Arts Reporting: Austin Playhouse's Relocation to Highland Mall

Published in the Statesman's Sunday edition of December 9, 2012:








 Whether in a Tent or in a Mall, for Austin Playhouse the Show Goes On

by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin December 9, 2012

(photo: Alberto Martinez via Austin Statesman)

What’s the old show business saying? Something about how no matter what happens, the show must go on?

More than any other theater group in town, Austin Playhouse might embody the spirit of that saying.

A year ago, the midsize nonprofit troupe announced that it was pitching a tent — literally — on a site at the Mueller development, where it planned to build a two-theater facility as part of the Mueller community’s town center.

The tent was a temporary venue while the community theater group worked through the permitting process for its planned 17,000-square-foot complex that would also have classrooms, offices and ground-floor space that will be sold to a bar or restaurant.

However, with permitting for the Mueller project still not finalized but construction under way on the building next to it, the troupe is setting up a second temporary home. And this time, the show’s at Highland Mall.

On Thursday, Austin Playhouse will raise the curtain on “The Game’s Afoot (Or Holmes for the Holidays),” a murder mystery drawing-room comedy set in Broadway theater world of the 1930s.

The theater’s real estate shuffle around town mirrors the shifting landscape of Austin development[ . . . . ]


Read more at the Austin Statesman on-line. . . .

Brockett Family Endows UT Professorship in Theatre History

From endowments.giving.utexas.edu:

Oscar and Lenyth Brockett Professorship in Theatre History

Description: The Oscar and Lenyth Brockett Professorship in Theatre History was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on February 6, 2012, to benefit The University of Texas College of Fine Arts. The endowment honors Oscar G. Brockett, Ph.D. and Mrs. Lenyth Brockett. Gift funds were provided by Ms. Francesca L. Brockett and Dr. James J. Pedicano.

The Statesman's arts editor Jeanne Claire van Ryzin writes in the Austin360 Seeing Things blog of April 10,

Brockett’s daughter, Francesca Brockett, and her husband, Jim Pedicano, donated $300,000 to support the professorship will fund faculty and student research in theater history.

The new professorship is the first step toward creating an academic research center named for Brockett, the highly regarded theater historian and UT professor who passed away in 2010 at age 87. His 1968 book, “History of the Theatre,” is still recognized as the highest-selling theater history text to date and is now in its 11th edition.

Arts Reporting: Rupert Reyes on Teatro Vivo's New Latino Play Festival, Austin Statesman, April 1

Jeanne Claire van Ryzin interviews Teatro Vivo artistic director Rupert Reyes about the April 5 - 7 staged readings of the New Latino Play Festival at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center:

Festival puts spotlight on new Latino playwrights

by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

It was standing room only at the first Austin Latino New Play Festival last year.

Teatro Vivo artistic director and co-founder Rupert Reyes hadn't necessarily anticipated an overflow crowd.

After all, the three plays featured were brand-new, not familiar fare, and presented as staged readings, not fully realized productions. It was the kind of free, workshop-style event that attracts a mostly theater-insider crowd fond of chewing over new scripts in post-show discussions.

And so Reyes booked the small black-box theater room at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, which accommodates 80 people.

But when many more than that showed up, extra chairs had to be found and some folks had to stand.

"It wasn't just the number of people who showed up that was so surprising," said Reyes, a veteran theater artist. "It was the sense of people wanting to have their comments about the scripts heard. Everybody stayed for the talk-backs. Everybody was really engaged with the plays."

Read more at the Statesman's Austin360 'Seeing Things' blog . . . .

Statesman Profiles Financial Difficulties of Austin's Large Arts Organizations

In the edition of Sunday, July 24, Statesman arts editor Jeanne Claire van Ryzin outlines the rapid expansion since the 1990's of Austin's large arts organizations and the financial strains for many. (The Zach Theatre, Ballet Austin and the Austin Classical Guitar Society are in good shape.)

