Tuesday, December 31, 2013

(*) Jump-Start Celebrates Blue Star Departure with the Wrecking Ball, January 11, 2014



Wrecking Ball Jump-Start Performance Company San Antonio TX
(Jump-Start Performance Company via Facebook)

Jump-Start Performance Company San Antonio TXCome help us celebrate 20 incredible years in our Blue Star space at 1400 South Alamo! (click for map)

We've moved most of our fixtures to our new location (710 Fredericksburg Road), so we're turning the entire space into a sprawling performance party. As usual, Jump-Start's company members along with many of our cherished and talented friends will share with you theatre, dance, music, circus, video, and assorted presentations not so easy to fit into a category.

Confirmed performers include URBAN-15, Alamotion, Aerial Horizon, Angels of Elegance,Buttercup, Coyote Dreams, Los Nahuatlatos, Lisa Suarez, Erik Bosse, Dino Foxx, Hyperbubble, Jesse Borrego, Paint by Numbers, Zombie Bazaar, S.T.Shimi, San Antonio Dance Fringe, Doyle Avant, Anna de Luna, Paul Bonin-Rodriguez , Jump-Start Flaming Fire-Eaters, Kitty Williams and many more. Check back often because we will be continually updating the lineup!

There will also be a Video Chill room in the back of the building for ambient music, video and projections going on all night, including a performance by the critically acclaimed performance group ARTheism. You may also see roving performances and pop--up installations occur in unusual corners of the space.

Your kind donation (we suggest $10) will gain you access to the whole evening of chaos and good cheer, which includes eats and drinks for as long as they last. The doors open at 7 pm on Saturday, January 11th. We'll be shutting things down around 10 pm, or whenever we can manage to chase everyone out.

We have no idea what the owners of this building have in mind. But come and party with us before the demolition crews shoulder their way in and turn this place into some ghastly bistro or boutique.

See you at the Wrecking Ball!


Call for South Asian Actors and Dancers for Bollywood-style Children's Tale, Scottish Rite Theatre, Austin


Posted by Rich Vázquez at the Leela - An Indian Community Theatre Facebook page on December 29, 2013:


Scottish Rite Theatre Austin TXThe Austin Scottish Rite Children's and Community Theater opens its 10th year anniversary season with the original tale of "Little Red Chunari," to begin rehearsals in January and production in February 2014.

Little Red Chunari’s willpower is put to the test when she journeys through the jungle to visit her grandparents in this Indian adaptation of the classic Riding Hood tale. Kids and grown-ups alike will enjoy Folk and Bollywood-style dance, puppetry, and stand-up comedy, with live music performed by Austin’s own Sacred Cowgirls.

We are currently seeking to cast South Asian actors in the following roles:

Little Red Chunari (young-ish woman who can learn basic folk dance and sing one children's song)
Mom/Grandparent (woman; ideally this actor would double as grandfather/grandmother)
Elephant Walla (man or woman, must have good comedic timing)

We are also seeking dancers, which can be an existing group, or individuals willing to work together.

Contact casting@scottishritetheater.org

Tiffany Stern Lectures on 'Der Bestrafte Brudermord,' at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, January 16, 2014


Tiffany Stern (image via Hidden Room Theatre)
Tiffany Stern (image via Hidden Room Theatre)
Join The Hidden Room in welcoming scholar/superhero Tiffany Stern to Austin! She'll be speaking as the honored Thomas Cranfill Lecturer on the mysterious Der Bestrafte Brudermord, and why it might, or might not be a puppet show. Absolutely free, and completely priceless. Don't miss this wildly influential and delightful individual.

Many thanks to the UT English Department for their kind sponsorship of this event.

Tiffany Stern is a Professor of Early Modern Drama (English Faculty), and Beaverbrook and Bouverie Fellow in English (University College) at Oxford University.

Tiffany specialises in Shakespeare, theatre history from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, book history and editing. Her work arises from an interest in the contexts that shaped the ways playwrights wrote and actors performed. Her first book was Rehearsal from Shakespeare to Sheridan; her second book, Making Shakespeare, focused on Shakespeare’s London, actors, theatres, props and music. Both books are used by theatre companies interested in experimenting with ‘original’ methods of Shakespearean production. Shakespeare in Parts, a book she co-wrote with fellow Oxford faculty member Simon Palfrey, concentrates on Shakespeare as a playwright and actor performing from, and writing for, 'parts' (the texts actors received, consisting of cues and speeches, nothing else). Combining Simon’s expertise as an interpreter and Tiffany’s as a theatre historian, it is a work that takes its interpretative momentum from archival research to discover not only a newly active, choice-ridden actor, but also a new Shakespeare. It is complemented by Documents of Performance in Shakespearean England, which considers the other papers of performance not examined in 'Parts': plot-scenarios, playbills, arguments, prologues, songs, scrolls and backstage-plots.

