppet Theater Company, recipient of such B. Iden Payne Awards as Outstanding Director of a Drama, Best Production of a Drama, Outstanding Original Script, and Outstanding Puppetry, is dedicated to the creation of outstanding works of puppet theater for grownups. Trouble Puppet was created in 2004 by Artistic Director Connor Hopkins and has in recent years been making trouble in shows such as Frankenstein: The Trouble Puppet Show, The Jungle, and Riddley Walker. Trouble Puppet is a sponsored project of Salvage Vanguard Theater and is supported in part by the city of Austin, the Jim Henson Foundation, and individual donors. www.troublepuppet.com

Upcoming: The Merry Wives of Windsor by Shakespeare, Wimberley Players, June 8 -


Wimberley Players TX




presentMerry Wives of Windsor Wimberley TX



The Merry Wives of Windsor

by William Shakespeare
directed by Joe Falocco

June 8-July 1
Fridasy, Saturdays 8:00 pm,  Sundays, 2:30

Tickets, $18; Opening night, $20
Box Office 512-847-0575

Shakespeare's 1598 romantic comedy features the famously rowdy knight Sir John Falstaff as he tries to swindle a pair of wealthy women, only to have them hatch plans of their own. Directed by Texas State Shakespeare professor Joe Falocco, this delightfully distilled production is clear, concise, and deliciously bawdy. It is staged in the tradition of Elizabethan style  theater, with seating on two sides of the stage for adventuresome patrons.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Auditions in Wimberley for Once Upon A Mattress, June 16 and 18


Wimberley Players TXOnce Upon A Mattress Wimberley PlayersAudition Notice for Once Upon a Mattress - Music by Mary Rogers, Lyrics by Marshall Barer, Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller & Marshall Barer.   

Audition Schedule: Saturday, June 16 @ 2pm and Monday, June 18 @ 7pm. Prepare to sing a song from the show - ensemble and solo. Learn simple choreography number @ audition. Wimberley Playhouse, 450 Old Kyle Road (click for map).  Director: David Schneider. 

 E-mail for appointments:  David Schneider - david.schneider50@gmail.com
E-mail for music/scripts: Adam Witko - adam@adamwitko.com
 
Show dates:  Sept 14- Oct. 7, 2012, Friday and Saturday evenings 8 p.m., Sunday Matinees 2:30 p.m.

Upcoming: Tea in Tripoli by and with Bernadette Nason, June 9




ONE NIGHT ONLY!
  (reinstated; scheduling conflict resolved)

Tea in Tripoli

 
Tea in Tripoli Bernadette Nason Austin TX




by and with
Actress/Storyteller Bernadette Nason
The Scottish Rite Theatre, 18th and LaVaca (click for map)

June 9, 8 p.m.

Folks who missed it (and many who saw it) asked if I'd do another run. Since I'm writing and preparing to rehearse the sequel, DINNER IN DUBAI, this is a one-off performance to "catch you up."

Your last chance to see actress/storyteller Bernadette Nason's award-nominated one-woman show TEA IN TRIPOLI before she brings you the sequel!

Once upon a time, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, in a land of sundrenched beaches, swaying palms and crumbling Italian villas, lived a naive Englishwoman...

In an unusual blend of storytelling and stand-up, actress/storyteller Bernadette Nason shares life in Libya c. 1984, from home-made hooch and crazy expatriates to confrontations with the Morality Police.

  • "What a delightful evening! Bernadette Nason is one of Austin's best story tellers and this evening is witty, tender and so informative. Try not to miss this lovely event. You will be amazed at what her experiences in Libya reveal." (5 stars)  Road Warrior, Reviewer, NowPlayingAustin.com

  • "In TEA IN TRIPOLI, Austinites get to see for themselves why Nason is heralded as one of the best storytellers in the city, as she gives us a story that is at turns gripping, shocking, and laugh-out-loud funny, but one that never feels unbalanced. It was hands-down the stand out production at this year's Summer Acts Festival, and with any luck, it will take stages again soon."  Ryan Johnson, Austin Examiner

Ongoing: Hurricane Season by G. Flores, Palace Theatre, Seguin, May 24 - 27



A second run:

