University of Texas Ph.D. Student Dotun Ayobade Receives Award for Paper on Stand-up Comedy in Nigeria

From the Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Texas:

A round of applause for Performance as Public Practice PhD student Dotun Ayobade, who was awarded the Ken Lohrentz Graduate Paper Award from the Mid-Atlantic Association of African Studies (MAAAS)!

Dotun presented his paper, Playing a Race Where There is No Race: Standup Comedy and Performing Race in Post-Colonial Nigeria, at the MAAAS conference in September. Congratulations, Dotun, on your well-deserved recognition!

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)

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.

Robert Faires Reviews Untitled Zombie Hamburger Musical at University of Texas

All Over Creation

Nativity

A new musical by the 'Urinetown' team is born on the 40 Acres, and the chorus line craves bra-a-ains

By Robert Faires, Fri., Dec. 13, 2013

'Tis the season when much attention is given to what is born – the Son of Heaven, on Earth as man; the sun in heaven, returning with spring – but I didn't expect this year's births to include singing and dancing zombies.

Of course, really, who does expect singing and dancing zombies, at any time of year? In this instance, perhaps only their creators: playwright Greg Kotis and composer Mark Hollmann, whose names may ring a bell thanks to a keen little show they made a dozen years ago, Urinetown: The Musical. In the time since that satirical sensation snagged three Tony Awards (Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical for University of Texas alum John Rando), it has become a favorite on the college and high school theatre circuits and its writers have gone on to celebrate in song and drama the origin of life on the ocean floor (Yeast Nation [the triumph of life]) and the making of a one-man musical vehicle for Bush 43 Attorney General John Ashcroft (Eat the Taste). Once you've carved out niches in the American musical theatre for those topics, what's left to tackle but the living dead?

In truth, the team had been approached about writing a musical history of the hamburger for a theatre company that, Kotis says, hoped such a work would draw backing from the fast-food industry. Kotis responded with a fast-food-related musical idea that he and Hollmann had pitched for a movie: A chain called Chicken Hutt has created a new sandwich that, unfortunately, turns those who eat it into the shambling, brain-craving undead. While Kotis openly admitted that the show wouldn't inspire anyone in the industry to throw money at it, True Love Productions went ahead and commissioned Kotis and Hollmann to write it.

Read more at Austin Chronicle. . .

Upcoming: BE STILL AND KNOW NOTHING, University of Texas, December 8, 2013

University of Texas Lab Theatre (LTH) between Jackson Geological Sciences Building (JGB) and the Winship Drama Building (WIN), near 24th and San Jacinto.

(click for map)

Upcoming: University of Texas New Theatre (UTNT), February 27 - March 9, 2014

UTNT (UT New Theatre), the annual showcase of new plays from The University of Texas at Austin M.F.A. Playwriting Program, returns this spring with five dynamic works by emerging playwrights. 

Now in its seventh iteration, UTNT 2014 presents the following:

 

 Preview Productions

Annie Jump
Written by Reina Hardy
Directed by Natalie Novacek

February 27, March 1, 7 at 8:00 p.m.
March 9 at 5:00 p.m.

Annie Jump is a 13-year-old science genius whose alien-obsessed father is the laughingstock of Strawberry, Kansas. One night in August, a meteor falls, and Annie meets Althea, an intergalactic supercomputer that manifests itself in the form of a mean girl with really nice hair. Althea’s here to help Annie take humanity from the earth to the stars, but being the Chosen One isn't all glory. What is Althea hiding? And what will Annie have to sacrifice to fulfill her destiny?

 Advance Man
Written by Abe Koogler
Directed by Will Davis

February 28, March 6, 8 at 8:00 p.m.
March 2 at 5:00 p.m.

Bear Creek is a small town. So when rumor spreads of an impending visit from the President himself, everyone gets very excited. There's just one problem – no one knows when he's coming, or why. And who's that mysterious man in a dark suit, asking all those questions? A dark comedy about the way we live now.

Individual tickets and ticket packages for these preview productions go on sale early January 2014.

Enhanced Readings/Presentations

‘ratio Visual Narrative by William Anderson
Text Narrative by David Turkel
Directed by Jess Hutchinson

March 1 at 11:00 a.m.
March 8 at 2:00 p.m.

