Thursday, October 31, 2013

CHILDREN OF THE SUN by Henry Mollicone, Texas State Opera and McCallum Fine Arts Academy, November 15 - 17, 2013



Children of the Sun Henry Mollicone McCallum Fine Arts Austin TX

Texas State Opera Theatre announces a joint endeavor with the McCallum Fine Arts Academy in Austin for the World Premiere of Henry Mollicone’s Children of the Sun, an opera about the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Performances will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 15th and 16th at 7 p.m., and again on Sunday November 17th at 2 p.m. at the McCallum Arts Center Theatre on the McCallum High School campus at 5600 Sunshine Dr, Austin, TX.

FREE ADMISSION, SO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
TO RESERVE TICKETS, PLEASE CALL MCCALLUM ACADEMY AT 512-414-2519.
LIMIT 6 tickets per caller.

Henry Mollicone, Composer
William Luce, Lyricist
Dr. Samuel Mungo, Director - Texas State Opera
Kristin Roach, Conductor - Texas State Opera
Helen Miers, Director of Choirs - McCallum Fine Arts Academy
Ricky Pringle, Director of Orchestras - McCallum Fine Arts Academy

CAST (in order of appearance):
Jordan Van de Vere - Captain De Vaca/Uncle
Jessica Blau - Mother Superior
Albert Garcia - Lord Bishop Zumaraga
Spencer Reichman - Juan Diego
Jennifer Garza - Our Lady of Guadalupe

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, Different Stages at Vortex Repertory, November 22 - December 14, 2013


Different Stages
presents
Joseph Kesselring’s
Arsenic and Old Lace
November 22 – December 14
The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd
Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
No performance on Thanksgiving November 28
Added performance on Wednesday December 11
“Pick your Price: $15, $20, $25, $30
Different Stages opens its 2013-2014 season with the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. Drama critic Mortimer Brewster must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry the woman he loves. His family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to relieving the loneliness of old men by inviting them in for a nice glass of homemade elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and “just a pinch” of cyanide. Add to the mix his two brothers - one who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, and one who is a serial killer. Toss in a police officer who thinks he's a playwright, sprinkle in a few corpses and you have one of the most hilarious and enduring comedies in American theater. The New York Times called Arsenic and Old Lace "so funny that none of us will ever forget it."!
Directed by Norman Blumensaadt (Night Must Fall) Arsenic and Old Lace features Jennifer Underwood (Well) and Karen Jambon (The Skin of Our Teeth) as the Brewster sisters. Tyler Jones (Little Shop of Horrors) plays Mortimer and Sara Danko plays his fiancé. His brother Teddy is played by Michael Harlan (La Cage aux folles) and his gangster brother Jonathan is played by Steven Fay. Also in the cast are Mick D’Arcy, Andy Brown, and Sebastian Garcia (You Can’t Take it with You), Porter Gandy(Good People) Mike Dellens and Grayson Little.
Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. No performance on Thanksgiving Thursday November 28 and added performance on Wednesday December 11. Tickets are Pick your Price: $15, $20, $25, and $30.
For tickets and information call 512-478-5282

Robert Faires Profiles Mark Pickell and Capital T Theatre's 'There Is A Happiness That Morning Is' by Mickle Maher, October 31, 2013


Excerpt from Robert Faires' feature:

Austin Chronicle






He Happy Is
For Mark Pickell, Capital T Theatre is a source of joy
 

By Robert Faires, October 31, 2013

Mark Pickell (photo: Bret Brookshire)
Mark Pickell (photo:  Bret Brookshire)
[ . . . . ] "This is going to sound weird," offers [Katherine] Catmull, [lead in Capital T Theatre's current production There Is A Happiness That Morning Is by Mickle Maher,] "but I think what characterizes Cap T shows is an odd but sort of luscious combination of 1) humor, often quite black humor; 2) sex!; and 3) a real interest in and thoughtfulness about big ideas – ideas about life, death, love, families, society, etc."

Pickell himself breaks it down even more simply: "One constant throughout all the plays that I produce is that they're smart, that they challenge the audience to use their brains a little bit. And they're entertaining. If you had to nail me down for the two things that I really enjoy, it's being smart and entertaining at the same time." That's led him most often to works that can't be labeled with either a frowning or a smiling mask, "plays that don't say, 'I'm just a comedy,' or 'I'm just a drama.' That in-between ground of dark comedies is one I really appreciate. And so far, I think our audiences have appreciated that mix."

Webster, who's helped Pickell's company create its artistic home at Hyde Park Theatre, will testify to that, as he's had to squeeze more and more patrons – including many of his regulars – into Cap T's shows. "Capital T has been a good fit at HPT for several reasons," he writes. "Number one is probably that Mark's taste in plays and my taste in plays are very similar. Similar but not identical. The shows he produces appeal to HPT audiences, and the number of our regular audience members who have become Capital T regulars has grown steadily over the past six years. Capital T and Mark have also been great for HPT. HPT audiences have come to expect smart scripts, excellent direction, and strong performances from Mark and Capital T. And HPT productions have gotten new audience members from Mark's regular patrons."

