Stars and Barmen by Reina Hardy, Vortex Repertory, October 26 - November 16, 2013

(www.vortexrep.org)

by Michael Meigs

I was in the mood for a a feel-good experience on Halloween, something without fangs or fishnets or pumpkins, and the Vortex's blurb 'a romantic comedy about getting lucky in space time' enticed me to their staging of Reina Hardy's script. She is semi-local, after all, as a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas, and the Shrewds staged her piece Glassheart not too long ago.

The Vortex, bless Bonnie's heart, has succeeded in transforming itself from a make-do neighborhood theatre to a social center. The Butterfly Bar appears to keep the place hopping most nights of the week, and there were plenty of folks there for the BYOP pumpkin-carving contest later on. Only twelve of us elected to go to the play that Thursday evening.

Trey Deason (photo: Kimberley Mead)

In the enigmatically titled Stars and Barmen Trey Deason plays Rupert, a grad student in astronomy so hapless and clumsy that his only intimate companion is the computer program scanning the skies for anomalies -- not the big, blow-out anomalies, but others more modest, perhaps closer to his level of ability. The playwright's not particularly kind to him, setting him up in the opening scene as a lonely party crasher who fails miserably three times in a row to initiate conversations with unseen women. Deason, himself a capable playwright, singer and thespian, swallows the bait and director Rudy Ramirez's instruction, and he turns Rupert into such a mass of inferiority complexes and tics that he's ridiculous and almost painful to watch.


Rupert encounters Bridget Farr as the dreamily disappointed Claire, a self-pronounced poet who's trying to avoid someone at the party. He thinks he's getting through to her in his ungainly way, but that computer program Mandy interrupts via telephone, yanking his chain and obliging him to leave to attend to his late night duties in the lab. He forgets to ask for Claire's number or to get some way to contact her again.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

CYBERFEST, Ethos at the Vortex, September 20 - 28, 2013

ethos presents

Cyber-Fest 2013

An Audio-Visual Immersion Event
September 20-28, 2013 9 p.m.
Friday-Sunday, September 20-22 and Thursday-Saturday, September 26-28
Join us for cocktails with the artists after the shows
The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 - click for map Free Parking. Bus Route. The Butterfly Bar@The VORTEX--open nightly at 5 pm
Tickets: $30-$10: $30 Priority Seating, $20 General Admission , $10 Artists/Students
Available at www.vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282. Advance Purchase Recommended.
Radical Rush—Limited Free tickets available nightly at 8pm.
The VORTEX rocks the doors wide open for CyberFest-- an audio-visual emersion event. This extraordinary live musical performance features fantastical costumes, stunning lighting, spectacular hyper-real imagery, cybernetic movement, and electronic music-- showcasing the original work of ethos, an Austin-based performance troupe headed by composer and visionary Chad Salvata. A blend of electronic media and live performance transcends a typical theatrical or musical experience. This concert-style show invites the audience to dance, drink, tweet, and take photos. In fact, there will be an Instagram photo contest during the performances. The Grand Prize will be a Cybernetic Makeover and photo session as well as a collection of ethos CDs.
Since 1995, Chad Salvata has been shaping ethos’ unique work and vision. CyberFest includes great songs from ethos’ award-winning cybernetic operas including The Black Blood, Panoptikon, Triskelion, and Elytra as well as Pythia Dust, Pink Sun, and The Dragonfly Queen. Additionally, CyberFest presents a sneak preview of three new songs from ethos’ upcoming film Octia of the Pink Ocean, the long-awaited sequel to Elytra and even a rocking new version of a Salvata classic, Invisible House. Over the past 20 years, ethos has received many B. Iden Payne Awards and Austin Critics’ Table Awards for Outstanding Original Scores, Costume Design, Performance, and Multi-media Excellence.
CyberFest features a cast of ethos all-stars including Melissa Vogt-Paterson, Anderson Dear, Betsy McCann, Eryn Gettys, JoBeth Henderson, Mick D’arcy, Justin LaVergne, Emerald Mystiek, Trey Deason, Gabriel Maldonado, Aisha Melhem, and Chad Salvata. With Tyler Mabry on Keyboards and Matthew Patterson on Percussion.
Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Video Design by Sergio R. Samayoa. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Costume Coordination by Talena Martinez. Sound Design by Roy Talyor. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley.
Tickets and more information www.vortexrep.org
CyberFest is funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company and by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