In the weeks following Hamlet’s death, Horatio navigates a harrowing regime change at Elsinore under the rule of bloody-minded prince Fortinbras.

Still Now Written by Katie Bender
Directed by Rudy Ramirez

March 2, 9 at 2:00 p.m.

After witnessing the fall of the twin towers, Annie heads to Japan to study Butoh, looking for a dance form that expresses the destruction she can’t comprehend.  Ten years later, Annie is diagnosed with stage four cancer and returns to Butoh to prepare for her final dance. Still Now confronts us with the accelerated motion of a woman learning and losing her body, accompanied by the doctors, teachers, friends and lovers that become her partners in movement, to ask the question: what can our bodies teach us that our minds cannot fathom?

Or, “The One with the Dogs” Written by Briandaniel Oglesby
Directed by Jeremy Lee Cudd

March 1 at 2:00 p.m.
March 8 at 11:00 a.m.

In a crappy house surrounded by a dead walnut orchard, brothers Boomer and Dirt struggle with each other, with themselves, and with their dog-breeding business. As their prized pregnant pooch swells, they seem on the way to strike it big. Their dreams are disrupted when Boomer brings home Marisol, who should be a one-night stand, and Dirt finds a boy who will never grow up.

 UTNT (UT New Theatre) is curated by Steven Dietz and Gia Marotta. Performances are February 27 through March 9 in the Lab Theatre. Ticketing information will be available in December 2013.

University of Texas Workshops Zombie Musical, fall 2013 semester

Zombie Musical by Tony Award-Winning Duo Workshopped at University of Texas at Austin

A new sandwich by Chicken Hutt has hit the market. But there is one small snag. The fast-food restaurant’s customers are turning into zombies.

This is the premise for Tony Award-winning team (2002 Best Original Score and Best Book for a Musical for Urinetown) Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann’s new project, a subversive zombie musical commissioned by True Love Productions. Kotis, Hollmann, and director Sean Daniels tapped into the talents of University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance faculty Lyn Koenning and Natasha Davison and their students to workshop the musical this fall.

The workshop process has been integrated into this semester’s curriculum, allowing a cast of 26 undergraduate students supported by a team of graduate design students the opportunity to partner with these renowned Broadway artists in the development of the musical. With four scenes and five songs now complete, Kotis, Hollmann and Daniels return to the university in December to work alongside the UT cast and creative team.

About the Creative Team

Greg Kotis (Book and Lyrics) is the author of many plays and musicals including Michael von Siebenburg Melts Through the Floorboards, Yeast Nation (Book/Lyrics), The Unhappiness Plays, The Boring-est Poem in the World, The Truth About Santa, Pig Farm, Eat the Taste, Urinetown (Book/Lyrics, for which he won an Obie Award and two Tony Awards), and Jobey and Katherine. His work has been produced and developed in theaters across the country and around the world, including Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Conservatory Theater, American Theater Company, Henry Miller’s Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Stage and Film, Perseverance Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Soho Rep, South Coast Rep, and The Old Globe, among others. Kotis is a member of the Neo-Futurists, the Cardiff Giant Theater Company, ASCAP, the Dramatists Guild, and is a 2010-11 Lark Play Development Center Playwrights Workshop Fellow.

Mark Hollmann (Music and Lyrics) received the Tony Award, the National Broadway Theatre Award and the Obie Award for his score to Urinetown, which itself won Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical. Other shows as composer/lyricist: Yeast Nation (New York International Fringe Festival, Perseverance Theatre, and American Theatre Company), The Man in the White Suit (New York Stage and Film), The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat (University Theatre, U. of Kansas), Alchemist the Musical (Seattle Fringe Festival), Jack the Chipper (Greenview Arts Center, Chicago), Kabooooom! (University Theater, U. of Chicago), I Think I Can and Deal with It! (Berkshire Theatre Festival), and Fare for All (Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Gardens, NYC). Actor/co-writer for The Rack, Theater of Funny, The Mercy Ripper, LBJFKKK, Love Me, All Eight Die and After Taste (Cardiff Giant Theater, Chicago).

