Friday, October 29, 2010

The 39 Steps, Austin Playhouse, September 10 - October 30



Austin Playhouse scheduled Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps for a run of almost two months, but I didn't manage to use my season tickets until the penultimate weekend of the run. Not that I expected to be disappointed; The 39 Steps won an Olivier award for best comedy in 2007 and the Broadway version, with the added tag tying it to Hitchcock, ran for two years before moving off-Broadway. And not too far off Broadway -- to New World Stages at 340 West 50th Street, where it is still playing. A road version did a limited tour in 2009-2010.


Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps was nominated for six Tony awards in 2008 and walked away with two. The marketing people don't mention that those Tonys were for best lighting design and best sound design.


Never mind all that. The important thing is that it's more fun than a barrel of actors. The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England, pioneered this one, applying the ingenious notion of using only four actors to put onstage the entire plot of the Hitchcock movie. Here in Austin, Benjamin Summers as Richard Hannay is the only player with an immutable role (unless you count his momentary masquerade as a milkman in order to flee from the police). Lara Toner gets to play three characters -- a German-accented femme fatale who rapidly becomes a femme morte, much to Hannay's surprise, a dreamy lassie in the wilds of Scotland, and a self-assured young blonde who winds up kidnapped and handcuffed to the fleeing Hannay.


The McGarrigles: Mrs. (Michael Stuart) and Mr. (David Stahl) (image: Christopher Loveless)The comic duo of Michael Stuart and David Stahl play everyone else in the movie -- oops, I mean, in the play. Bad guys, local notables, a dour Scots crofter, an innkeeper and his wife, the red-turbaned mysterious professor, a pair of vaudeville clowns and many, many more. In fact, the two of them are listed in the program simply as Clown #1 and Clown #2. They change identities as easily as changing hats, and sometimes they're carrying three hats at a time.


Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Hamlet at Boggy Creek Cemetery, Black Swan Events, October 22 - November 6





Justin Scalise as Hamlet is intent and impressive. AustinLiveTheatre had that to say and more in the September 25 ALT review of essentially this same production as presented downtown at the Scottish Rite Theatre -- in all too short a run and with a curtailed final week.

This staging is by Black Swan Events. The swan is new hatched and because of the surprisingly poorly attendance at the Scottish Rite staging, it's new fledged, as well. Perhaps to their surprise, and certainly to mine, Hamlet turned out not to be an automatic break-down-the-doors success downtown, despite the impressive acting triple play Scalise-to-Babs George-to-Harvey Guion, supported by that canny and adept cast. Perhaps some folks see Hamlet was one of those "difficult" Shakespeare plays, unpleasantly full of brooding and plotting.


Andrew Matthews as Claudius (image: Kimberley Mead)The swans have been working to counter that. Mike Lee at KUT-FM gave them his occasional two-minute slot at Arts Eclectic last week and Lisa Sheps at KOOP-FM had them on for twelve minutes on her weekly Off Stage and On the Air (see below for those embedded audio bits).


Ashley Edwards, Justin Scalise (image: Kimberley Mead)Director Andrew Matthews replaces Guion as the usurping Claudius, giving a slightly different flavor to that triple play. Matthews is visibly closer in age to Scalise's Hamlet, which is entirely plausible -- making him a much younger brother to the murdered king, with plenty of manly energy and lots of interesting possibilities for the back story. Ashley Edwards is an ageless Gertrude, sharp of profile and sharp of presence, highly aware of her own precarious position. Both Matthews and Edwards are confident and convincing in their roles.

Read more and listen to audio at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Salon Vanguard party fundraiser, Salvage Vanguard Theatre, December 2

Received directly:


Join Salvage Vanguard Theater for the 2nd Annual Salon Vanguard at Salvage Vanguard Theatre Austin

Salon Vanguard

benefit soirée.

December 2, 7 - 11 p.m.
Eponymous Garden, 1202 Garden St.
Tickets $50 individual, $80 couples
Email jenny@salvagevanguard.org for tickets and information


Buy a ticket for Salon Vanguard, a benefit soiree, and receive complimentary food, expertly made cocktails, and intimate performances from Austin artists Owen Egerton (author and performer), Margery Segal (dancer and choreographer), and PJ Raval (film maker). Plus the Church of the Friendly Ghost, SVT’s resident music makers, will set the mood and serenade you with a jazz trio on the back patio. Your distinguished hosts for the evening will be SVT company member Adriene Mishler, directing savant Dustin Wills, and Westen Borgehsi from White Ghost Shivers.
Throughout the evening, they’ll lead the soiree in group songs, fun-filled parlor games and an old-fashioned good time.