Tiffany is also an editor, and has produced editions of the anonymous King Leir, Richard Sheridan’s The Rivals, and George Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer.


Monday, December 30, 2013

(*) San Antonio Current Theatre Reviewers Pick Top 5 for 2013



San Antonio Current
San Antonio


 

5 Top Local Plays and Musicals This Year 

By December 29, 2013

Roads Courageous Playhouse San Antonio
Paige Blend, Roy Bumgarner, Twyla Lamont in Roads Courageous (photo: Siggi Ragnar)
We asked our theater critics, Thomas Jenkins and Steven G. Kellman, for their top picks from the theater scene in 2013. Beyond the productions, Jenkins also noted the considerable movement—both physical and conceptual—at some of the city’s top companies, which started this year and will continue into 2014.


“The Playhouse mounted its first original main stage musical in recent memory—Roads Courageous—while populating its Cellar with recent New York hits (Red, Wittenberg),” said Jenkins, “and big changes are afoot at three of the city’s most established theaters: the Jump-Start and the Classic Theatre have found new homes—in Beacon Hill and the Deco District, respectively—while the AtticRep joins the new Tobin Center as its resident theater company in 2014.”


Click each image below for comments from a reviewer and link to the review in the San Antonio Current. 


A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Klose Seal Productions
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Klose/Seal Productions
(photo: Siggi Ragnar)


Wittenberg by David Davalos, Playhouse San Antonio
Sam Mandelbaum as Hamlet in Wittenberg by David G. Davalos, Playhouse San Antonio
(photo: Siggi Ragnar)


The Book of Mormon touring company, 2013
The Book of Mormon touring company
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, adapted by Sophia Boles, Overtime Theatre
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, adapted by Sophia Bolles, Overtime Theatre
(photo: Siggi Ragnar)
Hellcab by Will Kern, Attic Rep at Trinity University
Hellcab by Will Kern, Attic Rep at Trinity University
(photo: Siggi Ragnar)


Sunday, December 29, 2013

Video and Ticket Offer: Wimberley Players' 2014 Theatre Season (offer expires December 31, 2013)


Video by Reed Neal at the 2014 season announcement:

Wimberley Players TX











20% savings on 2014 tickets When you purchase Season Tickets online at www.wimberleyplayers.org or call 512-847-0575


(*) Deborah Martin's Favorites for San Antonio Theatre in 2013, Express-News, December 26, 2013


My San Antonio TX

Best of 2013: Stage

December 26, 2013
This was a very good year for fiercely original work, including several pieces created out of whole cloth and fresh takes on “Hamlet” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Here's the best of the best:

  • “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” Woodlawn Black Box Theatre
  • “The Book of Mormon,” Broadway in San Antonio
  • “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” Overtime Theater
  • “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Sheldon Vexler Theatre
  • “Hetarae,” Jump-Start Performance Co.
  • “I Am Celso,” Teatro Farolito
  • “In the Heights,” Woodlawn Theater
  • “Les Miserables,” Playhouse
  • “Little Shop of Horrors,” Sheldon Vexler Theatre
  • “Method & Madness: Hamlet 2013,” Jump-Start Performance Co. and Classic Theatre
  • “Other Desert Cities,” Inception Theatre
  • “Painting Churches,” Classic Theatre
  • “Picnic,” Playhouse Cellar Theatre
  • “Port Cove,” Overtime Theater
  • “Ragtime,” Playhouse
  • “Red,” Playhouse Cellar Theater
  • “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Klose/Seale Productions
  • “Treasure Island,” Magik Theatre
  • “Waiting for Lefty,” Proxy Theatre Company:
  • “White,” AtticRep and the Aesthetic of Waste
  • “Wittenberg,” Playhouse Cellar 


Deborah Martin


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Seeking Stage Manager/Technical Director for Little Mother for Little Mother, March, 2014

Little Mother by Katie Green Austin TX
(image via Katie Green)

Katie Green is seeking a stage manager or technical director for the revised, expanded premiere of her 2012 Frontera Fest workshop of Little Mother to be produced on the outdoor stage at The Yard @ The VORTEX March 6-9 and March 21-24. March 27-29 must also be available in case of rain make-up dates.


"No experience is necessary, and I can bill you as stage manager, technical director, or tech crew, since all are fairly accurate descriptions. Your main responsibility would be operating the projector for the shadow puppetry, and helping to set up/strike each evening (minimal set). No blocking or nightly email reports necessary. I am only asking for a 3 1/2 week commitment starting February 23rd. A small stipend will be provided as compensation to help with gas.