Pickell recognizes that his company's success likely wouldn't have come as quickly or steadily as it did without Webster's support and the symbiosis between Cap T and HPT. "I owe tons of gratitude and mentorship to Ken," he says. "Hyde Park, which is, in all actuality, this terrible little space, is amazing and great, and people love to see theatre there. They associate it with quality work and newer plays, newer playwrights, newer thoughts and ideas. Ken comes across as this gruff guy, but he's been a very loving mentor to my company and me."

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

MURDER BALLAD MURDER MYSTERY by Elizabeth Doss, Paper Chairs, various venues, November 20 - December 7, 2013


Murder Ballad Murder Mystery Elizabeth Doss Paper Chairs AUstin Tx

GREATER TUNA by Sears and Williams, VLA Theatre, Killeen, November 15 - 24, 2013


Coming Soon!

Show Dates:
November 15th-16th, 22nd-24th
Friday/Saturday shows at 7:00pm
Sunday matinee at 2:00pm

Ticket Prices:
$20 Adult
$18 Senior/Military
$15 Student


Get your tickets now!

Interview with Matthew Cassi, Director of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Woodlawn Theatre, San Antonio, Playing November 8 - Dember 1, 2013


Published in the Woodlawn Theatre blog:

Interview with Matthew Cassi, director of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

by Hannah Wood October 30, 2013


Matthew Byron Cassi (via Flickr)Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Matthew Cassi, director of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. It’s coming out November 8th in the Black Box and it sounds like tons of fun. You know how people tend to get really bright-eyed and excited when you ask them about something they like to talk about? That’s Matthew Cassi personified. Thus, he was an extremely fun person to interview.

HW: How long have you been working here at the Woodlawn?

MC: This is the second production that I have directed. Last season, I directed a play called Eurydice here in this small Black Box space as well. I’ve worked with Greg Hinojosa, the artistic director of the Woodlawn a few times at other theatres, so we’ve had a working relationship for four or five years. But this’ll be my second production here at the Woodlawn.

HW: What is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson about to you?


MC: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is an comedic, punk rock view into politics of the 19th century, including the eradication of the Native Americans. It looks at the president like a celebrity and it looks at him – you know today’s perspective of how we look at celebrities and how celebrities act? It looks at the presidency of the seventh president from that perspective and reveals things that correlate it to today, politically and socially as well.


Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Woodlawn Theatre San Antonio TX


HW: How does this show measure up to others that you’ve directed? Is it more difficult or less difficult? Why? And why do you think so?

MC: I’m kind of known, and I say that unpretentiously – if there’s a way – I’m kind of known for directing comedies and dramas. [. . .] I’m originally from Seattle and I’ve been here about seven years. I went to school in Seattle and worked as an actor and director for several years before I went here. So, in this town, I’m more known for farces and over-the-top comedies and dramatic plays. People don’t know me as a director of musical theatre. It can be pretty challenging. I wouldn’t say it’s any more challenging than any other production I’ve directed. Every production has some challenges. Comedies are hard, dramas are hard, musicals are just as hard. 


Some of the elements in this show are harder because I have 13 cast members and each of them has about five or six different characters they play. So, multiply 13 by five or six and that’s the number of costume pieces that I have to coordinate with props and all of that. That can be pretty complicated. So, some of the elements in this production consume more time for me as a director and for the actors as well. 

It can get pretty tiring and cumbersome. But, I don’t look at my productions as harder than the rest. I look at every one as just as challenging as the last. And, the way I approach things, I don’t want to do things I can do in my sleep. I want to be challenged and this is just as challenging as the last four or five that I’ve done. With each show, I have to examine the complexities of it and set a game plan. I do a lot of preparation and research even before I get into the rehearsals for a production. And that’s just me. For me, I look at every production from the same lens. And I just have to adjust accordingly based on the complexities or requirements of the things within the show. . . . Does that make sense?

Read more at the Woodlawn Theatre blog. . . .