Sean Daniels (Director) is the artist-at-large at the Geva Theatre Centre in Rochester, New York. He previously spent four years at the Tony Award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville as the theater’s Associate Artistic Director (where he directed a record seventeen productions including five Humana Festivals). Daniels is the former Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director of the California Shakespeare Theater and before that spent a decade as the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Dad’s Garage Theater Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Daniels has developed new plays with and directed the world premieres of many playwrights including: Two Time Tony Award winners’: Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann (Urinetown), and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (The Book of Mormon); Pulitzer Prize Finalists Kristoffer Diaz and Steven Drukman; and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee, Big Love, Spiderman).

Workshop Team Natasha Davison, Director/Choreographer; Lyn Koenning, Music Director; Steven Wilson, Assistant Director; Designers: Rachel Alulis, Patrick Lord, Mercedes O'Bannion; Stage Managers: Danya Gorel, Joe Heike

Cast: Shereen Ahmad, Mallory Ayliffe, Lauren Beausoleil, Tyler Cullen, Allie Donnelly, Meghan Enright, Felicia Fitzpatrick, Mandy Foster, Catherine Frank, Sydney Frank, Nicolas Garza, Dylan John Gonzales, Emma Graves, Andie Haddad, Grace Hanna, Quinton Johnson, Jack Leahy, Breanna Lind, Devin Medley, Cherry Mendoza, Christopher Montalvo, Laura Rogers, Lilly Stafford, Sam Strum, Ursula Walker, Joseph Wilson

QUEER POLITICAL CABARET CULTURE IN CONTEMPORARY MEXICO CITY, Laura G. Gutiérrez, University of Texas, November 20, 2013

University of Texas FDP Colloquium, Center for Women's and Gender Studies

Desiring the Possible: Queer Political Cabaret Culture in Contemporary Mexico City

Wed, November 20, 2013 • 3:30 PM - 5:00 p.m.
Burdine Hall (BUR) 214, South of Dean Keeton & Wichita St. (click for map)

Laura G. Gutiérrez (photo: University of Texas)

Laura G. Gutiérrez, Associate Professor

Department of Theatre and Dance / Performance as Public Practice Program

Contemporary political cabaret is a performance practice that mixes various live art strategies from the early part of the twentieth century with contemporary experimental theatre, and fuses them with musical and dance numbers and heavy doses of political satire.
The individuals or groups that define themselves as political cabaret practitioners each have an idea of what this practice is, but given that it is currently thriving and is a sort of phenomenon in a micro-level, one could venture and generalize that there is a particular Mexico City style of cabaret.
This political cabaret, which has gained currency in the last twenty years, is a particular favorite mode of self-representation for queer artists and activists. My presentation examines the ways in which cabaret is a political and artistic practice that produces a queer space. In more specific terms, political cabaret is part of the growing queer counter-public culture in the city with its left-of-center social and economic politics.
Whereas in the early 1990’s political cabaret was mostly restricted to El Hábito—managed artistically and otherwise by the same-sex couple Jesusa Rodríguez and Liliana Felipe—twenty years later, political cabaret has created an alternative queer cultural map of the city.
By the latter I do not simply mean that El Hábito continues to exist under a new guise and new management as El Vicio—run by the four-member female queer collective Las Reinas Chulas—but that more urban and symbolic space has been gained in the process. For example, Las Reinas Chulas, in addition to their Festival of International Cabaret, which has been held for 9 consecutive summers now and has spread beyond the space of El Vicio, they have a television program for the national federal cultural channel (CONACULTA), one member is part of a daily radio show (El Weso), another member often takes part of LGBT marches and writes a newspaper column, and most of them have performed in the other city-sanctioned political cabaret space, the Foro A Poco No.
My presentation traces the shifts in signification and the growth of political cabaret as it has helped to map a queer public culture in Mexico City. I do the above in order to begin to conceptualize notions of desire in the context of Mexican counter-public culture, not just in relationship to same-sex desire, but also in regard to the possibility of an alternative political future for Mexico, always taking into account its limitations.


Laura G. Gutiérrez (PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison) is Associate Professor of Latin American and Latina/o Performance Studies in the Department of Theatre and Dance/Performance as Public Practice at the University of Texas-Austin. She holds an affiliate appointment in the Center for Mexican American Studies. Her research and teaching interests are Mexican and Chicana/o embodied practices and visual culture, gender and sexuality, and questions of nation, modernity and the transnational.
Gutiérrez is the author of Performing Mexicanidad: Vendidas y Cabareteras on the Transnational Stage (U Texas P, 2010), which won The Ninth Annual MLA Prize in United States Latina and Latino and Chicana and Chicano Literary and Cultural Studies. Prior to joining the UT faculty, she taught at the University of Arizona where she received the 2012 Provost's General Education Teaching Award, and, before that, at the University of Iowa. Gutiérrez is on the Board of Advisors of the Tepoztlán Institute for the Transnational History of the Americas and on the Editorial Board of Feminist Formations.

THE SPARROW by Jake Minton, Chris Matthews and Nathan Allen, University of Texas, November 20 - 23, 2013(

The Sparrow

(photo: KC Photography)

Written by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen
Originally Created by The House Theatre of Chicago
An Undergraduate Acting Project Production

November 20, 21, 22, 23, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.
November 23 at 2:00 p.m.

Winship Room 2.180, University of Texas, Austin

Admission is free. Seating is limited.


Ten years ago Emily Book, the lone survivor of a horrible school bus accident, was sent away from the tiny town of Spring Farm. Now in her senior year, Emily must return in order to graduate from high school. When she arrives, Emily is unwillingly thrust into the whirlwind of Spring Farm High. Guided by her biology teacher, Mr. Christopher, and befriended by head cheerleader Jenny McGrath, Emily must learn to fit in with her classmates while yearning to stay out of the spotlight. But when Jenny’s life is threatened, Emily reveals her true powers. Thus, Spring Farm’s own darling superhero, “The Sparrow” is born. Can this strange girl with even stranger powers be the hero that her town is longing for, or will her dark secret destroy them all?

Director Quetta Carpenter shares, “The Sparrow plays like a Greek tragedy within a Spielberg film. Its language is very cinematic - it moves like a film, and it deals in imagery and metaphor, like all the great hero myths of the world.


The story begins in the emotional deep-freeze of Spring Farm, Illinois. Since losing its entire second grade class ten years ago, the town has been figuratively holding its breath. The return of Emily Book puts into motion events that will change everything, as Emily and the town are offered an opportunity to face the horror of the past and create an uncertain future.


I see Emily’s journey as an allegory for growing up. What happens when we make a mistake that we can’t take back? How do we live with it? A central theme in the play is weight - the weight we carry, and the weight we refuse to carry. I am reminded of Coleridge’s albatross, the trials of Odysseus, and Luke Skywalker’s choice. Emily is on an epic journey, and so is the town of Spring Farm, both individually and collectively.”

The play is approximately 90 minutes. The Sparrow includes some violence and suggested sexual situations. It is appropriate for high school age and up.


Tell us you’re coming and join the conversation on facebook!


Direction/Production Concept/Movement Design: Quetta Carpenter+
Original Music: Jeremy Lee Cudd+ and Ben Fest+
Assistant Direction: Katie Folger*
Choreography: Natasha Davison+
Dance Captain/Cheer Choreography: Felicia Fitzpatrick*
Additional Cheer Choreography: Carson Campbell*
Dramaturgy: Madilynn Garcia*
Lighting Design: Moses Park*
Run Crew Supervisor: Sarah Cantu*
* UT student
+ UT Faculty/Staff
Cast: Mitch Allison, Hugo Ayala, Carson Campbell, Rachel Crowell, Jenny De La Fuente, Felicia Fitzpatrick, Katie Folger, Briana Garcia, Jonathan Gentsch, Dominique Gonzalez, Tasha Gorel, Jessica Helton, Megan Lyles, Lindsey Miller, Kevin Poole, Rocket Thrall, Arnold Trevino, Jr., Katy Wicker

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR by Patrick Naeve, SAC black box, University of Texas, November 22 - 23, 2013

(via Facebook)

William the Conqueror

by Patrick Naeve
directed by Seth Dumas
AD: Patrick Naeve
Thursday November 14th - Saturday the 16th at 7 PM

Friday November 22nd - Saturday the 23rd at 7 PM

Special Saturday November 23rd Matinee at 2 PM

Black Box theatre, Student Activities Center, University of Texas, 2100 Speedway - click for map 

Written by Plan 2 Honors student Patrick Naeve, William the Conqueror is a Shakespearean style verse history chronicling the events of 1066 AD. Come out for some epic battle sequences, romance, reliquaries, tunics, stargazing and the Norse Berserker.

Featuring: Gabe Colombo, Stephanie Donowho, Dane Sowers, Fred Tally-foos, Renae Jackson, Patrick Watson, Megan Rabuse, Josiah Mercer, Nathan Berkowitz, Bronwyn Scott, Logan Crossley, Thomas Mylott, Ehigbor Idonor, Santiago Sanchez

Video: FALL FOR DANCE, Dance Repertory Theatre, University of Texas, November 15 - 24, 2013

Videos posted by Texas Performng Arts for

Fall For Dance

Dance Repertory Theatre, University of Texas
Artistic Directors: David Justin and Holly Williams

Presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance

November 15 - 24, 2013 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre
BUY TICKETS NOW ($15.00 - $25.00)


Dance Repertory Theatre, the award-winning student dance company, returns to the stage to present work by nationally acclaimed artists including Mark Morris, David Justin, Yoav Kaddar and Holly Williams. 

Program: Raw by Yoav Kaddar; Unspeakable Truths by Stacy Skolnik; Orchid (premiere) by Holly Williams; Quiver by David Justin; Grand Duo by Mark Morris

Click for more information at the website

Composition by J.S. Bach: Partita No. 2, sarabande

Audition for Short Film 'When I'm Old' by University of Texas student Rachel Gutknecht, Austin, November 7, 2013

Casting and Crew Call for Austin, Texas HD Student Short Film “When I’m Old” 

Auditions November 07, 2013 at University of Texas, CMB building, 4th floor, studio 4B
Two-day shooting schedule starting November 16, 2013 

Producer: Achilles Moralis Writer and Director: Rachel Gutknecht
Additional Attached Cast/Crew: Ivy Chui, Wendy Womack, Dane Hurt, Marshal Coupus 

(via www.onstarconnections.com)

They say the best conversations take place in a car. Is it the thrill of the road? Or the idea of being ‘locked in’ a convo? Many beautiful life and character defining moments are set in a car– but some not so beautiful. Here I track the growth over the years of a small family in a car. We are all stuck on this road called life, but some people get out sooner than others. 

Character Breakdowns: 

Mom Age: 30-35 (acceptions can be made) Witty, selfless, and doesn’t take life too seriously until Caleb gets sick. She is a friend of her children, but she can always make shift to an authority figure in times of need. She has had life experience although she is younger than most moms. She has no husband, for he left her right after she got pregnant with Caleb. She couldn’t be happier for her kids are all she needs. 

Rylee 2-4 Rylee 11-13 Rylee 16 Rylee has mostly a teenage mindset but absolutely loves her family no matter what. I want to see what the actresses have in mind for her personality it will determine the part. 

Caleb age: 2-4 Caleb 6-9 Caleb 13-15 Caleb loves his family and really looks up to his sister. Always positive. He gets sick and dies towards the end of the film. 

Crew Needed (non-paid): Sound Recorder ( o pay but I will provide equipment and it will be a blast) 

Compensation: DVD Copy Meals/Lodging/Transportation/Snacks and Beverages 

*Email Your Casting Submissions To lastdancethemovie@gmail.com Please provide a headshot and why you are interested as well as any questions. I will send you the script as soon as I can. I am really excited for this, this is the most friendly crew I have put together so everyone is in great hands. The family of three– 1 mom, 1 daughter (oldest), and 1 son- all very witty and sarcastic, but their love is so strong. If you have seen Gilmore Girls… think of that humor. 

The Beautiful People by William Saroyan at The Museum of Human Achievement, October 18 - 26, 2013

by Michael Meigs

Don't let this gem flicker past you. Saroyan's gentle, quizzical one-act from 1941 isn't well known, and you're not likely to get the opportunity to enjoy it ever again. MFA candidate in directing Steven Wilson has magicked forth this evening with some powerful help, and it's a revelation of theatre and acting craft nestled within a revival.

You'll see nothing like it anytime soon . In Austin terms it's as if Norman Blumensaadt's devoted exploration of twentieth century classic writing has been blended with acting talents often seen at the Zach Theatre. With a bit of marketing the Zach Theatre could put this staging into its Whisenhut theatre in the round and run it profitably for a month, without a single change.

Admission is free. It is, after all, Wilson's thesis project, with technical collaboration by University of Texas students including third-year MFA graduate students William Anderson (set design) and Hope Bennett (costume design). The single-page program leaflet lists everyone in democratic alphabetical order in dizzyingly tiny print, including leading Austin actors Janelle Buchanan (an Actor's Equity artist), David R. Jarrott and Rommel Sulit. On opening night UT prof, playwright and Zach collaborator Steven Dietz occupied one of the 40 seats in the audience; Zach star Barbara Chisholm was in another.

With the constraints of academic endeavor and financing by Kickstarter, his edition of The Beautiful People is designed to disappear after only six performances before a maximum audience of about 240 persons.

Wilson and friends are staging it in grandiloquently titled Museum of Human Achievement, a lofty title for a ramshackle space behind what used to be the Goodwill warehouse on Springdale Road and just south of what used to be the Blue Theatre (click for map). Easiest access is via a relatively obscure gate on Lyons Rd. just west of the railroad tracks. Your vehicle noses into a rutted, muddy parking area. Austin's recent rains had left such large expanses of standing water that the company e-mailed ticket holders the day before to warn them to wear rubber boots or similar footwear and even offered to reschedule their seats if desired.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com 

EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR by Lauren Gunderson, University of Texas, October 25 - 27, 2013

 

EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR

by Lauren Gunderson

Friday, Oct. 25 - Sunday Oct. 27, 2013, 8 p.m.
Winship Drama Bldg, WIN 1.108, University of Texas
(University of Texas theatres, Winship Drama Bldg. (WIN), near 23rd St. and San Jacinto, Austin)

ADMISSION:
FREE!
(Reserve your tickets online: http://bit.ly/1hyztQg)
___________________________________

CAST:
Jessie Helton
Bishop Wash
Hope Carew
Conner Palmore

DIRECTOR:
Addie Arnold

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Christina Vargas
_____________________________________

Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With the help of her friend Simon (acting as her emotional – and actual – cheerleader) and a stripper named Sweetheart, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenact scenes from their painful past. In the piece de resistance, they plan to cover the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear. Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this smart, dark revenge comedy.
______________________________________

Visit us online at http://roundaboutplayers.com/

Playwright Sarah Ruhl Sponsored by Michener Center forWriters, University of Texas, October 16, 2013

Video: Director and Cast Discuss 'Our Country's Good,' University of Texas, October 18 - 27, 2013

Video posted by Texas Performing Arts for the








presentation of



Our Country's Good

by Timberlake Wertenbaker

directed by James Daniels

Oct. 18, 19, 23-27 at 8 p.m. and Sundays Oct. 20, 27 at 2 p.m.

Oscar G. Brockett Theatre , University of Texas
Tickets $15.00 - $25.00

“…a backstage play with a social conscience, demonstrating the redemptive power of theater and of education.” – The New York Times

Miles from their homeland, a boat full of Royal Marine officers and convicts arrives on the Australian shore in 1789, forced to create a community in a fledgling penal colony.

Amid the brutal conditions of the settlement, a determined lieutenant volunteers to direct the convicts – a collection of murderers and thieves – in a comedic stage play. With no support from his fellow Marines and the leading lady’s imminent execution, it’s questionable if the show will go on.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Audition and crew call at University of Texas: Looking for an open-minded male actor and lighting & audio crew for Behind Those Hazel Lies

(image: www.ignaciospritz.com)

Looking for an open-minded male actor and people with experience in stage lighting and audio production to volunteer their time for Behind Those Hazel Lies, a new play by Mark-Anthony Zuniga, directed by Davvi Solomon. The show is scheduled to run in the LAB Theatre at the University of Texas in Austin October 11th-13th. The estimated run time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Rehearsals are already underway, so we are looking for people willing to work quickly to help bring this show together.
 PLEASE NOTE: Anyone who participates must be comfortable with mature subject matter which includes male/male intimacy.