"My only requirements are reliable transportation, personal responsibility, and a reasonable response time. Please email katiegreen444@gmail.com, if interested for an in-person interview. I'll buy your coffee. : )"


Little Mother is the story of a young woman who must prostitute herself to provide for her paralyzed husband and newborn child. In order to escape her bleak circumstances, Little Mother develops a rich inner life—the love story of an elephant and rooster—with echoes from her past. Will she succumb to her own fantasies, or prevail through reality? Little Mother is a multi-media silent film for the stage told through physical acting, shadow puppetry, text, and live musical performance of an original score.

BENDING BROADWAY New Year's Eve Fundraiser, Austin Theatre Project at Center Stage on Real, December 31, 2013



Bending Broadway Austin Theatre Project TX

Click below to purchase on-line tickets via Austin Theatre Project

Austin Theatre Project TX
CLICK to PURCHASE!

Auditions in Georgetown for Gypsy, community production sponsored by Southwestern University, January 14, 2014



Gypsy, musical, Southwestern University Georgetown TX
(via chicagoonthetown.com)
AUDITIONS for GYPSY: A Musical Fable starring Meredith McCall & Scotty Roberts, directed by Rick Roemer on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 with callbacks Wednesday & Thursday. Opens March 26 .
Seeking men & women 35-70. Women - prepare one song and be prepared to move. Men - prepare a one-minute monologue and you may be asked to sing.

Rehearsals begin Jan 27. Contact Olivia Woodward at woodwaro@southwestern.edu to schedule an audition apt.

(*) Auditions in San Antonio for Rose Theatre 2014 Season


Rose Theatre San Antonio 2014 auditions

Auditions for Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson, Trinity Street Players, January 18, 2014




Trinity Street Players Austin TXTrinity Street Players audition notice: Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson, directed by Cathy Jones. Auditions and performances at  First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street, Austin. Auditions on Saturday, January 18th at 1 p.m. with callbacks on Monday if necessary.


Winner of the 1992 Outer Critics Circle and 1992 Drama Desk Award for Best Play, Scott McPherson's Marvin's Room is a dramatic comedy featuring two estranged sisters who reunite to take care of their invalid father while one faces her own imminent death.



Marvin's Room Scott McPherson Trinity St Players Austin TXRoles for 4 women, 3 men and 2 male teenagers:
BESSIE (40 years) – Bessie is a leukemia patient, caretaker of Marvin and Ruth; loving and devoted.
LEE (late 30s) - Bessie's sister; self-centered and high-strung.
HANK (17 years) - Lee's troubled son, committed to a mental institution; moody.
RUTH (70 years) - Bessie's aunt; slight hunchback from collapsed vertebrae; aging and forgetful.
DOCTOR WALLY - Bessie's befuddled doctor.
BOB - Dr. Wally's brother and inept receptionist.
DOCTOR CHARLOTTE - Hank's unruffled psychiatrist.
CHARLIE - Hank's younger brother; quiet.
RETIREMENT HOME DIRECTOR - frustrated director of assisted living facility.

Please email marvins-room@trinitystreetplayers.com for an audition time on January 18th. Please bring theatre resume and headshot to auditions. You may request sides in advance to prepare for the audition.

Performances will be on Friday & Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, March 28 – April 13, 2014.

For more information, please contact us by emailing marvins-room@trinitystreetplayers.com.


Auditions for Child's Play by Robert Marasco, Different Stages, January 18 and 19, 2014



Different Stages Austin TxAUDITIONS AUDITIONS AUDITIONS for Child’s Play by Robert Marasco, directed by Robert Tolaro, Saturday, January 18, 6 – 8 p.m. and Sunday, January 19, 2 – 4 p.m. at Waller Creek School, 4100 Red River( enter on 41st across fro Golf course) (click for map)


Joe Dobbs is an easy-going, well-liked English teacher, while Latin and Greek instructor Jerome Malley is feared and hated by his students for his strict disciplinary methods. Malley is caring for his dying mother, and his stress is exacerbated by a series of threatening phone calls and written notes he receives. He’s certain Dobbs is the source, but his caustic personality prevents him from winning any sympathy or support. Into the fray comes Paul Reese, a former student who has been hired to teach PE, and he soon finds his loyalty torn between Dobbs and Malley. Compounding his situation is the realization that the unbridled violence practiced by the students may be the result of demonic possession.


Roles: 6 Men Age 25-65 and 9 Male Students Age 13 – 18 (Some have speaking roles, some do not)  NOTE: This play deals with adult situations. Casting of the students must be accompanies by parental permission.


Production will play April 4 – 26 at City Theatre, 3823 Airport Rd. Suite D


To make an appointment, telephone Carol Ginn at (512) 444-3303


Actors are strongly urged to read the script before the auditions. Scripts are available at Austin Creative Alliance, 6001 Airport Blvd, #2280-A, Austin, TX 78752, starting January 6.