QUALITIES OF STARLIGHT by Gabriel Jason Dean, Vortex Repertory, May 25 - June 15, 2013

 
 (Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd.) 
 presents

A twisted comedy by Gabriel Jason Dean | Directed by Rudy Ramirez
May.25-Jun.15, 2013; Thursdays-Sundays 8 pm

Qualities of Starlight is an award-winning twisted comedy about the expansion of the universe and the contraction of a troubled family. Previously produced in workshop productions in Atlanta and Washington D.C, Qualities of Starlight now debuts at The VORTEX in its definitive version.

Theo Turner is a young cosmologist on the verge. But Theo’s “big bang” isn’t theoretical. His universe explodes when he and his wife travel to the Appalachian South to visit his parents about an impending adoption only to discover that Theo's aging parents are meth addicts. Science crashes violently into nature, identities shift, memories speak, and the future can only be won by renegotiating the past. The cosmos is no more wondrous than a troubled human family improvising its path into the future.

Staring Jennifer Underwood, Dennis Bailey, Toby Minor, and Andréa Suzanne Rebecca Smith. Directed by Rudy Ramirez. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Patrick Anthony. Costume Design by Michelle Symons. Sound Design by David DeMaris. Prop Design by Helen Parish. Dramaturgy by Carrie Kaplan and Natashia Lindsey.

Tickets: $30-$10
$30-$25 Priority Seating, $15-$20 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists
2-for-1 admission on Thursdays and Sundays with donation of 2 canned goods for SafePlace.
Limited seating. Advance Purchase Recommended.

“…a well-crafted…engaging drama…
Qualities of Starlight registers as a welcome find.” ~ Washington Post

“…a thoughtful and entertaining new play…Qualities of Starlight shows people determined to recover from the bruises of the past and move towards a brighter, more hopeful future.”~ DC Theatre Scene

"So dang funny!" ~ VSA Arts of Georgia

Qualities of Starlight is presented with the assistance of SCRIPTWORKS through their FINERPOINT FUND FOR NEW PLAY PRODUCTION and funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, and by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. 

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

The Elementals: Water by Bonnie Cullum and Chad Salvata, choreography by Tony Bravo, Vortex Repertory, August 31 - September 30

(image: Kimberley Mead)

by Dr. David Glen Robinson

I bought my ticket and sat in the outside coffee bar, The Butterfly Bar, at the Vortex before seating was called. Late summer concerns seemed to run forcefully to West Nile virus in Texas, as every mode of mosquito repulsion was in full application on the deck as the Saturday night crowd assembled.

Inside, these cares buzzed away forever with the first glimpse of the set. Upstage center a waterfall fell like liquid plate glass, perhaps twelve feet high. It sparkled and splashed continuously throughout the show, flowing into a shallow oval pool, which took up the rest of the stage. The dancing took place in this water, of course -- how could we expect anything less? The set credit goes to Ann Marie Gordon, with Kenneth Gall as Water Master. Jason Amato’s lights played off the waterfall, danced in the pool and bubbled through agitated water globes fixed to the ceiling. The variety of his lighting sets through the show seemed without limit and formed a masterfully imaginative set of designs in light.

And imagination is a keyword for the entire show. It began with two figures suspended in nets before the sheet of water and above the pool. They were motionless, restrained figures in containers. The image from anywhere in the theatre was one of fetuses afloat in the oceanic water of the womb. This tableau was set before a sonic background of trance-hypno-type music, and after a few minutes I definitely felt that I was in a trance. The music credit was given to Chad Salvata. Salvata is an almost shamefully under-recognized leader in composing and arranging in Austin theatre. His choices are quite often unusual and unexpected, but they almost always serve the total production. His work in Water was surefooted and flawless.

Read more and see additional images at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Water (the elementals series), Vortex Repertory, September 1 - 29

Vortex Repertory Company

presents the world premier of

  

WATER

Get Ready to Be Wet!

September 1-29, 2012 Thursdasy-Sundays 8 pm
The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 (click for map)

Tickets: $30-$25 Priority Seating, $15-$20 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists
Available at www.vortexrep.org or call 512-478-5282

Limited seating. Advanced Purchase Recommended.