Salvage Vanguard Theater is a hub for Austin artists, audiences, and arts organizations. SVT creates and presents transformative, high-quality artistic experiences that foster experimentation and conversation. Since 1994 Salvage Vanguard Theater has been producing new American plays. Since June 7, 2007, Salvage Vanguard Theater has been cultivating an arts facility located on Manor Road. It is a facility in Austin that allows both visual and performing artists to incubate ideas, create and develop new artwork, and present that artwork to the general public. More than 30,000 artists and spectators now make use of the space over the course of a year. As a result of the eclectic and energetic work happening at SVT, and by SVT, they are able to reach thousands of people in and around Austin, creating a true center for the arts on the east side.

Upcoming: Fight by Kimber Lee, world premiere, University of Texas, November 12 -21

Found on-line:

Fight by Kimber Lee University of TexasThe University of Texas presents the world premiere of

Fight

Written by Kimber Lee
Directed by Charles Otte and Kimber Lee

November 12*, 14, 17, 18, 19 at 8:00 PM
November 14, 21 at 2:00 PM
Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

*Join us November 12 for an Opening Night Reception immediately following the performance. Guests will be able to mingle with the cast, crew, and director of Fight while enjoying an assortment of light snacks and desserts.

Tickets: $20 adults, $17 UT faculty & staff, $15 students available online at www.texasperformingarts.org or by phone at 477-6060.


What does it take to be a fighter? Dani Perez is about to find out. On the run from the oppressive silence of her aunt's apartment, Dani starts training at the boxing gym where her estranged father once reigned supreme. Day after day she works to learn the sweet science of boxing, and finds that true victory in the ring comes not only through strength and speed, but also through persistence, hard work, and having the heart to stand, face your own worst fears and never give up.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Upcoming: The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, Zach Theatre, November 26 - January 2

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Santaland Diaries David Sedaris Zach Theatre Austin(image by Kirk R. Tuck)

ZACH’s Original “Little Macy’s Elf” Returns !

ZACH Theatre presents
The 2010 Edition of David Sedaris’


The Santaland Diaries


Adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello • Directed by Dave Steakley
Starring Martin Burke and Meredith McCall, winners of The Austin Chronicle’s 2010 Readers’ Poll for “Best Actors,” with Jason Connor on piano.
November 26, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

ZACH Theatre’s intimate Whisenhunt Stage at 1510 Toomey Road (near Riverside Dr. and S. Lamar.)


David Sedaris’ wickedly funny THE SANTALAND DIARIES tells the real-life story of Sedaris’ tour of duty as the Little Macy’s Elf – Crumpet, and what it takes to juggle tots and tottering Santas during a painfully festive time of the year. A laugh ‘til you cry evening of merrily subversive entertainment to delight adult audiences.

Tickets available online at www.zachtheatre.org, ZACH’s box office at (512) 476-0541 ext. 1 or, in person, at 1510 Toomey Rd.

Special pricing available for groups of 8 or more, seniors and students.

For real-time updates on ZACH Theatre news, events and happenings, visit http://www.zachtheatre.org/blog/. Add ZACH Theatre as a friend on Facebook, and follow ZACH on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/zachtheatre.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Steel Magnolias, City Theatre, November 18 - December 19

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Steel Magnolias City Theatre Austin TexasRing in the holidays with Robert Harling’s

wise-cracking and wise Southern comedy hit


STEEL MAGNOLIAS

November 18 - December 19

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

No performances Thanksgiving weekend

City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd (behind the Shell station)

Reservations 512-524-2870 or info@citytheatreaustin.org

Tickets $15 - $20. Guaranteed Front/2nd Row Reserved $25. Students $12. Group discounts are available. Thursday all seats $10. Visit our website www.citytheatreaustin.org


The City Theatre is proud to present the opening of its 2010 – 2011 season with the holiday production of Robert Harling’s funny and moving comedy gem, Steel Magnolias. Directed by Barry Pineo, performances begin November 18 and run through December 19 at The City Theatre.

“If you can’t find anything good to say about anybody, come sit by me.”

These words of wisdom sum up Harling’s 1987 off-Broadway sensation and subsequent smash film Steel Magnolias. Set in a beauty parlor in Chinquapin, Louisiana, the hit comedy illustrates how the lives of six distinctly different women interweave via the small town gossip that shadows the unending cycle of life, love and laughter. The outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the shy yet determined Annelle and to the curmudgeonly Ouiser ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years"), the eccentric yet sensible Miss Clairee, and the respected and admired M'Lynn and her daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town. Filled with hilarious Southern repartee and humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play draws on the town’s underlying strength – and love – that gives the story and the characters, the special qualities to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company, in good times and in bad.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . .

Images by Andy Berkovsky of The Crucible, Renaissance Theatre Austin at City Theatre, October 22 - November 14

Images by Andy Berkovsky received directly and followed up on-line:

The Crucible Renaissance Theatre Austin (image: Andy Berkovsky)The Crucible Renaissance Theatre Austin City Theatre

Arthur Miller’s classic tale of the American theatre. When teenage girls are discovered conjuring spirits, the 17th century town of Salem explodes with accusations of witchcraft. The trials that follow expose a community paralyzed by fear, terror, power and religious extremism.