Interview with Matthew Cassi

on October 30, 2013 in Main Stage with No Comments
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Matthew Cassi, director of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. It’s coming out November8th in the Black Box and it sounds like tons of fun. You know how people tend to get really bright-eyed and excited when you ask them about something they like to talk about? That’s Matthew Cassi personified. Thus, he was an extremely fun person to interview.
HW: How long have you been working here at the Woodlawn?
MC: This is the second production that I have directed. Last season, I directed a play called Eurydice here in this small Black Box space as well. I’ve worked with Greg Hinojosa, the artistic director of the Woodlawn a few times at other theatres, so we’ve had a working relationship for four or five years. But this’ll be my second production here at the Woodlawn.
HW: What is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson about to you?
MC: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is an comedic, punk rock view into politics of the 19th century, including the eradication of the Native Americans. It looks at the president like a celebrity and it looks at him – you know today’s perspective of how we look at celebrities and how celebrities act? It looks at the presidency of the seventh president from that perspective and reveals things that correlate it to today, politically and socially as well.
HW: How does this show measure up to others that you’ve directed? Is it more difficult or less difficult? Why? And why do you think so?
MC: I’m kind of known, and I say that unpretentiously – if there’s a way – I’m kind of known for directing comedies and dramas. I’m not really know for musical theatre in this town. I’m originally from Seattle and I’ve been here about seven years. I went to school in Seattle and worked as an actor and director for several years before I went here. So, in this town, I’m more known for farces and over-the-top comedies and dramatic plays. People don’t know me as a director of musical theatre. It can be pretty challenging. I wouldn’t say it’s any more challenging than any other production I’ve directed. Every production has some challenges. Comedies are hard, dramas are hard, musicals are just as hard. Some of the elements in this show are harder because I have 13 cast members and each of them have about five or six different characters they play. So, multiply 13 by five or six and that’s the number of costume pieces that I have to coordinate with props and all of that. That can be pretty complicated. So, some of the elements in this production consume more time for me as a director and for the actors as well. It can get pretty tiring and cumbersome. But, I don’t look at my productions as harder than the rest. I look at every one as just as challenging as the last. And, the way I approach things, I don’t want to do things I can do in my sleep. I want to be challenged and this is just as challenging as the last four or five that I’ve done. With each show, I have to examine the complexities of it and set a game plan. I do a lot of preparation and research even before I get into the rehearsals for a production. And that’s just me. For me, I look at every production from the same lens. And I just have to adjust accordingly based on the complexities or requirements of the things within the show. . . . Does that make sense?
- See more at: http://woodlawntheatre.com/blog/?p=52#sthash.JIz6vYWU.dpuf

Interview with Matthew Cassi

on October 30, 2013 in Main Stage with No Comments
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Matthew Cassi, director of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. It’s coming out November8th in the Black Box and it sounds like tons of fun. You know how people tend to get really bright-eyed and excited when you ask them about something they like to talk about? That’s Matthew Cassi personified. Thus, he was an extremely fun person to interview.
HW: How long have you been working here at the Woodlawn?
MC: This is the second production that I have directed. Last season, I directed a play called Eurydice here in this small Black Box space as well. I’ve worked with Greg Hinojosa, the artistic director of the Woodlawn a few times at other theatres, so we’ve had a working relationship for four or five years. But this’ll be my second production here at the Woodlawn.
HW: What is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson about to you?
MC: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is an comedic, punk rock view into politics of the 19th century, including the eradication of the Native Americans. It looks at the president like a celebrity and it looks at him – you know today’s perspective of how we look at celebrities and how celebrities act? It looks at the presidency of the seventh president from that perspective and reveals things that correlate it to today, politically and socially as well.
HW: How does this show measure up to others that you’ve directed? Is it more difficult or less difficult? Why? And why do you think so?
MC: I’m kind of known, and I say that unpretentiously – if there’s a way – I’m kind of known for directing comedies and dramas. I’m not really know for musical theatre in this town. I’m originally from Seattle and I’ve been here about seven years. I went to school in Seattle and worked as an actor and director for several years before I went here. So, in this town, I’m more known for farces and over-the-top comedies and dramatic plays. People don’t know me as a director of musical theatre. It can be pretty challenging. I wouldn’t say it’s any more challenging than any other production I’ve directed. Every production has some challenges. Comedies are hard, dramas are hard, musicals are just as hard. Some of the elements in this show are harder because I have 13 cast members and each of them have about five or six different characters they play. So, multiply 13 by five or six and that’s the number of costume pieces that I have to coordinate with props and all of that. That can be pretty complicated. So, some of the elements in this production consume more time for me as a director and for the actors as well. It can get pretty tiring and cumbersome. But, I don’t look at my productions as harder than the rest. I look at every one as just as challenging as the last. And, the way I approach things, I don’t want to do things I can do in my sleep. I want to be challenged and this is just as challenging as the last four or five that I’ve done. With each show, I have to examine the complexities of it and set a game plan. I do a lot of preparation and research even before I get into the rehearsals for a production. And that’s just me. For me, I look at every production from the same lens. And I just have to adjust accordingly based on the complexities or requirements of the things within the show. . . . Does that make sense?
- See more at: http://woodlawntheatre.com/blog/?p=52#sthash.JIz6vYWU.dpuf

SA Current Feature: David Davalos Sends 'Hamlet' Back to School, October 30, 2013



San Antonio Current TX


Arts & Culture

David Davalos Sends 'Hamlet' Back to School

By Steven G. Kellman October 30, 2013 

David Davalos (photo via San Antonio Current)
David Davalos (via San Antonio Current)
David Davalos says that his goal in writing Wittenberg, which opens November 1 at the Cellar Theater, was “to ruin Hamlet for anyone who sees it after this.” Davalos’ witty and wise theatrical mash-up, subtitled A Tragical-Comical-Historical in Two Acts, imagines the Prince of Denmark in college before the tragic denouement in Elsinore—not only torn between to be or not to be, but unable to decide on a major. Two famous professors, pious Martin Luther and skeptical John Faustus, contend for his allegiance.


Wittenberg received its world premiere in Philadelphia in 2008 and has been staged in 19 other cities, including New York, London, Berlin, Vancouver and Melbourne. The playwright—who is pleased that, as he says, “There have been no dog productions yet”—is in San Antonio not to intimidate director Bill Gundry and his cast during two weeks of rehearsal, but to play the part of Doctor Faustus. It is also a homecoming for Davalos, who caught the acting bug at Eisenhower Middle School and Churchill High School. He received a BFA in theater from University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in theater from Ohio University. He’ll be joined onstage by high-school chum Andrew Thornton, playing Martin Luther, in the Playhouse’s production.

Born in Alabama, where his father, Rudy, was assistant coach of the Auburn University basketball team, Davalos moved to Texas when Rudy was hired to be assistant coach of an ABA team that had just moved from Dallas—the San Antonio Spurs. In a career that earned him a place in the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame, Rudy took over as UTSA’s first athletic director in 1976. Paternal legacy might have influenced a scene in Wittenberg in which Hamlet and Laertes face off in tennis.


Davalos had plenty of practice plundering literature and history for theatrical concoctions before crafting Wittenberg. He conflated Hamlet and Death of a Salesman for a piece titled New Yorick, New Yorick and had Leonardo da Vinci conversing with Lucrezia Borgia and Niccoló Machiavelli in Daedalus. Darkfall was written as a modern sequel to Paradise Lost. Over lunch at Green, he recalled playing Rosencrantz in a production of Hamlet and, during the long intervals offstage, pondering Shakespeare’s play in new ways. A couple of questions tantalized him: “What was Hamlet doing in school before Hamlet?” and “How did Hamlet get to the scene in which he spies on Claudius praying?” Davalos became convinced by Stephen Greenblatt’s contention, in his 2001 book Hamlet in Purgatory, that: “Hamlet is a Protestant play haunted by a Catholic ghost.”

Read more at the San Antonio Current on-line. . . .

PETER PAN, THE MUSICAL, Georgetown Palace Theatre, November 15 - December 30, 2013




Georgetown Palace Theatre TX
Peter Pan, The Musical, flies onto the Springer Memorial Stage of the Historic Palace Theatre in Georgetown from November 15 to December 30 for your holiday enjoyment! The charm of Sir J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play brings you that lovable creature, Peter Pan, along with Tinker Bell, the children (Wendy, Michael, and John), plus Indians and Pirates! Combine these delightful characters with show-stopping songs such as I Won’t Grow Up, I’m Flying, and Never Never Land, and you have a timeless classic that has become one of the world’s most celebrated musicals. (The music is mostly by Mark Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne; and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.) Seven weekends plus several December weeknight performances bring 25 opportunities to experience the joy of this musical adventure at Georgetown’s Historic Palace Theatre!

Ron Watson, on the Palace Staff as full-time Technical Director, brings his talent and experience to the table as Director of Peter Pan, The Musical, having directed (among many other successful musicals) The Wizard of Oz in 2011 and South Pacific in 2013. Jesee Smart, who also choreographed the great dance moves in the Palace’s South Pacific, brings her flair and expertise to the job of Choreographer for Peter Pan, The Musical. Vocal Director Michelle Hache excelled in the role of ‘Bloody Mary’ in South Pacific and is now a valued vocal instructor in the Palace’s Education Program. Rose Yurcina, most notably seen as ‘Dorothy’ in The Wizard of Oz at the Palace, is flying again as Peter Pan! Scott Shipman, ‘Mr. Trevor Graydon’ in the Palace’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, brings acting credits from Austin (Zach Theater and Austin Lyric Opera) as well as the Shakespeare Institute in England.

The Palace’s 2013-2014 All-Star Season has two very generous sponsors: HEB and the Texas Commission on the Arts. In addition, Landreth Construction, an experienced concrete contractor in Round Rock and the Austin area, is a significant sponsor of Peter Pan, The Musical.

All flying in the Palace production of Peter Pan, The Musical, is done with equipment and professional training from Hall Associates Flying Effects, whose standard is: “The primary principles of Safety, Innovation, and Collaboration are at the core of our mission. We provide whisper-quiet flying systems, which offer remarkable flexibility, the highest quality, and unparalleled safety at a reasonable cost.”

Peter Pan, The Musical plays at the Palace on weekends from November 15 to December 30, with some weeknight performances, as well. Actual production dates are November 15-17, 22-24, 29-December 1, December 6-8, 13-15, 19-23, and 26-30. Friday and Saturday shows, as well as weeknight performances, are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday shows are at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $26 General Admission, $24 Seniors (55+), $14 Students (10-22) and Active Military, and $10 Children (9 and younger). Rated for General Audiences

The Palace seats about 295, with reserved seating paid for in the ticket price. The Palace office in the lobby of the theatre is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (except for some holiday dates). Purchase tickets and select seating on-line at www.georgetownpalace.com or by calling (512) 869-7469 or (512) 869-5081. (Please call ahead regarding special needs seating.) Visa, Master Card, and Discover Card are accepted. The Historic Palace Theatre is located at 810 South Austin Avenue in downtown Georgetown and is part of the most beautiful Town Square in Texas!



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

YERMA by Federico Garcia Lorca, Texas State University, November 19 - 24, 2013


Yerma Federico Garcia Lorca Texas State University TX

Texas State University Department of Theatre and Dance presents

YERMA


By Federico Garcia Lorca

Translated by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata

Directed by Deb Alley
November 19 – 23 at 7:30 p.m. & November 24 at 2 p.m.

University Mainstage Theatre, 430 Moon St., San Marcos, Texas - click for map

Tickets: $15 - $18 general admission and $8 for students with a valid Texas State ID.

Box Office: To purchase tickets please visit www.txstatepresents.com or call the box office at 512-245-2204 beginning on Monday November 4th 2014

A lyrical tragedy, Yerma focuses on a childless woman living in rural Spain. Her desperate desire for motherhood becomes an obsession that eventually drives her to commit a horrific crime. Lorca’s modern masterpiece explores gender roles and the dynamics of both personal and cultural expectations and the impact they have on individuals and their relationships.

Auditions for The Odd Couple by Neil Simon, City Theatre, December 8 and 9, 2013


From Karen Sneed, director:

City Theatre Austin TXHey, talented friends o' mine!
The Odd Couple Neil Simon
We're doing Neil Simon's The Odd Couple at City Theatre this spring, and getting auditions out of the way before the Christmas holidays. Auditions are Sunday December 8 from 12:30 - 3:30 and Monday Dec 9 from 6:00 - 9:30 at the theatre (3823 Airport Blvd. -- click for map). Request an appointment for a 10-min slot by e-mail to info@citytheatreaustin.org, but please be aware that you may be asked to stay longer as we will be doing readings from the script. If you cannot make these times/dates, let me know. If you cannot make these times/dates, let me know.

6 men - approx ages 38 - 55 and 2 women - approx early 30's


K Sneed

KAHLO - VIVA LA VIDA por Humberto Robles, Kahly Teatro of Matamores at Janitzio Restaurant, Austin, November 9 (and 10?), 2013


Kahlo - Viva La Vida Humberto Robles Kahly Teatro
El proximo 9 de noviembre Frida Kahlo Celebra su fiesta de dia de muertos a las 8 PM en Janitzio Austin para resesrvar o compara boletos comunicarse al correo Kalyteatro@gmail.com o inbox a Carolina Luna Cano

Auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, Present Company's Shakespeare at the Market, November 6 and 9, 2013



Present Company Austin TXPresent Company is pleased to announce auditions for SHAKESPEARE AT THE MARKET: Much Ado About Nothing. Sponsored by Whole Foods Market, the production will take place on the rooftop of the downtown Austin flagship store, and will run April 18th-May 11th, Friday-Sunday evenings. 

Much Ado About Nothing William ShakespeareRehearsals will begin in late February. Present Company created Shakespeare on the Farm, a free, professional, outdoor Shakespeare project that has grown to be an Austin tradition, and is thrilled to be taking Shakespeare farm-to-market next spring.

The show will be well-publicized and is a great opportunity to be seen by a broad demographic, while working with top-notch theatre professionals and truly awesome people. Some roles will be cast with existing company members, but new actors may audition for any role. Actors should come prepared with a well-vocalized, fully-memorized 1-2 minute monologue from Elizabethan verse or prose. The production will be directed by Aaron Black of 7 Towers Theatre and previous Present Company productions. Aaron and the artistic directors of Present Company encourage minorities, non-traditional type actors, and actors not previously seen by Present Company to audition. 


Email presentcompanyaustin@gmail.com with headshot, resume, roles desired, and requested audition time for an appointment.

The first round of auditions will be held Wednesday, November 6th, 6-9 pm and Saturday, November 9th, 10-2 pm, with callbacks on Wednesday November 13th, 6-9pm. Auditions will be held at the Dougherty Arts Center,1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704. (click for map ). Our website: www.presentcompanytheatre.com

Shakespeare at the Market Austin TX

Monday, October 28, 2013

Funding Appeal for Devised Theatre: Florence by Gale Theatre Company, December 6 - 15, 2013


A video by Ráchel Lowery to support the

IndieGoGo
(click to go to IndieGoGo page)





funding appeal for


Florence

by Gale Theatre Company
December 6 - 15, 2013 in Sparky Pocket Park
3701 Grooms Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Austin - click for map


Gale Theatre Company, Austin TX
Hi there! We’re Gale Theatre Company. We make new devised theatre here in Austin, Texas and we need your help to bring our first season to life.

What is devised theatre? Well, it means that we start in the room with actors, physical training, ideas, and NO SCRIPT. We build a universe from scratch and make shows in the moment. It is a big process that involves immense collaboration and trust. We love what we do.

Katherine Wilkinson, our Artistic Director, has been teaching, performing, and directing all around the world (USA, Australia, India, Greece) for the last 6 years. Celina Chapin has been choreographing new work internationally as well and most recently trained at the American Dance Festival and with Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance. Their diverse backgrounds and shared love for physical theatre inspired the creation of Gale Theatre Company.


GALE from Ráchel Lowery on Vimeo.
wwww.galetheatrecompany.com
Gale Theatre Co is dedicated to making work that is aesthetically arresting, emotionally compelling, physically daring, and dedicated to the unending power of live performance. Why do we need your help? Gale Theatre Co has begun building its first season and we need support to make it happen. We are currently in rehearsal for 2 brand new shows.

The first, Florence, is an ensemble-devised work about Florence Lawrence, the first movie star. Florence is a co-production between Gale,Bottle Alley Theatre, and the City of Austin. Show dates: December 6-9 & 12-15, 8pm, Sparky Pocket Park, Austin. TICKETS ON SALE NOV
Our second show, WK, is a play about first loves. It is also ensemble devised and will premiere at the New Orleans Fringe in November. Out of 150 applications, WK was one of 24 chosen by the Fringe. WK will return to Austin in January and have a three-week run at the Vortex.
Show dates:

NOLA Fringe, The Old Firehouse718 Mandeville St. BUY TICKETS HERE

11/21 @ 7pm, 11/22 @11pm, 11/23 @ 5pm, 11/24 @7pm

The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd, Austin. TICKETS ON SALE HERE IN JANUARY

1/17-1/19 @ 8pm, 1/23-1/26 @ 8pm, 1/30-2/2 @ 8pm

Changes at the Classic Theatre, San Antonio, from the San Antonio Express-News, October 28, 2013


From Deborah Martin's 'Art Beat' column at the Express-News:

MySanAntonio



by Deborah Martin  October 28, 2013

There’s been some shifting behind the scenes at Classic Theatre.

Renee Garvens, who had been the company’s education director and also handled its marketing, has moved to Magik Theatre as a development associate.

Joseph Urick, an actor who is also on the faculty at San Antonio College, came on board several weeks ago to handle the company’s PR. Urick is also Classic’s resident fight choreographer, a skill he has also put to use with other companies. Most recently, he took care of the fight choreography for “Les Miserables” at the Playhouse.

And Christie Beckham, who has often appeared on stage in Classic productions and taught drama at Clark High School, is joining the company as its education director.

Both will also appear onstage in Classic’s “Taming of the Shrew,” which opens Nov. 8 at the Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start.

Video: Director Bill Gundry discusses Wittenberg by David Davalos, Playhouse San Antonio, November 1 - 17, 2013



Video: Conversation with director Bill Gundry about


Playhouse San Antonio








production ofWittenberg David Davalos Playhouse San Antonio

Wittenberg


by David Davalos

November 1 - 17, 2013


This witty, anachronistic whirlwind, beautifully penned by local playwright David Davalos, tackles weighty subjects such as religion, philosophy, and literature. Wittenberg is a delightfully irreverent text which introduces audiences to just what (and whom!) made Hamlet the man he is today.



Join UT Austin for the 33rd Annual Madrigal Dinner, Nov. 21-23, 2013




Kings, queens, knights and... dragons?!? Join Campus Events + Entertainment Creative Arts + Theatre for Madrigal Dinner 2013, a grand Renaissance-themed dinner theatre experience in the Texas Union Ballroom on the UT Austin campus! Enjoy an original comedic play, choir concert, and a four-course meal, all for the price of entry.

Madrigal Dinner will be held on the nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 21st, November 22nd and November 23rd, 2013. A cash bar will be available starting at 5:30 pm. Show starts at 6:30 pm.



General Public Tickets: $32, $30, and $28 -- Discounted UT Austin Student Tickets: $18, $16, and $14. You must present your current University of Texas at Austin STUDENT I.D. at the door to enter with a discounted student ticket.

Tickets for this year's amazing Madrigal Dinner production are on sale through November 19th at www.TexasBoxOffice.com or in person at the Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River St. Tickets CANNOT be purchased through the Texas Union. Tickets are not refundable. Please select your main course dinner option at time of purchase. (Click here to view options.) Click to purchase your tickets online now! A very limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Purchase your tickets in advance for best seating!

Second Call for Male Actors for Max Langert's The Relentless Pursuit of Ice, Punchkin Repertory Company, October 30, 2013




Punchkin Repertory Austin TXCasting Call for Male Actors!
 
Punchkin Repertory Theatre will be holding auditions for 'THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF ICE'- BY LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT, MAX LANGERT, TO BE PERFORMED AT FRONTERAFEST 2014.



Auditions Wednesday October, 30th beginning at 6 pm. Location on East 6th Street, Austin. Directions will be given once a spot is confirmed. If you cannot make this date, but would like to audition, please contact us to set up another date and time. 


Iceberg via icebergwatereurope.com

(image via icebergwatereurope.com)

THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF ICE is set in the impending desolate future, where we focus on a young couple. We follow their daily life of enduring the never ending, increasingly miserable hot sun. With the weather getting hotter, and more unbearable, a special delivery is brought to their door. Choices must be made. Will this new adventure tear them apart, or bring them together?

Character descriptions:


TOM: 30s-mid40s, Level headed, but a romantic. Determined to make his wife happy. Not easily amused.
FRANKIE: 20s-mid40s, Likes to be in control and have power over others. Wants to be needed. Ability to be two extreme versions of powerful and needy.

Please message our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PunchkinRepertoryTheatre, or e-mail info@punchkin.org, to sign up for a time slot, AND WE WILL SEND YOU A COPY OF THE SCRIPT.

For more info about Punchkin Rep, go to our website, www.punchkin.org. Punchkin Rep is a sponsored project of Austin Creative Alliance and is supported in part by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division.

2014 Theatre Season - Circle Arts Theatre, New Braunfels



Circle Arts Theatre New Braunfels
New Braunfels
ANNOUNCING OUR 46TH SEASON

I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE - January 30 - February 23

SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN - April 3 – 27

THE MUSIC MAN - July 10 – August 3

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE & HAIKU - September 12 - October 5

FLEX PASSES WILL GO ON SALE NOV. 15!
Individual Tickets: Adults – $20.00
Seniors, Students & Military with ID – $17.00
Evening Performances at 8:00pm; Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm

COME BE PART OF OUR V.I.P.s!
 
(Very Important Partners)
We need YOU!
Just click here to donate and help us to keep producing quality productions!

Circle Arts Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit and donations are tax-deductable.

Auditions for Rosetta by Candyce Rusk, November 4, 2013



Auditions for Rosetta by Rosetta Tharpe Candyce Rusk will be held November 4th by appointment only. The 25-minute work in progress to be performed at the FronteraFest Short Fringe (January-February, 2014) is a play with music based on the life of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, known as the Godmother of Rock and Roll.  

Needed for the work are two African-American female actors with good vocal ability. Character age ranges 45-60. Guitar experience is a plus. Auditions are by appointment only. 

 Available roles:

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, African American female, 45-60, gospel and blues pioneer, the Godmother of Rock and Roll
Marie Knight: African-American female, 45-60, singer, artist, former partner of Sister Rosetta.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and one gospel song of your choice to be sung a cappella. To schedule an audition, email: mcarnes4@austin.rr.com.

Candyce Rusk is an award-winning playwright based in Austin. Creating Rosetta along with director Mary Alice Carnes is her latest passion and project.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Auditions in Leander for The Desk Set by William Marchant, Way Off Broadway Community Players, November 4, 2013



Way Off Broadway Community Players Leander TXWay Off Broadway Community Players will be holding open auditions on Monday, November 4, 2013 at 7pm for the 3rd show of our 17th season, The Desk Set by William Marchant, and is being directed by Geoff Rake. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. There are roles for 6 women and 4 men, age range from 20’s – 40’s.

A smoothly running network reference department in a large company, headed by Bunny and her team of women who have an encyclopedic knowledge of facts and figures, quickly answers people’s inquiries. The big boss, trying to find ways to run the company better, faster, and more efficiently, hires an outside source to help. Enter the efficiency expert who says they need to install Emma, a super computer, who will do the work of many people, soon replacing entire departments. But an Electronic Brain cannot best Human Brains. In a game of wits, Bunny and her co-workers cause Emma to blow fuses which renders the computer powerless. Here is a telling comedy rich in hilarity for anyone who has ever worked in an office…and has done battle with the machines.


Performances will be January 3,4; 10,11; 17,18; 24,25, 2014 at 8 pm, and a Sunday matinee on January 12, 2014 at 3 pm

Auditions are open to the public and will be held at Way Off Broadway Community Players’ theater, located in the 2243 Business Park at 11880 West FM 2243, Leander, 1 mile west of Hwy 183, just east of Bagdad Road. (click for map) All interested parties are encouraged to audition.


Click  for character list with ages and descriptions at AustinLiveTheatre.com


FronteraFest Hiring Techs and Staff for Mid-January to February Theatre Festival




FronteraFest Austin TX

FronteraFest is hiring! 

We need Stage Managers, Assistant Stage Managerss, light board ops, box office and front-of-house of folks and a Technical Director for the Short Fringe (January 14 - February 15, 2013 at the Hyde Park Theatre) and for the Long Fringe (January 20 - February 4). 

More info available at the Hyde Park Theatre website.

Email fronterafest@hydeparktheatre.org for complete info about opportunities.

Innocent When You Dream by Zeb L. West, Salvage Vanguard Theatre, October 25 and 26, 2013


ALT review



by Dr. David Glen Robinson

Innocent When You Dream just shrieks festival piece—simple set design, simple-looking props, simply costumed performer sleeping and dreaming on-stage as the house opens. All these things have to be in place and removed quickly in a sequence of similar performance pieces performed in one evening. Then all of it has to be crated up and shipped to the next festival. After the curtain call, Zeb West, the creator and performer of Innocent When You Dream thanked his Kickstarter contributors for supporting the piece’s travels so far.

But that was later. When the performance lights went up at the beginning of the performance, there was a waking man telling us we’re all in the belly of the whale together with him, and his name is Jonah. OK, now we knew this was a piece about insanity, confirmed by Jonah’s incessant talk of the crackers that he lived on that all got soggy so he can’t share any with the audience.

Innocent When You Dream Zeb L. West Austin TX

Where could anyone go with this insane premise? Mr. West/Jonah showed deftness in taking us with him with his sweetness, friendliness, and a lot of encouraging talk directly to the audience. The audience was with him from the git-go. He showed a certain boldness as well, spinning engaging material out of the two probably mossiest, most hidebound but eternally fascinating works of literature found lying about inside whales, Don Quixote and Moby Dick. West merged their stories into a lament for all lives and relationships gone wrong. Yes, this show was about love and loss.

Trouble Puppet’s creations always have the quality of imagination in their fabrication, color, and concept. The human touch gives them life. And puppeteers, good ones, know the character they want to give each puppet. All of Zeb West’s puppets were hand puppets, their characters keyed distinctively by West’s character voices. Their stories meshed into a satisfying whole, and the stage was inhabited by a number of fascinating characters, without any use of ventriloquism.

Trouble Puppet Theatre Company member West has taken a slightly different tack with Innocent When You Dream, His one-man show, but he retains their commitment to innovative puppetry, heightening the band's reputation for skillful and efficient production. The audience was happy to render its standing ovation in appreciation. The show ran only one weekend, October 25 and 26 at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre studio space. My only wish for this worthy show would be for a longer run and a printed program to give due credit to the producing staff, designers, and the 98 supporters who kicked in $4240 -- 125% of Zeb's goal -- through his Kickstarter page to make possible his production and summer 2013 tour across Canada and the United States.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Petra's Pecado by Rupert Reyes Is Published, October, 2013




Published October 24, 2013 in the Cultura in Austin section:

Austin Statesman





It’s been nearly 20 years since the hit comedy play “Petra’s Pecado” first captured the hearts and minds of Austinites. Since then, playwright and Teatro Vivo co-founder Rupert Reyes’ timeless story has taken on a life of its own with productions in several U.S. cities, two sequels and now its own book.

Often described as the Chicano “Greater Tuna,” the play tells the story of a Latina grandmother'and tortilla factory owner who catches a glimpse of an X-rated program while channel surfing and runs to her priest to confess. Her penance? To direct the church’s annual play.

Reyes shared decades worth of “Petra” memories as we flipped through a thick binder full of archival photographs, posters and newspaper clippings that document the bilingual play’s success. From Minneapolis performances to Reyes’ daughter joining the cast, each page tells a story. When Reyes first played the part of Petra’s husband, he had to make himself look plder; nowadays, not so much, he jokes. It’s clear that after about 20 years, Petra belongs to everyone.


Rupert Reyes (photo: Teatro Vivo)
Rupert Reyes (photo: Teatro Vivo)
Reyes has always been a storyteller, but he felt as if he was chosen to tell this particular story. Writing the play, he says, felt more like observing a family having a conversation. He imagined jotting down everything he could in the background.

“Petra’s Pecado” has been bridging cultural gaps one audience at a time, and the recent book ensures that a new generation will be influenced by the heartwarming tale. Part of the proceeds from book sales help fund an effort to send books to every high school in Austin.

“There are many plays in history that have been lost,” Reyes says. “‘Petra’s Pecado’ won’t become of them.”

Listen to excerpts from the play during a reception and book-signing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

And for fans who can’t get enough of Petra, Reyes plans to premiere another sequel soon called “Petra’s Pastorela.”