TripWire Theatre 

presents
 
Hurricane Season, G. Flores, Dream A Little Productions, Palace Theatre, Seguin
 Hurricane Season
an original play by G. Flores
directed by Laura T. Garza
May 24 - May 27, 2012

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. - Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
at The Palace Theatre, 314 S. Austin Street, Seguin (click for map)

Tickets: $12 General Admission - $10 Child, Senior Citizen, Student, Military & SATCO

Tickets available at: The Box Office / www.dreamalittleproductions.com 


For More Information: (210) 789-3048 or (210) 854-1610


*For mature audiences - some explicit language*

Love & Pain vs. Past & Present
When a beloved World War I Veteran is forced to confront his son in law, a Viet Nam Veteran, about the horrors witnessed in combat he is reminded of his own reoccurring nightmares.  Coming face to face with their own terrors and each other, the two men must find common ground before irreparable damage is done to those they love most.
Hurricane Season is a gripping story of grief, compassion, and finding a way to move on.  Set in the Rio Grande Valley in 1970, the play explores Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, before its official diagnosis, and its effects on a multi-cultural family infected by war and their struggle to love through their grief. But at what cost?
Hurricane Season was a nominee for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s David Mark Cohen award, as well as the National Partners American Theatre Playwriting award.

Cast: Keith Paxton ~ Gabriella Bustamante ~ James Robinson ~ Alexandra White ~ Corbin Paulino ~ Eric Meo ~ Kayce Kuntz ~ Stage Managers: Deanna Belardinelli & Sarah Heintz ~ Set Designer: Geoffrey Douglas, Costume Designer: Julia Chinnock-Howze, Lighting Design: Roy Mora, Sound Design: G. Flores


The playwright, a military veteran himself, will be graduating this spring from Texas State University San Marcos with a master's degree in Playwriting. Flores's plays are already receiving National awards and recognition, as well as being published.

Hurricane Season was a nominee for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival's David Mark Cohen award, as well as the National Partners American Theatre Playwriting award. Down By The Highway Side is a John Cauble Short Play award national finalist, and his 10-minute  play The Coyote Stratagem will be published in Applause Books' The Best American short Plays 2010-2011.

The director is a master's candidate for Directing at Texas State University. Garza is an SDC Associate Member, and an alumnus of San Antonio College and The University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. She won the Region 6 KCACTF Stage Directors and Choreographer's Society directing competition and went on to be recognized in the nation. In addition to studying abroad with the Royal Shakespeare Festival, Garza was invited to return to Washington DC where she worked alongside both Simon Levy (Artistic Director - Fountain Theatre, LA) and Tina Parker (Co-Artistic Director - Kitchen Dog Theatre, Dallas TX) at the MFA Playwriting workshop at the Kennedy Center.

Overtime Theatre San Antonio Signs Lease on New Locale with Two Theatre Spaces


Deborah Martin of the San Antonio Express-News lets the cat out of the bag:

My San Antonio



Overtime Theatre has a new home

 
On Wednesday afternoon, the Overtime Theater folks signed a five-year lease for a new home at 1203 Camden, just off the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk and close to the Pearl Brewery. [ALT note: click to view map]
 
It’s right in the nick of time, too: The theater has to leave its current home in the Blue Star Arts Complex by the end of the month.
The spacious building will allow the troupe to have two theater spaces, as well as a roomy lobby gallery and classroom space for Andrew Thornton’s acting studio. The smaller space will, among other things, allow the theater to help out other companies and theater artists in need of a home; Proxy Theatre will present its 2012-’13 season there, said Overtime Artistic Director Kyle Gillette.
The larger space will be named for playwright Gregg Barrios, who donated $7,500 to the company.

The first full Overtime production in the theater will be Barrios’ “i-DJ,” slated to open in July.

Scott McDowell, the theater’s technical director, hopes to have the theater in good enough shape for an improv show in two weeks.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Austin High School Red Dragon Players Rated #1 in UIL One-Act Play Competition


Austin High School Red Dragon Players TX







The Red Dragon Players of Austin High School have won the UIL ONE-ACT PLAY 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP for the 2nd year in a row.

Last night the AHS Theatre Department broke records and received many accolades for their outstanding achievement in theatre.

Felipe Ramirez was named Best Actor in the State.

AHS won Best Actor at every level of competition with a different young man each time. (Richard Dent at District, Ian Erbe at Area, Billy Rainey at Region).