Behind Those Hazel Lies is a story about a gay man named Kavin who is convinced by his friends to take a ballet class to help him get over his ex-boyfriend. Unexpectedly, ballet will ultimately test friendships, create family drama, reveal secrets and promote healing. This production is a play, but each scene will demonstrate a ballet term, which also represents the underlying theme. A staged reading of this play (previously titled Danseur Drama) was a Filament sparked by Suzan Zeder as part of The Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op in 2013.


There is no compensation for working on this production, but you get experience working on a new artistic project.


Rehearsals have already begun and will range from 6:30pm - 10:30pm weekdays, some weekend rehearsals will be required. Tech rehearsals will begin Sept 30th - Oct 10th.


Performance Dates. Performances are expected to be Oct 11th at 7pm, Oct 12th at 5pm and a possible evening performance on Sunday, Oct 13th.




Lighting/Audio: Email Davvi Solomon at castcall77@gmail.com if you would like to help out. Please include your contact information.


Male Actor: The audition is for the role of Renzi Bolle. He is a heterosexual male in his mid to late 20’s and Kavin’s roommate of three years. He works as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and met Kavin after counseling his brother. This character is very confident and thinks everyone finds him attractive. However, he is a really nice guy and protective of Kavin. This character provides comic relief, but also must be emotionally available to help console him during a tough time in his life. The actor playing this role will be required to kiss another male actor.




Auditions are available by appointment only (after 6 pm) until the role is filled. Auditions will be held in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building located at 300 E 23rd St. The audition will consist of a cold reading from the script. No prior dance experience required, but actors should be comfortable learning basic ballet. If you are interested in auditioning, please send an email to castcall77@gmail.com. Include your name, phone number, a resume and a color headshot/photo.

UT's Alpha Psi Omega welcomes cast members for fall productions, 2013

University of Texas at Austin
September, 2013


We had a great turnout at auditions this week & callbacks were just as amazing! Thanks to all who participated!
We are pleased to announce our 2013 Fall Production Cast Lists!

INFINITY CAST LIST
Tyler - Sean Przano
Margaret - Shannon Barry
Ricky - Joseph Wilson
Avery - Jenna Niehl
Tina - Britney Wilkinson
Dr. Brown - Allie Donnelly
Nurse - Lauren Beausoleil


CURIOSITY CAT CAST LIST
Claire - Jenna Niehl
Charlotte (formerly known as Charlie) - Sara Roach
Aunt Ginny - Britney Wilkinson
Curiosity Cat - Ryan Lord
Squirrel - Grainne' Morgan
Fred - Connor Haley
Coot - Ian Alexander
Skeevelberger - Hunter Sturgis
Shultz - Preston Weden
Tubbs - Lindsay Kelly
Penelope Podger - Anne Urban
Mrs. Podger - Lauren Beausoleil
Leo - Nonye Akuechiana
Dukette - Amanda Sarabia
Duketta - Elizabeth Williams
Slicker - Andrew Valdez
Father/Stray Cat - Kevin Jacaman
Narrators/Stray Cats - Izabella Arnold, Rachel Bird, Merin Rogers, Hannah Milici, Gabi Walker.


NOISES OFF CAST LIST
Dotty Otley (Mrs. Clackett) - Malori Carr
Lloyd Dallas - Matthew Hernandez
Garry Lejeune (Roger Trampelmain) - Joseph Wilson
Brooke Ashton (Vicki) - Roberta Blackmer
Poppy Norton-Taylor - Shannon Barry
Frederick Fellowes (Phillip Brent/Sheikh) - Liam Dolan-Henderson
Belinda Blair (Flavia Brent) - Erin Haynes
Tim Allgood (Phillip Brent's double) - Nico Bonacci
Seldson Mowbray (Burglar) - Ian Price
Congratulations to everyone!

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Rude Mechs Offer Theatre Internships in Austin to University Students

Applications Open for University Student Internships in Austin, Texas

Rude Mechs is proud to serve as the Resident Theatre Company for the University of Texas Department of Theatre and Dance. For more information about UT's Theatre and Dance Department, visit jointhedrama.org. Through this innovative partnership of a renowned Tier 1 research university and Rude Mechs, a generation of new undergraduate and graduate students will gain a unique perspective on collectively devising new plays and managing a mid-size theatre.
The fall internship begins September 15th and the application form is available here. 