Austin arts groups feel strains of growth

by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

Since 2000, the annual price tag on the arts has mushroomed, challenging arts leaders to find more money each year to keep the cultural offerings in step with Austin's growing population. Top, Zach Theatre's Topfer Theatre construction site, where $18 million of the $22 million needed for the project has been raised. Bottom, AMOA and Arthouse, which are discussing a possible merger.

Read more at the Statesman on-line . . . .

Guitar society teaches how to expand wisely

by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

Though it doesn't rank among the largest Austin arts organizations, the Austin Classical Guitar Society serves as a remarkable example of the growth of the city's cultural character.

A decade ago, the society was an all-volunteer organization with a budget of $38,399. Now it's set to finish its current fiscal year with a professional staff and a budget of $515,000 — a whopping 1,241 percent growth rate financially. In terms of budget, the Austin group is now the largest classical guitar society in the country. And it's a fiscally sound organization, its leaders report, running in the black.

Read more at the Statesman on-line . . . .

Arts Reporting from the Statesman: Paramount Theatre Director Stein Will Depart

Posted by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin on the Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog, January 18:

Paramount Theatre director to depart

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin | Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 12:18 PM

Ken Stein, executive director Austin Theatre Alliance, the organization that manages the Paramount and State theaters, has announced that he will depart the organization in June of this year.

Stein said he would be relocating to Dallas with his family for personal reasons. He said he will stay on through the end of the current subscription season and help ease the transition for a new director.

(photo: Ken Stein interviews Lily Tomlin, 2008 (Planned Parenthood of Texas))

Read full text at the "Seeing Things" blog . . . .

Arts Reporting: Austin Playhouse Announces Move to Mueller Development

Reported by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin on the Statesman's Ausin360 'Seeing Things' blog, November 19

Austin Playhouse announces move to Mueller

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin Friday, November 19

After nearly ten years at its South Congress Avenue location, Austin Playhouse plans to build a $4 million new theater in the Mueller redevelopment in East Austin, theater officials announced Friday.

Catellus Development Group, the master developer of Mueller, confirmed that it had signed a letter of intent with Austin Playhouse.

The theater would be located in the Mueller town center, roughly north of Mueller’s Lake Park. The town center is planned to be a mix of retail, restaurant and entertainment venues. However, no date has been set to start that phase of the Mueller project.

“We’re excited about the opportunities the Austin Playhouse would bring to Mueller,” said Greg Weaver, managing director for Catellus Development Group, the master developer of Mueller. “The Austin Playhouse will help activate a new area of the Mueller community, draw new visitors to experience other elements of the development and provide another primarily nighttime venue to move Mueller toward a 24/7 community.”

The community theater group [SIC] plans to build a 17,000-square-foot two-theater complex with classrooms, a gallery, offices and ground-floor space to sublet to a bar or restaurant.

Don Toner, executive director of Austin Playhouse, said he expects construction to begin in 2011. He said the $4 million price tag includes about $2 million for the property and 100 parking spaces and $2 million for construction, fundraising and other project costs.

Toner said that $265,000 in pledges and cash has been raised so far.

Arts Reporting by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin: Shakespeare at the Long Center, Austin Playhouse at Mueller

Two items today from Jeanne Claire van Ryzin at the Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog:

Long Center adds Globe Theatre production to HD film screenings

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin | Friday, September 10, 2010, 10:58 AM

Expanding its agreement with HD film distributors, the Long Center for the Performing Arts has announced that it will now be screening recent Shakespeare productions from London’s Globe Theatre.

The first is the Globe’s 2009 production of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ directed Dominic Dromgoole. It screens at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1. Tickets are $15, $10 for students.

Screening dates for more Globe Theatre productions will be announced in the near future.

Recently, the Long Center began screening Emerging Pictures Opera in Cinema series of recent production from international opera houses. The next in that series is London’s Royal Opera House production of ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ which screens at 7 p.m. Sept. 14.

See thelongcenter.org for more information.

Austin Playhouse considers move to Mueller

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin | Friday, September 10, 2010, 02:14 PM

After nearly a decade in residence at South Austin’s Penn Field development, Austin Playhouse is thinking about it’s next move. Where to? The Mueller redevelopment in East Austin.