Riveting dialogue, passionate characters and powerful themes make this both a gripping historical play and a timely parable of our society.

Starring Iden Payne winners Rachel McGinnis and Angela Loftus. With Gabriel Smith, Craig Kanne, Laura Ray and Brian Villalobos as John Proctor. Directed by Stacey Glazer.

October 22 – November 14. Thursday – Saturday 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 5:30 p.m.

The City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd. Suite D. – east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38 ½ Street.

For reservations, call 512-524-2870 or e-mail info@citytheatreaustin.org.

$15 - $20. Front Row Reserved $25. Thursday all seats $10. Group and student discounts. www.citytheatreaustin.org

The Crucible Renaissance Theatre Austin City Theatre


Click to view additional images at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . . .


Upcoming: Sustainable Theatre Project's fundraiser for Seller Door by Larry Mitchell (ongoing)


via @travisbedard on Twitter:


The Sustainable Theatre Project is documenting the life-cycle of a new play Seller Door.

What does “life-cycle” mean? It means we’re going to film every aspect from planning to production of a live performance. Everything from auditions and production meetings to artist interviews and a live performance will be filmed, edited and produced in a one-of-a-kind documentary/recorded live performance DVD set. The project includes three specific areas of focus: The Play, Sustainability and the Video Series.

It’s like funding three projects in one! A live performance, conceived and executed sustainably and a professionally produced film!

ABOUT THE PLAY

Seller Door is a play about consequences. It’s about a Barker, the people he gets to go through a door and what happens to those people once they go through the door. For the live production, STP will use an empty space, a non-traditional theatre space, perhaps a store front or vacant warehouse. Without giving too much away… there will be a Barker, a thief, 25 lbs. of pretzels and a room that fills with… well, that would be giving too much away. The execution of the play will be an experiment attempting to blend the “fourth-wall”, observer based, story-telling theatre of tradition with the contemporary shift toward audience participation, experiential theatre that has become popular as of late. With Seller Door, STP strives to create an event that is equal parts story/observation and experience/participation that will uphold the ritual of theatre and embrace the newest trends in theatre.

Campaign goal: $3500. Open until January 24.


Click on image or click here to go to page with video and funding appeal. . . .

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Upcoming: The Comedy of Errors, Cedar Park High School at the Curtain Theatre, November 12 - 13

Found on-line:


Comedy of Errors, Cedar Park High SchoolThe Comedy of Errors

presented by Cedar Park High School Theatre Department
12-13 November 2010
at The Curtain Theatre in collaboration with
The Baron's Men
information available at www.cphstheatre.org

The Comedy of Errors Cast

Derek Koh-Solinus, Duke of Ephesus
Zach Hawks-Egeon, a merchant of Syracuse
Jordan Fogle-Antipholus of Syracuse, twin to Antipholus of Ephesus
Courtney Anthony-Dromio of Syracuse, twin to Dromio of Ephesus
Tanner Dixon-Antipholus of Ephesus, twin to Antipholus of Syracuse
Madison Piner-Dromio of Ephesus, twin to Dromio of Syracuse
Donna Noorbakhsh-Adriana, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus
Milan Matute-Luciana, sister to Adriana
Chelsea Hollenbeck-Angelo, a goldsmith
Dave Hawks-A Second Merchant, to whom Angelo is debtor
Amanda Weston-A Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse/Nun
Donelvan Thigpen-An Officer
Robin Duffee-A Courtesan
Victoria Steele-Dr. Pinch, a conjurer
Urvashi Mitbander-Emilia, an abbess
Dylan Peck-Nell/Luce, unfeminine wife of Dromio of Ephesus
Chloe Busick, Cole Carey, Britney Wilkinson-Minstrels/Merchants/Guards/Nuns

Upcoming: Wait Until Dark, Way Off Broadway Community Players, Leander, November 12 - December 4

Found on-line:


Way Off Broadway Community Players Leander

Wait Until Dark WOBCP Leander Texaspresent

Frederick Knott's


Wait Until Dark

Directed by Christien Bumpus

WOBCP stage at Building 4, 11880 W. FM 2243 in Leander, TX, between US 183 and Bagdad Road.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Nov. 12 - Dec. 4, and a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. on Nov. 21.

As usual, on opening nights patrons are invited to join the cast and crew for hors d'oeuvres and champagne.

A sinister con man, Roat, and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino, are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll, which they are much interested in, to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susy. Sam had apparently been persuaded by a strange woman to transport the doll across the Canadian border, not knowing that sewn inside were several grams of heroin. When the woman is murdered the situation becomes more urgent.