If you aren't familiar with our company, please take a few minutes to browse our website www.rudemechs.com - look at our mission, our past productions, our programming.
Our goal is to provide you with opportunities to either work or observe work in your area of interest, should your interest align with our schedule and projects this semester. We will not ask you to perform volunteer duties that do not build your desired skill set. (For example, if you are interested in learning arts administration, we will not ask you to perform in our next play for free, but we might ask you to help archive our marketing materials or create a production budget.)
It is our expectation that you will commit 48 hours (approximately 4 hours per week) to Rude Mechs to complete your internship during the semester.
Your internship will span roughly 12 weeks beginning September 15 ^th and end December 15 ^th , 2013. We will never ask you for more than 10 hours in a given week.
Please know that we also accept internships from students around the country, so feel free to use this application to let us know you are interested in spending some time down here with us.

OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD by Timberlake Wertenbaker, University of Texas, October 18 - 27, 2013

(University of Texas theatres, Winship Drama Bldg. (WIN), near 23rd St. and San Jacinto, Austin)
         presents

 

directed by James Daniels

October 18 - 27, 2013

Oct. 18, 19, 23-27 at 8 p.m.

Oct. 20, 27 at 2 p.m.

Oscar G. Brockett Theatre , University of Texas

Tickets $15.00 - $25.00

Subscriptions Available Now for the 2013-2014 Theatre & Dance Season

“…a backstage play with a social conscience, demonstrating the redemptive power of theater and of education.” – The New York Times

Miles from their homeland, a boat full of Royal Marine officers and convicts arrives on the Australian shore in 1789, forced to create a community in a fledgling penal colony.
Amid the brutal conditions of the settlement, a determined lieutenant volunteers to direct the convicts – a collection of murderers and thieves – in a comedic stage play. With no support from his fellow Marines and the leading lady’s imminent execution, it’s questionable if the show will go on.

Adapted from Thomas Keneally’s best-selling novel The Playmaker, Our Country’s Good has received great critical acclaim, receiving six Tony Award nominations and winning the Olivier Award for Best Play and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

2013-2014 Theatre Subscription Series, University of Texas

Introducing the 2013/2014 Subscription Series at the University of Texas, Austin

(click show titles for additional information at UT Performing Arts)

Dial "M" for Murder

by Frederick Knott

B. Iden Payne Theatre October 4 - 13, 2013

"...Original and remarkably good theatre - quiet in style but tingling in excitement underneath." - The New York Times

Set in 1950s London. Tony Wendice concocts a plot to murder his wealthy wife Margot. When the scheme goes awry, he devises a sinister backup plan to get her out of the picture for good. Knott's classic tale, made famous by Alfred Hitchcock's hit film, continues to be one of the most popular thrillers for stage and screen.

Our Country's Good

By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

October 18 - 27, 2013

"...a backstage play with a social conscience, demonstrating the redemptive power of theater and of education." - The New York Times

Adapted from Thomas Keneally's novel The Playmaker, Wertenbaker introduces the audience to an 18th century Australian penal colony. Amid the brutal conditions of the settlement, a Royal Marine lieutenant works with the convicts to present a comedic stage play.

Dead Man's Cell Phone

By Sarah Ruhl
Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

February 14 - 23, 2014

"Ruhl's zany probe of the razor-thin line between life and death delivers a fresh and humorous look at the times we live in." - Variety

When a woman answers the cell phone of a recently deceased café patron, she holds on to the device to keep the man alive in a strange yet significant way.

Kinesthetic Imperative

Artistic Directors David Justin and Holly Williams
B. Iden Payne Theatre

March 6 - 9, 2014

"Dance Repertory Theatre...guided its audiences to heaven." - The Austin Chronicle

A showcase of unique and compelling dance works created by nationally renowned choreographers, including a leader of American avant-garde dance, Merce Cunningham.

In the Heights

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
B. Iden Payne Theatre

April 9-19, 2014
"An exuberant, animated shrine to the importance of family ties and being faithful to where you come from." - Ben Brantley of The New York Times 

Winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical, In the Heights is the captivating journey into New York’s vibrant Washington Heights community. With an invigorating score of Latin pop and hip hop, combined with dynamic dance, this joy-filled story is about finding your place in the world.