Richard Dent was named to the All-Star Cast.

Catherine Schwartz and Jasmin Weber were named to the Honorable Mention All-Star Cast.

Records Broken
  • First school to ever win two back to back Championships in 5A.
  • First School in 5A to advance to the State Finals six times in a row.
  • Only school to advance and win a championship with a sequel.
  • First school to have 4 different actors win Best Actor at four different levels of competition.
This has been an incredible year for the Austin High Theatre Department! Next month, they will take their production of Spring Awakening to the International Thespian Festival to perform in front of approximately 3000 students, teachers, directors, college/university reps, and theatre professionals from around the country.

Statesman and Chronilcle Writers Announce 2011-2012 'Critics' Table' Nominations


Writers for the Chronicle and the Statesman put together their annual list and released it last night.  Here are the nominations relating to Austin's live narrative theatre; the full list is available at Jeanne Claire van Ryzin's Seeing Things blog at the Statesman's Austin360.com website.  Robert Faires describes the process in his feature at the Austin Chronicle.

THEATRE

Production, Drama
“Arcadia,” Austin Shakespeare
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” UT Department of Theatre & Dance
“Housebreaking,” Poison Apple Initiative
“The Lion in Winter,” Austin Playhouse
“The Pavilion,” Penfold Theatre Company
“Riddley Walker,” Trouble Puppet Theatre Company

Production, Comedy
“The Aliens,” Hyde Park Theatre
“The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” Mary Moody Northen Theatre
“Guest by Courtesy,” Salvage Vanguard Theater
“Men of Tortuga,” Street Corner Productions
“Messenger No. 4,” Cambiare Productions
“The Schooling of Bento Bonchev,” Breaking String Theater

Production, Musical
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Soubrette Productions
“Hairspray,” Zach Theatre<.br> “I Love You Because,” Penfold Theatre Company
“Next to Normal,” Zach Theatre
“Oklahoma!,” Texas State University Department of Theatre and Dance
“[title of show],” TexARTS

Theatrical Event
“Bottled-in-Bond: The Decline and Fall of a Thug as Told in Five Drinks,” Fusebox Festival: Digestible Feats
“Jubilee,” Rubber Repertory
“The Orchid Flotilla,” Glass Half Full Productions
“Surprise Annie,” Rubber Repertory
“Sweet Betrayal,” Fusebox Festival: Digestible Feats

Direction
Bastion Carboni, “Housebreaking”
Daria Davis, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
Kaitlin Hopkins, “Oklahoma!”/”Hair”
Zell Miller III, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Andrea Skola, “Men of Tortuga”
Dave Steakley, “Hairspray”/”Next to Normal”/”The Laramie Project”
Ken Webster, “The Aliens”

Acting in a Leading Role
Liz Beckham, “Arcadia”
Jill Blackwood, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler”
Andrew Cannata, “I Love You Because/Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
Jon Cook, “The Aliens”
Babs George, “Ghosts”
Jude Hickey, “The Aliens”
Eugene Lee, “The Book of Grace”/”God of Carnage”
Claire Ludwig, “A Room With a View”
Meredith McCall, “Next to Normal”
Sam Mercer, “Housebreaking”
Nadine Mozon, “The Book of Grace”
Robert Pierson,”B. Beaver Animation”
Matt Radford, “Uncle Vanya”
Caroline Reck, “The Orchid Flotilla”
Nikki Zook, “The Children’s Hour”

Acting in a Supporting Role
Kim Adams, “Ghosts”/”The Pavilion”
Brian Coughlin, “Hairspray”
Michael Dalmon, “Arcadia”
Shelby Davenport, “Arcadia”
Emily Everidge, “Uncle Vanya”
Jamie Goodwin, “Next to Normal”
Joey Hood, “The Aliens”
Jarrett King, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler”
Tom Parker, “A Room With a View”
Jason Phelps, “Spring Awakening”
Kelli Schultz, “Next to Normal”
Michael Slefinger, “Big Love”
Janis Stinson, “Hairspray”
Breanna Stogner, “Down the Drain”
Rommel Sulit, “Big Love”/”Men of Tortuga”/”Bacha Bazi (Boy Play)”/”The Dragon Play”