The con man and his ex-convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susy that the police have implicated Sam in the woman's murder, and the doll, which she believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its location, and with the help of a young neighbor, figures out she is the victim of a bizarre charade. But when Roat kills his associates, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues between the two.


Susy knows the only way to play fair is by her rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights leaving both of them to maneuver in the dark until the game ends. A Broadway hit, this masterfully constructed thriller moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene.

Click Here to make Reservations

Upcoming: Ti-Jean and his Brothers by Derek Walcott, Austin Community College and Uprise! Productions, November 11 - 21

Found on-line:

Ti-Jean and his Brothers

by legendary West Indian Playwright Derek Walcott

directed by Ti-Jean and his Brothers by Derek Walcott Austin Community CollegeMarcus McQuirter

A co-production of the theatre department of Austin Community College and Uprise! Arts Productions

ACC main stage theatre, 1212 Rio Grande

November 12 - 14 and 19 - 21, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

Ti Jean is a theatrical adaptation (in verse) of a West Indian folktale. Three brothers are challenged by the Devil to make him feel human emotion—anger, rage, weakness, etc. Success means riches and happiness but failure means devilish torment in the ultimate game of high stakes! Each tries, but only one can succeed. This spectacular work is a fable with music; a political allegory and a morality play written in the late 50’s and never before produced in Texas. The play will be directed by ACC Professor of Drama Marcus McQuirter.


Upcoming: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Mary Moody Northern Theatre, St. Edward's University, November 11 - 21

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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward AlbeeEdward Albee's

WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF

slams onto the Mary Moody Northen Theatre stage

Directed by Christina J. Moore

November 11 - 21

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

Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward’s University, 3001 South Congress Avenue

Campus map: http://www.stedwards.edu/map/

TICKETS: Reserved seating, available through the MMNT box office at 448-8484.

Advance $15 ($12 students, seniors, St. Edward’s community); All tickets $18 at the door.

Box office is open 1-5 p.m. Monday–Friday and 1 hour prior to curtain.

SPECIAL STUDENT NIGHT: Thursday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. -- All student tickets half price with ID

Mary Moody Northen Theatre, the award-winning producing arm of the St. Edward’s University Theatre Program, presents Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the lauded American drama by Edward Albee, running November 11 - 21, 2010.

Albee’s powerful 1962 tale of love, politics and marriage slams onto the stage in a dynamic acting tour-de-force. Middle-aged academic George and his wife Martha invite a new professor and his wife over for a nightcap. The night of intellectual fun and games descends into marital warfare as the older couple employs the younger as pawns in their tense psychological battle. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? remains as pertinent, thrilling and, ultimately, devastating today as when it catapulted Albee to fame. Featuring Equity guests Babs George and Ev Lunning, Jr.

Recommended for mature audiences.

“[A] timeless play…unforgettable power.” (Ben Brantley, NY Times)

About St. Edward's University Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University is named among the top five "Up-and-Coming Universities" in the Western Region by its academic peers in a 2011 U.S. News & World Report survey. For eight consecutive years St. Edward's has been recognized as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report and this year by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. St. Edward's is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of more than 5,200 students located in Austin, Texas. For more information on St. Edward’s University, visit www.stedwards.edu.

Upcoming: Don't Date A Banker by Dana Barney at the Hyde Park Theatre, November 11 - 20

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Don't Date a Banker by Dana Barney, Austin Texas

Don't Date A Banker

written & directed by Dana Barney
November 11 - 13 and 18 - 20, 8 p.m.
at the Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd Street

a 90-minute play about the current economic crisis going on in our country. The story follows Jules Seltzer as she learns about the values of love - and money.

It’s The Economy... that’s making people frugal. but is that what we really want?

FRUGALITY!!! what about all those nice dinners in the city or that great company car - that’s what life’s about. First Recession, then Recovery and more Recovery. Pay off that credit card?!? I don’t think so. With money, we have everything we could ever imagine we ever needed. It’s the bedrock of our existence!

Shakey economy? Money owed on that high interest credit card? So what! That’s what credit cards are for!

featuring Sydney Andrews and Frederick Winkler

Sidney Andrews in Don't Date A Banker

Frederick Winkler for Don't Date A Banker

Upcoming: Baal by Bertolt Brecht, Paper Chairs at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, November 11 - 28

Received directly:

Paper Chairs Austin Texas

Paper Chairs excitedly announces its sophomore production


Baal

by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Peter Tegel from the 1922 edition

directed by Dustin Wills.

Baal by Bertolt Brecht done by Paper Chairs, AustinBa·al [bey-uhl, beyl]

1. any of numerous local deities among the ancient Semitic peoples, typifying the productive forces of nature and worshiped with much sensuality.

2. (sometimes lowercase) a false god.


The slightly intoxicated, morally bankrupt patrons of “The Night Cloud” are putting on a play about their idol, Baal. Baal is a mysterious figure said to have roamed the forests, inns and bars leaving nothing but poetry, destruction and a hefty bar tab in his wake. The perfect – though some may disagree – idol for a band of hooligans in a seedy cabaret.

Bertolt Brecht’s first play, Baal, drags its audience deep into a body of youthful desires and complete moral abandon. Written in 1918, when Brecht was 20 years old – before the Epic Theatre and the overtly political work for which he is lauded – Baal unfolds in fragments; like a piecemeal of the nearly forgotten events of a drunken evening. It tells the story of our poet-musician and title character, Baal, fleeing the civilized world to live the extreme life somewhere in the forest finding plenty of people and pursuits to indulge his insatiable appetite for experience. The themes coursing through this text are especially pressing today: emerging adulthood, substance abuse, nature’s destruction, homosexuality, and exploration of the body. This performance of Baal also features original score and 8 songs written to Brecht’s verse performed live by the bar patrons and composed and directed by boozers Andy Tindall and Rob Greenfield. We also invite 12 audience members to buy priority seats at tables on stage – free refreshments included!

Featuring bar patrons Joey Hood (2010 Critic’s Table Best Actor), Robert Pierson, Jacob Trussell, Noel Gaulin, Michael Amendola (2010 Critic’s Table Best Supporting Actor), Rob Greenfield, Kelli Bland, Adriene Mishler, Elizabeth Doss, Kimberly Adams, Chase Crossno, Sonnet Blanton, and Gabriel Luna (2010 Critic’s Table Best Actor) in the title role, Baal. The Night Cloud Cabaret is designed by Lisa Laratta (2010 Critic’s Table Best Scenic Design), the costumes by bar regular Benjamin Taylor Ridgeway, and the lovely Natalie George hanging lights from the trees.

Baal runs Wednesdays – Sundays from November 11 to November 28 nightly at 8:00 p.m. (three weekends in total) at The Salvage Vanguard Theater (2803 Manor Rd.; Austin, Texas 78722). Tickets: Pay-What-You-Want Wednesdays and Thursdays; Fridays-Sundays - $15.00 general seating, $30.00 table seating. Advanced Purchase ticket pricing ($15 each) will be available through our website as of October 18, 2010 (www.paperchairs.com). There will be no performance Thanksgiving, November 25.

Paper Chairs creates sensorially dynamic theatre combining fractured subjectivity, music, unconventional audience situation, surrealism, provocative design and labor-intensive mechanics. We favor challenging texts that allow for a fusion of various performance styles, music genres, and historical periods to excite modern sensibilities and educate by suggesting past and present cultural connections. The work is outrageous, well-researched, and a little bit dangerous.


Upcoming: Drone, the musical by Crank Collective at the Salvage Vanguard, November 11 one-night "test launch"

Found on-line:


Crank Collective logo




Drone A Musical Comedy Crank Collectivepresents


DRONE

A Musical Comedy

In this satirical musical comedy from Crank Collective, two pilots remotely fly surveillance aircraft near the Texas border, finding romance, espionage, music and mayhem.

“Test Launch” One Night Only, with full cast and a live band, at the Salvage Vanguard November 11th.

The Drone “Test Launch” performance will be one night only, on November 11th, 8 PM at the Salvage Vanguard Theater.
Tickets will be $7.00 at the door.
For reservations, please send an email to droneshow@gmail.com with your name and the number of tickets you need.
Contact droneshow@gmail.com or 512-569-6155 with any questions. Thank you!

Click to view cast -- Click to view band


Read more and view video at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Real Dr. Strangelove, L.A. Theatre Works at Hogg Auditorium, November 10

Found on-line:


The Real Dr. Strangelove LA Theatre WorksLA Theatre Works performs


The Real Dr. Strangelove: Edward Teller and the Battle for the H-Bomb

by Peter Goodchild
November 10, 8 p.m.
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
$24 -- click to buy tickets


LA Theatre Works, Susan Albert Loewenberg Producing Director, presents The Real Dr. Strangelove: Edward Teller and the Battle for the H-Bomb by Peter Goodchild, in partnership with the Humanities Institute and the Department of Theatre and Dance

In a unique evening of theatre, Texas Performing Arts welcomes world-renowned L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) and its performance of Peter Goodchild’s classic radio drama, The Real Dr. Strangelove: Edward Teller and the Battle for the H-Bomb.

Be transported back in time to the birth of the Atomic Age as the first H-Bomb detonates and we learn the story of its creator, Edward Teller. The bomb puts Teller on a collision course with Robert Oppenheimer, head of the team that created its precursor, the Atom bomb. Oppenheimer has turned pacifist, the government will stop at nothing to neutralize him — and Teller is their secret weapon. The script is taken directly from Oppenheimer’s trial, which led to the revocation of his security clearance.

For two decades, LATW has been the foremost radio company in the United States. Broadcast in America on NPR and internationally on the BBC, CBC, and the Voice of America, LATW has brought live theater into the homes of millions. The group’s touring performances are immediate, spontaneous, and feature a first-rate cast, live sound effects, and a connection to the audience rarely felt in traditional theater settings.

“L.A. Theatre Works has proven to be original, exciting, and…highly theatrical…” American Theatre Magazine


This outstanding group will be led by television and film actor John Getz as Oppenheimer. He is featured in the new film The Social Network and is a veteran of dozens of television shows including NCIS, Prison Break, Mad Men, and Trust Me, among others. Esteemed stage actor and LATW regular John Vickery will play Teller. John Vickery was the original Scar in The Lion King on Broadway and is well known to TV audiences from his work on Star Trek and Babylon 5. He is also the voice of Lucifer in the wildly popular video game Dante’s Inferno.

Also in the cast are film and TV actor Michael Canavan, Murder By Numbers, Flags of Our Fathers, Mad Men, Bones, Big Love, 7th Heaven, and others, and Geoffrey Wade, Law & Order, Bold and the Beautiful, and others. The rest of the fine cast includes film and television actors Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Diane Adair and Peter McDonald. Obie Award winner Shannon Cochran (Steppenwolf) is directing.

Upcoming: All Shook Up, the Elvis Presley Musical, Texas State University, San Marcos, November 10 - 21

Found on-line:


Texas State University


All Shook Up


All Shook Up

Songs by Elvis Presley
Book by Joe DiPietro
Directed by Kaitlin Hopkins
November 10 - 13, 17 @ 7:30pm
November 14, 21 @ 2:00pm
The Main Stage Theatre Building
$10 General | $7 Students
More Information

a story based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and songs from Elvis Presley, Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro’s All Shook Up is a rocking musical comedy about a small-town girl with big dreams. Into her quiet life comes a motorcycle-riding, guitar playing roustabout who changes everything and everyone he meets. This toe-tapping, sweet romance features over 20 of Elvis’ greatest hits, including "Heartbreak Hotel", "Jailhouse Rock", “Hound Dog”, and “Blue Suede Shoes.”

Call for Details:
Theatre & Dance Office: 512.245.2147
Theatre Box Office: 512.245.2204

Upcoming: Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig, Vive Les Arts Theatre, Killeen, November 5-6 and 12-14

Found on-line:


Leading Ladies, Vive les Arts Theatre Killeen TexasVive les Arts Theatre, Killeen

presents


~ Leading Ladies~

by Ken Ludwig


buy now


Sponsored by Killeen's Leading Ladies
November 5-6 & 12-14

Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.


In this comedy by the author of "Lend Me A Tenor" and "Moon Over Buffalo," two English Shakespearean actors find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren't nephews, but nieces!

Upcoming: A Civil War Blues Play, No Direction Productions at the Blue Theatre, November 5 - 14

Found on-line:


No Direction Productions

presents

A Civil War Blues Play

featuring the music of Austin's WD-41

November 5-7 and 12-14 at the Blue Theatre, 916 Springdale

an existential experience questioning the attainability of the American dream set amidst the backdrop of a war within the United States. The work touches on many subjects such as class warfare, racism, media responsibility, love, death and free will within a world of lawlessness. Combines the use of cinematic, surrealistic and auditory elements. It is a blues song for today’s hard times. Strong language and adult situations









On Fridays and Saturdays doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. On Sundays doors open at 1:30 p.m., show begins at 2:30 p.m. Ticket prices TBD. Info@nodirectionproductions.com Read More

NO DIRECTION PRODUCTIONS began as a way to explore new works by emerging artists who may not otherwise have a voice. The artists involved with NDP noticed that there was a need to nurture the underground art scene not only in Austin but in the state of Texas. We realized that a unifying organization could bring the arts to Austin in a productive and inspiring way. We believe that with No Direction Productions we can awaken senses and inspire action through art.

Our next project will be a documentary on the gospel music of Texas. Gospel music has always served as an expression of hope in the face of the most brutal abuses. And Texas has a rich history of some of the most powerful expressions of this music. Yet, it has largely been unrecognized, not preserved and the people, for the most part, forgotten.

NO DIRECTION PRODUCTIONS is always looking for new volunteers for:
Concessions, Box Office, Scenery and Costume, Stage Crew, Publicity, and of course, Artists.
Visit our Contact Us page if you are interested in volunteering or contributing, or email info@nodirectionproductions.com.

Join Us Today!