Friday, December 27, 2013

VENUS IN FUR by David Ives, Austin Playhouse, January 3 - 25, 2013



Venus in Fur David Ives Austin Playhouse TX
Gray G. Haddock, Molly Karrasch (photo: Christopher Loveless)

Austin Playhouse presents
Venus in Fur by David Ives, directed by Lara Toner
January 3rd – 25th, 2014

Thursdays–Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.

Venus in Fur is rated R. Strictly adults only.
Austin Playhouse at Highland Mall, 6001 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78752 (click for map)
Tickets $24 Thursdays/Fridays, $26 Saturdays/Sundays
at 512.476.0084 or online at: www.austinplayhouse.com
All student tickets are half-price. $3 discount for Seniors 65 and up.
Limited Pick-Your-Price Rush tickets will be available at the box office one hour prior to showtime for each Thursday performance.


Dubbed “90 minutes of good, kinky fun” by The New York Times, the smash Broadway hit makes its Austin debut in a delicious new production.

All he needs is the perfect leading lady-a goddess of desire-to bring his vision to life. Thomas, a talented but demanding young writer, has meticulously adapted Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 19th century erotic novel, Venus in Fur, into a brilliant new play, but he can’t find the right woman for the role. When Vanda, a scattered young actress, arrives several hours late to her audition, Thomas is unimpressed. However, Vanda soon wins over the unwitting director with her strange mastery of the material and her alarming insights into his deepest desires. Suddenly the simple audition becomes a titillating game of cat and mouse. Who leads in the dance between fantasy and reality, love and lust, seduction and submission? Venus in Fur is a sharp, hysterical romp through the treacherous politics of sex and power.

Venus in Fur stars Austin Playhouse Acting Company members Molly Karrasch as Vanda and Gray G. Haddock as Thomas. The play is directed by Lara Toner, with set design by Patrick Crowley, lighting design by Don Day, and sound design by Joel Mercado-See.

Venus in Fur opened on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on November 8, 2011 and received Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Actress in a Play. The play is the first of two David Ives plays being produced in Austin Playhouse’s 2013-2014 Season. The second is Ives’ adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s 17th century farce The Liar running February 7 – March 9, 2014.


Venus in Fur David Ives Austin Playhouse TX
Gray G. Haddock, Molly Karrasch (photo: Christopher Loveless)

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Jim Henson Foundation Supports 'Once There Were Six Seasons' by Glass Half Full Theatre, May, 2014



Glass Half Full Theatre Austin TXGreat news! Glass Half Full Theatre was just awarded a Project Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation for our final production of Once There Were Six Seasons, performing in May in Austin at Salvage Vanguard Theater. Featuring puppetry and design work from Caroline Reck, Rommel Sulit, Connor Hopkins, Gricelda Silva, Noel Gaulin, Parker Dority, Stephen Pruitt, Kingsley Eliot Haynes, Dannie Snyder, Dallas Tate, Kyle Zamcheck, Susan Peterson, Sophi Hopkins. Here are some clips from the workshop production. 




As Presented by Glass Half Full Theatre
at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, Austin Texas
February 21 - March 3, 2013

Go to GlassHalfFullTheatre.com for more information!

(*) CLOWNTIME IS OVER by Joseph E. Green, Overtime Theatre, San Antonio, January 10 - 25, 2014


clowntime is over overtime

How Theatres Can Combat the Stay-at-Home Mindset by Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal, December 25, 2013




Thoughts, numbers, analysis and a suggestion from the country's most peripatetic theatre critic:



How Theaters Can Combat the Stay-at-Home Mindset

by Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal

Dec. 25, 2013 1:43 p.m. ET

The house lights fade to black. The room falls still as an actor steps from the wings and speaks the simple words that set a plot in motion: "O for a Muse of fire." "Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve." "This play is called 'Our Town.'" Suddenly the outside world vanishes and you're swept into a parallel universe of excitement and adventure, poetry and magic, fear and hope.

That's what it feels like to go to the theater and see a great play. But when did you last do so? A week ago? A year? Or do you now prefer to stay home and watch cable television or use Netflix  to stream a movie?

If so, you're one of the reasons why live theater is in trouble.

Take a look at the National Endowment for the Arts' latest Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, the most statistically reliable study of its kind. Not only did "non-musical play attendance" drop to 8.3% from 12.3% of U.S. adults between 2002 and 2012, but attendance at musicals also fell, to 15.2% from 17.1%, the first time the latter figure has declined since 1985. That's really bad news. Musical comedy has always been live theater's bread and butter, the ever-popular fare that never fails to fill the seats. If fewer people want to see "Fiddler on the Roof" or "The Lion King," then the pillars that hold up American theater are crumbling.

A big part of the problem for New Yorkers is the horrifically high price of tickets to Broadway shows. But 63% of all Broadway tickets are bought by spendthrift tourists. Fortunately, off-Broadway and regional-theater seats don't cost nearly so much. I just saw a play in Boston, the Huntington Theatre Company's superb revival of A.R. Gurney's "The Cocktail Hour," for which tickets ranged from $25 to $95. (By contrast, the top ticket price for Broadway's "The Book of Mormon" is a whopping $299.) And the vast majority of professional stage productions, both in New York and in the rest of America, are presented by not-for-profit theaters like the Huntington. These companies, of which there are about 1,800, mounted 14,600 shows in the 2010-11 season, as opposed to 118 commercial productions on Broadway and elsewhere. Yet they, too, view the NEA's bad-news numbers with alarm, as they readily acknowledge. Even at the top-tier resident regional companies, subscription income, still considered the most reliable yardstick of a resident company's economic health, is much weaker: Adjusting for inflation, it's plummeted 13.7% since 2008.

What's gone wrong with theater? It isn't a matter of quality control. I've been reviewing performances from coast to coast since 2004, and I continue to be impressed by what I see. Instead, what I'm hearing from regional artistic directors is that they're being slammed by the on-demand mentality.

In 2004 the iPod was a novelty and tablet computers were a dream. Now we take for granted that we can see whatever we want whenever and wherever we want to see it, be it "Grand Illusion" or "Duck Dynasty." Is there a demonstrable link between our fast-growing taste for on-demand entertainment and the plight of live theater? As yet there's no definitive proof. But there's no question about the rise of the on-demand mentality, nor any doubt that theater's audience share is declining relative to that of other art forms that are accessible via the new media.

Let's look again at the NEA survey:

A generational shift is occurring… Young people are more likely to use the new media to consume art of all kinds. The NEA reports, for instance, that 6.6% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 use handheld or mobile devices "to read, listen to, or download novels, short stories, or plays," versus 2.5% between the ages of 55 and 64.

…and theater gets left in the lurch. At the same time, few Americans use the new media to watch plays. While 61% of all adults use "TV, radio or the internet to access art or arts programming," only 7% view stage plays or musicals on the electronic media. Disaggregate those numbers and the tendency is even clearer: 16% of all U.S. adults are using the new media to read fiction, as opposed to 3.4% who do so to view theater or dance performances.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Auditions in San Antonio for male lead in Suds, musical at Cameo Theatre, by appointment



Cameo Theatre San AntonioJoin us for the auditions for the Texas Premiere of SUDS: The Rocking 60’s Musical Soap Opera

a Jonathan Pennington studios production at the Cameo Theatre

Directed by Jovi Gonzales, Jonathan Pennington, Musical Direction by Tom Masinter

Suds Cameo Theatre San AntonioOnly one role to be cast: Male Lead who has multiple roles:

• Mr. Postman: A bouncy, energetic, slightly mysterious postman.
• Washer Repairman: A big lug. Probably wears work coverall & tool belt, carries toolbox etc.
• Mrs. Halo: A sweet middle-aged lady with a midwestern accent (she's from Minnesota). She can be dressed in bathrobe, slippers and curlers.
• Mr. Right: A dashing, debonair, good-natured man. A cross between Ward Cleaver and a matinee idol. Right out of a Sears Catalogue or an arrow ad come to life. Although very strong and confident, he should not be lecherous or leering; he's very polite to women and very charming.
• Milt Dudman: A nerd. Loud, obnoxious, inappropriate and unappealing.
• Johnny Angel: Earnest young man. Tries to be cool but is really just a regular guy.

Sings sweet solo up to G (can be falsetto). Must belt strong F. Falsetto backups to B flat. Bass to A below middle C. In "Mr. Postman" should be comfortable with a strong pop sound to G flat.


Auditions by appointment only call 210 212-5454 to schedule or email:cameocentersa@aol.com. Audition Location: 1123 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205. Please submit a headshot and resume. Please prepare a one-minute musical selection of your choice. Please choose something appropriate for the show.On the day of your audition please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled audition appointment. Bring a resume, headshot, and either sheet music or a CD of your musical selection. No a cappella singing please.


Performance Dates: Rehearsals will be Jan 5-31; shows are Feb 1- Mar 2, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4pm. at the Cameo Theatre 1123 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205 (click for map)

SUDS (Book by Steve Gunderson, Melinda Gilb, and Bryan Scott; Musical Arrangement by Steve Gunderson) takes you back to the early 1960s to tell the story of Cindy, a lovelorn young woman who works in a laundromat, and the guardian angels that teach her how to find true love and survive in this wash, rinse, and spit-em-out world. SUDS is loaded with good clean fun, bubbling energy, and over 40 songs that topped the charts, including "Mr. Postman," “Where the Boys Are,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” “Respect,” and “Do You Want to Know a Secret.”



If you have any questions please email:cameocentersa@aol.com

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sound & Recording Tech Relocating to Austin, January 2014


Received December 23, 2013:


My name is Evan Cox and I'm emailing Austin Live Theater because I wanted to know if ALT or CTX Live Theater need an audio person directing audio signals for any specific play. I have some musical theater experience in acting (The Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls) and with my recent education, I want to apply my knowledge to the technical side of theater. I have attached my resume that includes my Skills, Education, and Experience. Please contact me if you need someone who can be there by January to run sound for you all!

Thank you for your time and consideration!


Sincerely,

Evan Cox

(956) 326-8621 | cox.evan88@gmail.com

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Director Kevin Gates Discusses John Lyly's Gallathea, Poor Shadows of Elysium, January 3 - 19, 2014


On the theatre company's blog Kevin Gates discusses the upcoming second production of Austin's Poor Shadows of Elysium: Gallathea by John Lyly (ca. 1588), to be presented January 3 - 19 at the black box theatre of Trinity Street Players, 4th floor, First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street, Austin.

Tickets are $10, available in advance via

brown paper tickets

 

 

Director Kevin Gates talks about Gallathea


Torquato Tasso is best known for his poetry and his insanity. He died only a few days before he was to be crowned “king of the poets” by the Pope. His poetry is largely forgotten in the English-speaking world, but his legacy still lives in our collective consciousness. In 1573, Tasso’s play, Aminta, was performed before the Duke of Ferrara. This pastoral play is extremely difficult to stage effectively, because much of the dialogue describes action that occurred offstage. The play features nymphs and satyrs, Cupid and Venus. If I were to try to describe what the play is about in one sentence, it would be something along the lines of, “What is the true nature of love?”


Gallathea John Lyly Poor Shadows of Elysium Austin TX
Rachel Steed-Redig, Kristin Hall (photo: Bridget Farias)


In 1588, John Lyly’s play, Gallathea, was performed before Queen Elizabeth I by the Children of Paul’s. Gallathea features nymphs, Cupid, and Venus, and asks the same question. The action of the two plays are different, and Gallathea is much more English in its approach, since it features a comic subplot, but the theme, setting, and characters of the two plays are very similar.

I decided to direct Gallathea for Poor Shadows primarily because it was the opposite of our last production, Richard II, in many ways (it’s a comedy, in verse, with many substantial female roles). But possibly the most rewarding thing for me about digging into this text has been discovering the echoes of this play in later works by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Scholars have compared parts of the play to The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and As You Like It. Parts of this play also call to my mind Romeo and Juliet (the fathers remind me of Capulet and Montague), Love’s Labour’s Lost (lovers hiding and listening to another confess their love in a soliloquy), and Twelfth Night (Toby and Andrew discussing which signs of the zodiac rule which parts of the body). And obviously, the Alchemist and his boy, and their lists of spirits and bodies, call to mind Jonson’s play on the subject.

At first blush, Gallathea is very light and not very deep, but there’s one aspect of the play that I think defies that impression. (SPOILER ALERT) To escape the curse of Neptune, two young virgins are disguised by their fathers as boys. The two girls meet in the woods and, each thinking the other to be a boy, fall in love. In the final scene, when they discover they’re both girls, the reaction of the bystanders is predictable. But the reactions of the two girls are surprising. Diana tells them they must “leave these fond affections,” and Gallathea replies, “I will never love any but Phillida.” Phillida agrees. “Nor I any but Gallathea.” Their love is based on something deeper than gender. Although the social order might not approve (Venus says she’ll change one of them into a boy), neither of the girls cares, as long as they can be together. It’s the viewpoint of the two girls that I find so interesting in this play, and I’ve tried to enhance the focus on that element in our show.

The Early Modern English drama is my area of interest, so, of course, I find this play really interesting for many reasons. But I think our show will still be very entertaining for regular, non-nerdy people, too.

Auditions for Teatro Vivo's Sketch Comedy 'The Mexcentrics,' January 4, 2013




Teatro VivoTeatro Vivo is holding Actor Auditions on January 4, 2014, 3 - 7 p.m. for The Mexcentrics sketch comedy troupe at TKO - 700 N. Lamar #200B.

Parts are available for men and women ages 18-80+. Knowledge of Spanish for some roles is a plus but not required. Actors should prepare a comedic monologue. Each monologue should be no more than 1- 2 min. in length. Bring a headshot or photo. You may also bring a resume – optional.
Auditions are by appointment. For more info or to schedule an audition, email Deanna at deanna.teatrovivo@gmail.com.