Ensemble Performance
“69 Love Scenes,” Gnap! Theatre Productions
“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” UT Dept. of Theatre & Dance
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” UpRise! Productions/Vortex Repertory Co.
“God of Carnage,” Zach Theatre
“I Love You Because”, Penfold Theatre
“Jubilee,” Rubber Repertory

David Mark Cohen New Play Award
“360 (round dance),” Steven Dietz
“Bacha Bazi (Boy Play),” Gabriel Jason Dean
“Guest by Courtesy,” Hannah Kenah
“Messenger No. 4,” Will Hollis Snider
“River City,” Diana Grisanti
“Static,” Tom Horan

Music Direction
Greg Bolin, “Oklahoma!”/”Hair,” Texas State University Dept. of Theatre and Dance
Susan Finnegan, “The Spitfire Grill”
Austin Haller, “[title of show]”
Allen Robertson, “Hairspray”/”Next to Normal”

Movement
Quetta Carpenter, “Love’s Labour's Lost”, UT Dept. of Theatre & Dance
Matt Hislope and company, “Jubilee”
Robin Lewis. “Hairspray”
Amanda Mayi Moss & Sade Jones, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Melinda Rebman & Zenobia Taylor, “The Dudleys: A Family Game”
Tom Truss, “Hair,” Texas State University Dept. of Theatre and Dance

DESIGN

Scenic Design
Rowan Doyle, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
Ia Ensterä, “Uncle Vanya”/”Down the Drain”/”Ghosts”/”The Schooling of Bento Bonchev”/”The 21 Would-Be Lives of Phineas Hamm”/”Messenger No. 4”/”The Alien”s/”The Materiality of Impermanence”
Ann Marie Gordon, “Sarah Silver Hands”
Michael Raiford, “Hairspray”/”Spring Awakening”/”God of Carnage”
Chris H. Yoo, “360 (round dance)”

Costume Design
Yao Chen, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
Julia Chinnock Howze, “Uncle Vanya”
Rachel McGinnis, “The 21 Would-Be Lives of Phineas Hamm”
Austin Rausch, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler”
Susan Branch Towne, “The Magic Flute”/”Hairspray”
Proletina Veltchev, “Love’s Labours Lost”

Lighting Design
Jason Amato, “Devotion”/”Hairspray”/”Sarah Silver Hands”/”Next to Normal”/”Arcadia”
Kathryn Eader, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler”
Kate Leahy, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
Stephen Pruitt, “The Materiality of Impermanence”/”April Fools”
Steven Shirey, “Ghosts”/”The Schooling of Bento Bonchev”/”Jubilee”
Cheng-Wei Teng, “Love’s Labours Lost”

Sound Design
K. Eliot Haynes, “Riddley Walker”
Sam Kokajko, “Hairspray”
Jeffery Mills, “Civilization (All You Can Eat)”
Buzz Moran, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler”/”Ghosts”
Brian Schneider, “The Pavilion”

Video Design
Jo Beira, “Too & For” (Catalyst)
David Bengali, Angela Hill, Josh Lampman, David Mauro, Dan Monceaux, Camilo Munar & Jake Witten, and Jordan Rein, “The Dudleys: A Family Game”
Scott Hathaway, “Devotion”
Jeff Kurihara, “Broken Pieces”/”Just for the Night” (New York Stories)
Todd V. Wolfson, “The Materiality of Impermanence”


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Upcoming: Medea by Euripides, with Suzanne Balling, City Theatre, June 7 - July 1


City Theatre Austin TX




presents
Medea Euripides City Theatre Austin TX
Medea

by Euripides
with Suzanne Balling
directed by Karen Sneed

June 7 – July 1, Thursdays – Saturdays 8:00 p.m. Sundays 5:30 p.m.
The City Theatre. 3823 Airport Blvd. 78757 – east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38 ½ Street. (click for map)

General Seating $15. Guaranteed Front/2nd Row Reserved $25.
Students $12. Thursday all seats $10. Group discounts are available.
Reservations 512-524-2870 or info@citytheatreaustin.org

The City Theatre Company turns up the heat to present Euripides’ famous Greek tale, Medea. In this masterly written drama of passion, suffering and the sensitivity of injured love are strongly drawn, until they culminate in the awful deed of vengeance. The production is directed by Karen Sneed and plays June 7 – July 1, Thursday – Saturday 8 p.m. Sunday 5:30 p.m.
"I'll teach these people not to laugh at me. What's stopping me? I've nothing to live for." - Medea

Alone;
Medea is the ancient Greek tragedy based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened, and the revenge she takes against her husband, for whom she sacrificed everything.

Medea unleashes a vengeance on her enemies, making both assassins and victims of all those around her. Euripides produced
Medea at the City Dionysian festival along with the lost plays Philoctetes, Dictys and the satyr play Theristai. So much like today’s writers, Euripides made a splendid effort to maintain the place of drama in the spiritual life of the society by modifying its interests, topics and themes in the sense which his own generation required. Heroic persons could still excite interest if they were made more real, - if, in them, the passions and sorrows of every-day life were portrayed with greater vividness and directness. In that, Euripides became the virtual founder of the romantic drama and he continued to write well-known works including Electra, The Bacchae and The Trojan WomenRead more on Euripides.

Featuring one of the most powerful female roles in the history of drama,
Medea is an intense story fuelled by passion, hatred and deadly rage. Heroic yet deadly, sympathetic yet appalling, Medea’s barbaric actions will stir your emotions as you find yourself irresistibly drawn into the nightmare world of this spectacularly vengeful woman. Award-winning Austin actress Suzanne Balling leads the cast in the role of Medea, who will stop at nothing to repay Jason for the ultimate betrayal of his family and the woman he promised to love forever.  

Joining her in the starring roles are Robert Lee Berry (Creon), Trevor Bissell (Jason) and Terri Lynne Hudson (Nurse). Also featured are Lauren Hayes, Leigh Hegedus, Craig Kanne, Becky Musser, Rachel Redig, Molly Sapp, Andreas Stein, Don Sneed, John Redig, James Holder, Bethany Bissell and Brooklyn Bissell. The production is directed by Karen Sneed (CTC’s
The Imaginary Invalid) and is choreographed by Courtney Poole, with costume design by Kendi Erickson and set design by Andy Berkovsky.
The City Theatre Company is an Austin-based not for profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance, the Austin Cultural Arts Division and the AMD Foundation. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards and was twice voted “Best Theatre Company” by Austin- American Statesman’s Austin 360. CTC is dedicated in providing quality theatre experience and entertainment for Austin artists and its community.

Video Preview of Patience by Gibert & Sullivan, G&S Society of Austin, June 7 - 17

Artistic Director Ralph MacPhail, Jr. previews the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin's 2012 Grand Summer Production of Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride with 9 performances, June 7-17, 2012, at the Brentwood Christian School Performing Arts Center, 11908 N. Lamar. (click for map)
Patience is one of the most lyrical and laugh-filled of the Gilbert & Sullivan operas. It satirizes the "aesthetic craze" of the Victorian era with wit, charm, poetry, and a delightfully complicated love triangle. Beautiful music, memorable characters, and colorful costumes and sets will captivate all ages.

Tickets can also be purchased online at www.gilbertsullivan.org, at the Long Center ticketing service website or by calling 512.474.5664. All seats are reserved, assigned on 'best available' baasis. Advance sale prices including fees are $23 for adults, $14.50 for students with ID and $10.75 for those 18 years old and younger. Day of performance rates are $28, $17.50 and $13.75.

Upcoming: Balderdash!, melodrama by Playhouse Smithville, June 8 - 24


Playhouse Smithville TX

presents

Balderdash Playhouse Smithville TX

the 2nd Annual Smithville Melodrama

Balderdash!

June 8-23 (Fridays &Saturdays) at 7:30 pm.

Tickets at www.playhousesmithville.com or call 512-360-7397.

Smithville is in peril again and the Playhouse is at fault. It’s popcorn throwing time for the Second Annual Playhouse Smithville Melodrama: Balderdash! Come see who’s gettin’ tied to the railroad tracks, cheer the hero, BOO the villain, be astonished at the beauty of the damsel in distress and gasp at the audacity of a northerner. Drink the town coffee at your own risk!
Balderdash melodrama, Playhouse Smithville

Popcorn Melodrama at Playhouse Smithville
Jo and Tom Watts play the town doctor and the sheriff who are “sweet on each other” in the mythical town of Smithville, part of the 2nd Annual Playhouse Smithville Melodrama, Balderdash! Artistic Director john daniels, jr. (sic) writes and directs the popcorn potboiler and “hoss” opera. “Doing this show is truly a labor of love, especially when twenty-five actors want to be in the production,” says daniels, “and it is so much fun too.”
Executive director of the Playhouse, April Daniels, who plays Texanna Hanna-the owner of the bank, adds, “It’s playtime at the Playhouse. The melodrama is a present for our actors and our audience. This is the end of our second season and we are all still having as much fun as the day we started.” During the first two seasons the Playhouse has produced fifteen shows. Balderdash! concludes a season that started with Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Many of the actors in Balderdash! were in the Shakespeare as well.
Kayla Jo Williams continues her streak of acting in every Playhouse production with her portrayal of Roxi Cane the pistol packing heroine. She is joined by other damsels in distress, Bonnie Watts and Shelby Brown playing the Cache twins.
Cheering the heroes may be complicated. There is Tom Watts’ quintessential Sheriff, Danne Abshur’s Detective from New Jersey, and Brandon Flippo’s silent film star hero.
Booing and throwing popcorn at the villain will be much easier as last year’s hero Brad Wilbourn is this year’s villain, Joe Bad T’Bone. But wait, he’s not the only one you can boo. Pelt with popcorn Lia Nelson’s Vermina Bartles, the town lawyer turned villain, and her wanna be beau Bob D’Burgler played by Steve Haight.
That is only eleven out of twenty-five characters in this town. 

 Playhouse regulars, A. J. Feux, Jim Sanders, Belinda Parsons, Geoffrey Goerlitz, Charla May Cason and Megan Mossman add personality to the mix along with relative new comers, Sydney Hight, McKenzie Miller, Kya Lambert, Severn Watts, and Ashley Vaughn. 

 Returning to the Playhouse stage is Cheyenne Lambert playing the Mayor/school teacher/masked do-gooder. Performing for the first time at the Playhouse is Matthew Haight as young Maverick Lawton. The cast is rounded out by Pam Latham as Elizabeth Smith, founder of the town… maybe.
Come have fun, boo, cheer, hiss, sigh, throw popcorn and laugh. Celebrate the Playhouse’s second season with, “Balderdash!”
Balderdash! opens Friday June 8 and runs Fridays & Saturdays through June 23. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased at www.playhousesmithville.com or by calling 512-360-7397 or at the Playhouse, 110 Main Street in Smithville.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Upcoming: Poison Apple Initiative Play Slams, July 1 - 22


Poison Apple Initiative Austin Txpresents

Slams (like the poetry kind but with plays!)

Saturdays, July 1 - 22 at Wardenclyffe, 1101 Springdale Road (click for map)

  • Beloveds. There comes a time in every young company's life when ancillary programming becomes possible, like when you can afford pot to go with your beer. That time, for PAI, is nigh.


    So SLAM is basically this:


    1. 8-10 playwrights bring in 10 minutes of a larger work. This can be an older piece that's finished or a fresh-from-the-brain-womb play with wobbly legs like a fawn.


    2. Playwrights draw actor names from a hat. Said actors perform 5 minutes of that playwright's work COLD.


    3. A beer-misted/-soaked audience opines good-naturedly (or else). A panel considers audience input and chooses 4-5 of those plays they want to see more of. Selected playwrights choose their actors and have 10 minutes to give notes before presenting the full 10 minutes of their selection.


    4. The winning playwright goes to the finals on July 22nd where they'll present 15 minutes of their work. The SLAM winner receives a staged reading of their piece hosted by Poison Apple Initiative.


    OTHER BRASS TACKS:


    1. BEER. We'll have it. It's a major contributing factor.


    2. Suggested donation for audience/ participants- $5.


    3. ABSOLUTELY ANYONE is urged to participate regardless of experience or prestigious grants or crippling stage fright or whatever. Playwrights should bring enough sides for all necessary characters. Actors should be prepared to feel some stuff.


    4. SLAMs will be held on July 1, 8, 15, and 22 with one finalist from each. There will be a regular-type SLAM before the finals on the 22nd.


    For more info shoot a line to bethany@poisonappleinitiative.com.


    In radness,
    PAI