Upcoming: Joan of Arc, The Night Before with Daniela Paluselli, Ad Astera Productions at the Boyd Vance Theatre, November 5-7

Received directly:

Joan of Arc The Night Before Danuta Paliselli

Click for ALT article with background for last year's production of Joan of Arc, the Night Before

Click for ALT review of last year's production

Click to connect to the production's website www.joanofarcthenightbefore.com


Joan of Arc The Night Before Danuta Paliselli

Upcoming: At Home at the Zoo, Edward Albee, Palindrome Theatre at the Off Center, November 5 - 21

Received directly:


At Home at the Zoo by Edward Albee Palindrome Theatre AustinLIMITED ENGAGEMENT:

AUSTIN PREMIERE OF EDWARD ALBEE’S

AT HOME AT THE ZOO

Palindrome Theatre’s Final Production of Their Inaugural Season

Directed by Austin Sheffield and featuring Jude Hickey, Robin Grace Thompson, and Nigel O’Hearn, the production will run for 13 performances only!

Nov. 5 – Nov. 21 Thur.–Sat. 8pm, Sun. 5pm*.

The Off Center, 2211-A Hidalgo. Just south of E. 7th, off Robert T. Martinez

Ticket Price: $15-$30 sliding-scale general admission, $10 25-and-under, 60-and-over.

Box Office phone and website: 512-939-6829, www.palindrometheatre.com

for mature audiences


Nigel O'Hearn, Jude Hickey, Robin Grace Thompson At Home at the Zoo Palindrome TheatreCapping their first season, Palindrome Theatre is bringing to Austin for the first time Edward Albee’s At Home At The Zoo, a completion of America’s greatest living playwright’s very first play, 1958’s The Zoo Story.

Expanded earlier this decade from the original 1958 version, At Home At The Zoo is a delicately startling look at strangers at home and at the zoo, the relationship of people and animals, people as animals, and the longing for connection in a frighteningly solitary life.

Very funny stuff!

*Community Days - in an effort to fulfill our mission of working to make theatre a more accessible social and spiritual necessity, Mon. and Tue. Nov. 15 and 16 will be community days, with hearing and visually impaired performances, and $7 tickets for all!

Upcoming: The Miracle Worker, Hill Country Community Theatre, near Marble Falls, November 4 - 21

Found on-line:


Hill Country Community Theatre silver logo



presents

The Miracle Worker, Hill Country Community Theatre

The Miracle Worker, the story of Helen Keller

by William Gibson

November 4 - 21, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:15 p.m.

4003 W. FM 2147, Cottonwood Shores, near Marble Falls


"Miracles" begin November 4th !!!

"She is like a little safe, locked, that no one can open. Perhaps there is a treasure inside." So states Mr. Anagnos to Anne Sullivan as she takes a young Helen Keller under her wing in The Miracle Worker, opening November 4th at H.C.C.T.


The Miracle Worker, Hill Country Community TheatreThe show, directed by Steve Reily, ranges from delightfully humorous moments to high drama, with a beautiful hopeful ending message. A dual casting in the role of Helen enables two terrific young actresses, Ocean Fillingim and Amber Grubert, to share the part.


Tickets are available by calling the box office at (830)798-8944 or ordering online at hcct.org, or stopping by our box office at 4003 W. FM 2147, Cottonwood Shores, Monday thru Friday, noon to four. We'll see you at the show!

Upcoming: Shadowlands, Trinity Street Players, November 4- 21

Received directly:

Shadowlands by William Nicholson Trinity Street Players Austin

Trinity Street Players


present


Shadowlands

by William Nicholson



November 4**, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13*, 18, 19, 20 @ 7:30pm
November 7*, 14, 1 @ 2:30pm

* Free childcare provided upon request
** Preview night

901 Trinity Street, 4th Floor Blackbox theater

Tickets are FREE. Call 512-476-2625 to reserve seats.

The Trinity Street Players are proud to present our fall production of Shadowlands, a drama about the true story, late-in-life romance of C.S. Lewis (author of
The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce) with his American soul mate Joy Gresham. It is a rivetting play on the nature of suffering, following Lewis's own painful journey through love, loss, and acceptance. David McCullars directs a stunning cast of seasoned veterans, including Jose Shenkner and Linda Miller Raff as Lewis and Joy. It's a must-see for all.

Upcoming: Pinocchio, Wimberley Players, November 19 - December 12

Found on-line:

Pinocchio, Wimberley Players Texas

Wimberley Players

present


Pinocchio


November 19 - December 12, 2010
Friday and Saturday evenings 8:00 p.m., Sunday matinees 2:30 p.m.

Wimberley Playhouse, 450 Old Kyle Road, Wimberley


Not just for the kiddos, this insightful retelling of a children's classic tale explores what it takes to become a real human being. Perfect holiday outing for families, but no age limit on enjoyment.

Relive the much-loved traditional fairy tale of a woodcarver named Geppetto who resides in a small Italian village, where one day he carves a puppet from a piece of pine. The puppet is of course, Pinocchio, whose dream is to be a real boy. The entire family will enjoy a magical night watching his dream come true.