*Writer Workshop Jan 6 - 9th
*Rehearsals Jan 13 - Feb 6 (Mondays - Thursdays)
*Tech week Feb 10th - 12th
*Show Runs Feb 13 - March 1 (Thursday - Saturday)

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Auditions in San Antonio for Portmanteaux by Deborah Yarchin, Overtime Theatre, December 26 and 27, 2013



Overtime Theatre San Antonio TXAuditions for Portmanteaux by Deborah Yarchun,
Thurs 6-8 pm and Friday 4-6 pm; callbacks Friday 6-8 pm
Overtime Theatre Center, 1203 Camden Street, San Antonio, 78215 - click for map

Auditions will include cold readings from the script or a one minute prepared contemporary monologue.

Portmanteaux by Deborah Yarchun: (Jan 24 – Feb 22) 

Liza, a recent college graduate and composer, works a manic number of odd jobs. When she’s not Duck Tour guiding, selling ads for a magazine about creepy places in Pennsylvania, catering, or tutoring, she creates soundscapes of her isolated existence in her now roommate-devoid, shelled out apartment. Her life-agenda is thrown into disarray when she collides with Dale, a young anarchist with a diametrically opposed concept of life. Through misadventures including an ill-fated attempt to fly a kite, urban spelunking, and an epic rideshare journey, Dale and Liza alter each other’s worlds.

SBCT Radio, New Year's Eve at Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, December 31, 2013



Sam Bass Community Theatre Round Rock TX


presents


RADIO SBCT

NEW YEAR's EVE at 8 p.m.

Radio Sam Bass Community Theatre
(www.sambasstheatre.org)


Sam Bass Community Theatre,600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park)
An evening of Live Old Time Radio
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW FOR A SPECIAL EVENT
ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Directed by Frank Benge

Spend your New Year's Eve with us at Sam Bass Community Theatre and travel back in time to the Golden Age of Radio!
We've planned an evening of classic entertainment for you!!
"The Baby Snooks Show"
"The Thin Man"
"The Shadow"
"The Bickersons"
... all performed live with live on-stage sound effects...
plus our Big Band Singer...
it's just like stepping back and being part of a live studio audience.

Featuring:
LYNN BEAVER, MARC BALESTAR, MARY SOUTHON, VERONICA PRIOR, FRANK BENGE,
MICHAEL VOHS, ROXY BECKER, IAN KING, ALEXANDRA RUSSO, RHONDA ROE,
DARREN SCHARF, CHRISTINA LITTLE-MANLEY and NATHAN URBAN

We will also have our usual silent auction, a special 40's gala buffet following the performance with a champagne toast at midnight... all included in your admission!!

We hope to see you and ring in 2014 with you!

Playhouse's Tribe Brings Theatre to Teens, by Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News



san antonio express-news opt225

 

Playhouse's Tribe brings arts to teens

By Deborah Martin  December 20, 2013
DanielQuinteroTomReelEdit opt225Daniel Quintero (photo: Jim Reel via San Antonio Express-News)SAN ANTONIO — Daniel Quintero remembers really, really wanting to be involved with theater, and not being entirely sure how to make that happen.
Quintero, 18, eventually found his way to The Playhouse San Antonio, scoring an internship and launching the Daniel the Intern blog, where he provides a behind-the-scenes look at goings-on at the theater.
A few months ago, he started working on a project to give other teens a similar experience.
“I want other kids that have that same yearning to have the opportunity to engage themselves in theater,” Quintero said. “I'm a senior (at Keystone School); I'll be gone in a year. I want to leave behind something I didn't have.”
That something is The Tribe, a group of high school and college students based at The Playhouse. The roughly 20 members — all of whom have made cash donations to the theater as part of the program, giving them a literal investment in the theater — help market The Playhouse. They also see Playhouse productions and serve as an informal welcoming committee at performances, chatting with audience members about the theater and whatever show is taking place. 