Nothing is inked or written in stone yet, but Austin Playhouse, led by Don Toner, reports that it is in discussions to secure a location adjacent to the planned Austin Childrens’ Museum.

Austin Playhouse imagines its new facility to include two performance facilities — a 200-seat main stage and a 99-seat flexible second stage — along with classrooms and support facilities. Austin Playhouse estimates its project will cost between $3 to $5 million.

Greg Weaver, the Catellus executive in Austin in charge of the Mueller redevelopment told the American-Statesman today that “we’re in very preliminary discussions,” with Austin Playhouse about going into Mueller’s future town center, potentially adjacent to the planned new Austin Children’s Museum.

Weaver added that while the theater would be “a great addition” to the future town center, there is no deal at the moment. The Mueller town center is planned to be a mix of retail, restaurant and entertainment venues. However, no date has been set to start the town center phase of the Mueller project.

Arts Reporting: Statesman Backgrounder on Johnny Meyer and 'American Volunteers' (FronteraFest Long Fringe)

UPDATE: Review by Dan Solomon at Austinist.com, February 1

UPDATE: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin's review of American volunteers at the Statesman Austin360 "Seeing Things" arts blog, January 22

UPDATE: Statesman's video interview of Johnny Meyer, January 17

The Statesman's arts editor Jeanne Claire van Ryzin does a backgrounder on Johnny Meyer and American Volunteers, published January 16:

THEATRE - FRONTERAFEST
Conflict doesn't end at the Afghan border in new play
by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin
American-Statesman arts writer

[. . . .] Meyer, 27, is a former Army Airborne Ranger and staff sergeant, a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "American Volunteers," adapted from Meyer's unpublished novel of the same name, charts the personal and military lives of an isolated squad patrolling the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Meyer focused the action on the three men responsible for leading the squad and the conflict that arises as each pursues the most basic of American values.

Meyer chooses his words carefully when talking about the war. And his tone darkens.

His play is not about his politics, he says, nor about politics in general nor even about his personal experience, though he did serve on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The urgency of combat exposes the basest of human reactions, he says, and that was where he found his story. And that story was about the inherent conflict that erupts when the goals of a foreign war clash with American values.

"What happens when soldiers, even though they are volunteers, try to live out certain very American values — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — above the orders they receive?" he asks. "There are questions, larger questions, there that are worth looking at, I think."

(click to view full article at Statesman.com)

[Statesman photo by Deborah Cannon]

FronteraFest Listing
City On a Hill? Productions – American Volunteers by John M. Meyers (90 minutes)

American Volunteers follows a squad of special operations Rangers as they patrol the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The play focuses on three sergeants responsible for leading the squad, and the conflict that arises as each pursues life, liberty or happiness. The story is told through the bifocal perspective of a female soldier briefly attached to the squad, and a metamorphic Chorus. Warning: Strong language, violence, and meter.

Tickets: $8, Blue Theatre, 911 Springdale Road
Tue. 1/19 9:15 p.m. Thur. 1/21 7 p.m. Sat. 1/23 9:45 p.m. Sat. 1/30 12 p.m.

Upcoming: Michael Kaiser, Kennedy Center President, on Arts in Crisis, San Pedro Playhouse, San Antonio, December 2

Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center, comes to San Antonio's San Pedro Playhouse on December 2 at 9:00 a.m. as part of the announced 50-state tour to discuss the crisis in the arts. Jeanne Claire van Ryzin of the Austin Statesman published the date in the Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog of November 26.

Kaiser is well on the way to achieving his 50-state goal, announced last February and the subject of an ALT posting on February 9. Recognizing financial and management difficulties for arts organizations across the country, the Kennedy Center put up its website www.artsincrisis.org, offering to link arts organizations in trouble with experts in their areas or with the Kennedy Center's own staff. Here's Kaiser's brief outline of the program:





YouTube offers lots of coverage of some of Kaiser's roadshow presentations, including especially the Q&A session in Los Angeles. A search turns up more than 60 YouTube videos on the subject.

The San Pedro Playhouse is located at:800 West Ashby Place San Antonio, TX 7821.