Buy tickets on-line


Upcoming: The Yellow Boat, Southwestern University theatre for youth, November 19 - 21

Found on-line:

The Yellow Boat by David Saar Southwestern University

Southwestern University Theatre for Young Audiences


THE YELLOW BOAT

By David Saar
Directed by Jenny Larson

November 19-21, 2010
7pm | Friday & Saturday
3pm | Saturday & Sunday

Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Theater

This true story celebrates the artistic life of Benjamin, a hemophiliac who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion at the age of six. The Yellow Boat is a sensitive and moving work that addresses serious themes of illness, compassion, art, friendship, love and loss. (Complex themes, recommended for ages 10 and up)


Theatre Department, The Sarofim School of Fine Arts, Southwestern University

Buy Tickets Online or by phone at (512) 863-1378

All Southwestern faculty and staff receive two complimentary tickets per production. Students receive one complimentary ticket. Reservations must still be made at the box office.

25% discount for groups of 15 or more

Upcoming: The Amazing, Unforgettable, Mixed-Up Adventures of Hansel and Gretel, Violet Crown Community Theatre, November 6-7, 13, 21

Found on-line:


Velvet Crown ALT logoFall Production by Violet Crown Community Theatre

The Amazing, Unforgettable, Mixed-Up Adventures of Hansel and Gretel

by Trey Hoel and Nancy Mohn Barnard

directed by Trey Hoel

a free children's theatre production

Saturday, November 6, 1 PM, Town Lake Y
Sunday, November 7, 4 PM, Brentwood Elementary
Saturday, November 13, 2 PM, Faulk Library
Sunday, November 21, 4:30 PM, Laguna Gloria


Violet Crown Community Theatre has some new cast members this year along with some seasoned veterans from previous productions.

Storyteller - Charlie Boas
Woodcutter/Swinewarts Professor - Jeremy Harper
Hansel - Jordan Trimyer
Gretel - Hannah Hufford
Stepmother/Wicked Witch - Pamela Gratehouse
Peter Pants - Vivian Goldman-Leffler
Captain Hook 'em Horns - Glen Sanger
Dorothy - Shiloe Harper
Swinewarts Student - Brooke Mickle
Stickerbell - Shelby Harper
Swinewarts Students/Corps de Ballet - Shiloe, Shelby, Sophia and Brooke

Backstage Crew: David Clowe

Upcoming: Mariposa's Journey, Zach Theatre, October 30

Found on-line:


Mariposa's Journey Zach Theatre

Mariposa's Journey

Production for Ages 5 and up

Zach Theatre

Join us for a tale about the beautiful Monarch butterflies that spend their summer in the US and Canada, and about Mariposa, a young monarch making her way toward Mexico to find her family at the Dia de los Muertos celebration. Meet all kinds of characters along the way and explore fun science concepts like the lifecycle of a butterfly, migration, geography and more. Children are encouraged to make and/or wear butterfly wings to the performance to create the Oyamel Forest during the show! Created by Tina Gramann and Shaun Wainwright-Branigan.

Live on Stage Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 11:00am.
Fun Family Fest: Wear your costume and enjoy crafts and activities after the show!

Tickets on Sale: (512) 476-0541

Upcoming: The People Garden, Zach Theatre, Saturdays & Sundays, October 23 - November 7

Found on-line:


The People Garden
The People Garden by Paul Armento, Zach Theatre
Book, Music & Lyrics by Paul Armento |
Directed by Jaclyn Loewenstein
Production for Ages 3 and up

A substitute teacher and her kindergarten class experience a day of fun and chaos as they discover important life lessons bout sharing, getting along with others and accepting when things don't go their way. With its catchy tunes and colorful characters, this family musical will enchant all generations!

Live on Stage Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm & 4:30pm*
October 23-November 7, 2010
*No 4:30pm show on October 31

Tickets on Sale: (512) 476-0541

Ongoing: Cereal Thrillers, Playhouse Smithville, October 16, 23, and 30

Found on-line and then received directly:


CT

at Playhouse Smithville, 110 Main Street:


Cereal Thrillers
Saturday Morning Children's Theatre

October 16, 23, 30
10am and 11am


Saturday Morning Children’s Theatre: Cereal Thrillers by john daniels, jr. presented by Playhouse Smithville, 110 Main St. in Smithville, Texas. Cereal Thrillers is a one act play for children and adults preformed by children and adults. “All lower case playwright,” john daniels, jr. spins a tale of a pirate with big stinky feet who plans to ruin Smithville’s world record attempt for the largest bowl of cereal. The pirate is foiled by a heroic sea captain and a colorful cast of flaky characters. Song, dance, laughs, and fun for all. Saturdays, October 16, 23, and 30 at 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. General admission $5.00. For advance tickets or more info visit www.playhousesmithville.com or call (512) 360-7397.