They've also helped facilitate events: Quintero recently mediated a Q&A following a performance of the play “Wittenberg” in the Cellar Theater.
They host some of their own events, too. Their first was a preview of the spring shows in the Cellar Theater; all of the Tribe members delivered spirited readings from the plays.
The program was modeled, in part, on the Young Adult Council, a teen group based at the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.
Tribe3-550 optAmy Mireles, Naomi Villegas, Andrew Gutierrez (photo: Jim Reel via San Antonio Express-News)

Friday, December 20, 2013

Auditions in Lakeway for The Red Velvet Cake War by Jones, Hope & Wooten, Lakeway Players, January 5, 11 and 14, 2014



Lakeway Players 2013 opt225(thelakewayplayers.com)THE LAKEWAY PLAYERS ANNOUNCE AUDITIONS FOR the full length comedy THE RED VELVET CAKE WAR

AUDITION LOCATION:  The Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek,  Lakeway, TX 78734 (click for map)

AUDITION DATES:   Saturday, January 11th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Rm. B; Wednesday,  January 15th, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Rm B; Thursday, January 16th, 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Rm. F

Please contact Pam Mitchell to set up a specific audition time: Pam Mitchell, Director, creationsbypam@sbcglobal.netor 512-672-9416

CAST:  3 Men, 7 women 


In this riotously funny Southern-fried comedy, the three Verdeen cousins—Gaynelle, Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette—could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion. Their outrageous antics have delighted local gossips in the small town of Sweetgum (just down the road from Fayro) and the eyes of Texas are upon them, as their self-righteous Aunt LaMerle is quick to point out. Having “accidentally” crashed her minivan through the bedroom wall of her husband’s girlfriend’s doublewide, Gaynelle is one frazzled nerve away from a spectacular meltdown. Peaches, a saucy firebrand and the number one mortuarial cosmetologist in the tri-county area, is struggling to decide if it’s time to have her long-absent trucker husband declared dead. And Jimmie Wyvette, the rough-around-the-edges store manager of Whatley’s Western Wear, is resorting to extreme measures to outmaneuver a priss-pot neighbor for the affections of Sweetgum’s newest widower. But the cousins can’t back out of the reunion now. It’s on and Gaynelle’s hosting it; Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette have decided its success is the perfect way to prove Gaynelle’s sanity to a skeptical court-appointed psychologist. Unfortunately, they face an uphill battle as a parade of wildly eccentric Verdeens gathers on the hottest day of July, smack-dab in the middle of Texas tornado season. Things spin hilariously out of control when a neighbor’s pet devours everything edible, a one-eyed suitor shows up to declare his love and a jaw-dropping high-stakes wager is made on who bakes the best red velvet cake. As this fast-paced romp barrels toward its uproarious climax, you’ll wish your own family reunions were this much fun!

The quality of the auditions will determine the best casting for this show.  This will be assessed after all auditions are completed.

SHOW DATES:  Thursday, Friday, Saturday, March 27th, 28, and 29th, 2014

Auditions in Bulverde for 'Irena's Vow,' January 5, 2014






Auditions for IRENA'S VOW, Sunday, January 5, at 4 p.m.

Based on real events, it tells the story of Irena, a housekeeper for a Nazi commandant, who decides to shelter Jewish workers in the officer's house.
Characters Needed: 4 Female - 6 Male
Irena Gut Opdyke; Helen; Rokita's secretary; Franka Silberman; Schultz; The Visitor; Polish Worker; Mayor of Jerusalem; SS Officer; Major Rugemer; Lazar Hallar; Sturmbannführer; Ida Hallar


Contact Persons: Zada Jahnsen/Charlotte Miniard (830) 438-2339

Thursday, December 19, 2013

More on City of Austin Intentions for $30k from National Endowment for the Arts



Press release published December 19, 2013 after NEA's announcement of grants on December 11:


2013 12 19www.austintexas.gov/news



City of Austin receives National Endowment for the Arts grant to support citywide Cultural Mapping Project
 
The grant will support a 2-year community-wide cultural mapping project


National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman, Joan Shigekawa, recently announced that the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department is one of 895 organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The $30,000 grant will support a 2-year sophisticated community-wide cultural mapping project exploring Austin’s cultural assets and economic and community development strategies.

The project will enable the creative sector to integrate goals with City initiatives in order to inform potential future artist housing, creative sector incubators, and other cultural facilities in development projects. It will also assist in informing the growth and location of creative corridors or hubs and cultural districts as identified in the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse projects that will take place throughout the United States,” said Acting Chairman Shigekawa. “Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”

Starting in mid-2014, citizens will be invited to participate in sessions geared toward developing a series of GIS maps and visuals focused on the ten new Council districts. The maps will include physical cultural assets – such as pieces of public art or performance venues; non-cultural data that describe the social dynamics of Austin; current City planning and economic initiatives; and artist visuals that present community meaning.

“We are excited about mapping the many creative resources we have in Austin,” said Megan Crigger, Cultural Arts Division Manager. “It gives us an opportunity to explore the intersection between Austin’s creative sector, the economy, and place, and identify strategies to ensure we continue growing the creativity that distinguishes Austin from other cities.”

Accompanying the final maps will be individual reports that describe the discussions, findings, and recommendations for priority community and economic development strategies.

Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 895 were recommended for grants for a total of $23.4 million.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.


City of Austin Cultural Arts Division