Free Parking. Bus Route. The Butterfly Bar @ The VORTEX (open nightly at 5pm)

[image posted on Facebook by Vortex Repertory]

Splash Zone!

WATER is next in The Elementals series that Bonnie Cullum has been crafting with VORTEX Repertory Company for several years (AIR and FIRE). In September, VORTEX artists flood the stage with actual water and shimmering effects. The actors dance through water-- swimming the depths, relishing life force, honoring Water in many forms, and engaging the audience in a visceral journey of cleansing, healing, and heart. Devised in collaboration with the ensemble and designers and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, WATER teams Cullum with long-time collaborator Toni Bravo to create a show unlike anything ever seen at The VORTEX.

WATER features a stellar cast of ShapeShifters including VORTEX veterans Andy Agne, Anderson Dear, Krysta Gonzales, Gabriel Maldonado, Chelsea Manasseri, Betsy McCann, Emerald Mystiek, Minerva Villa, and Joanna Wright with the VORTEX debuts of Rebecca Goldstein, Monza Lui, and Caleb Perkins.

Conceived and Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Choreography by Toni Bravo. Original Music by Chad Salvata. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Costume Design by Talena Martinez. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley. Photography by Kimberley Mead.

WATER is funded and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

Vortex Repertory Company announces

the world premier of

WATER

Get Ready to Be Wet!

When: September 1-29, 2012 Thursday-Sunday 8pm

Where: The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722

Free Parking. Bus Route.

The Butterfly Bar @ The VORTEX (open nightly at 5pm)

Tickets: $30-$10

$30-$25 Priority Seating, $15-$20 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists

Available at www.vortexrep.org or call 512-478-5282

Limited seating. Advanced Purchase Recommended.

Splash Zone!

WATER is next in The Elementals series that Bonnie Cullum has been crafting with VORTEX Repertory Company for several years (AIR and FIRE). In September, VORTEX artists flood the stage with actual water and shimmering effects. The actors dance through water-- swimming the depths, relishing life force, honoring Water in many forms, and engaging the audience in a visceral journey of cleansing, healing, and heart. Devised in collaboration with the ensemble and designers and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, WATER teams Cullum with long-time collaborator Toni Bravo to create a show unlike anything ever seen at The VORTEX.

WATER features a stellar cast of ShapeShifters including VORTEX veterans Andy Agne, Anderson Dear, Krysta Gonzales, Gabriel Maldonado, Chelsea Manasseri, Betsy McCann, Emerald Mystiek, Minerva Villa, and Joanna Wright with the VORTEX debuts of Rebecca Goldstein, Monza Lui, and Caleb Perkins.

Conceived and Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Choreography by Toni Bravo. Original Music by Chad Salvata. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Costume Design by Talena Martinez. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley. Photography by Kimberley Mead.

WATER is funded and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

Upcoming: Sleeping Beauty, Vortex Repertory, April 2 - May 9

UPDATE: The Vortex has extended Sleeping Beauty to May 9

Click for ALT review, April 11

UPDATE: Review by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, Austin Statesman's "Seeing Things" blog, April 8

UPDATE: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin interviews Bonnie Cullum about Sleeping Beauty, April 1

UPDATE: Lisa Schepps on KOOP-FM interviews leading singer-actors Jonathan Itchon and Julia Lorenz, as well as creators Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles on her program "Off Stage and On the Air," March 29

Received directly:

Vortex Repertory Company
presents

Sleeping Beauty

A new musical faery tale
by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles
April 2 - May 9 Thursdays-Sundays 8 p.m.
ASL-Interpreted Saturday, May 10, 2010
Audio Description Saturday, May 17, 2010
Faery Masque Ball on Saturday, May 1
The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin 78722. Free Parking. Bus Route. Lovely café.

Tickets: $30-$10 Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org
$30-$25 Priority Seating, $20-$15 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists. Thursdays and Sundays 2-for-1 admission with donation of 2 non-perishable food items. Limited seating.

VORTEX Repertory Company proudly presents Sleeping Beauty, a magical new musical by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles. Loosely based on the Grimm Brothers’ faery tale, this dynamic production joins the musical theatre cannon with a feminist, revisionist re-telling of a well-beloved faery tale. While this production is not designed for children (scary faeries), we welcome audiences of all ages (PG-13 with no nudity or foul language). This is not your mama’s faery tale.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .