Illuminate! Video: Vortex Rep's Kickstarter Appeal: $25k for a New Lighting System

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Austin's Vortex Repertory Theatre, Artistic Director Bonnie Cullum, Lighting Director Jason Amato and Stage Manager Tamara L. Farley appeal for $25,000 contributions via Kickstarter to fund a new lighting system by February 15 (5 min.) and share 15 minutes of "happy birthday" wishes, a selfie-video compendium of supporters from Austin, across the country and around the world.

Click Vortex sign or Kickstarter logo to go to the Kickstarter page for info and to contribute (deadline: February 15, or it all goes away).

Open Auditions at the Vortex Repertory, Austin, December 8, 2013

Announced via the weekly e-mail blast:

VORTEX Open Auditions
Sunday, December 8, 1 pm
Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd. - click for map

We want you – to audition! We are looking for males and females of all ages and ethnicities to fill several roles in our upcoming season. Please contact vortex@vortexrep.org for a time slot.

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)

Theatre Bars in Austin -- an essay by Robert Faires, Austin Chronicle

Robert Faires looks at selling alcohol at the Vortex Repertory, the Zach Theatre and Fusebox Festival







Drama & Tonic

Why Austin theatres are adding mixed drinks to the mix, offstage and on


By Robert Faires, Fri., July 5, 2013

"What'll you have?"


Used to be a simple enough question to answer at a local playhouse – I mean, if you had a thirst for an adult beverage, what were your options besides a can of Lone Star or whatever jug wine was cheapest at H-E-B that week? Now, though, you look behind the bar – not a concessions counter but a bona fide bar – and you face a range of lagers, ales, and varietals, and what's that lining the shelves with them? Liquor? Sure enough, enough vodkas and gins and bourbons and tequilas to drown the cast of Cats. Maybe you'd write this off as just another sign of the ritzification of Austin – the ousting of the cheap and casual (Pearl, Liberty Lunch) for the pricey and hipsterish (craft cocktails, SoCo) – but you're at one of the established indie theatres on the Eastside.

In March, the Vortex – yes, the home to all those ritual-theatre spectacles and homegrown musicals about fairy-tale heroines, goddesses, and elementals – obtained a liquor license for its in-house lounge, the Butterfly Bar, and now you can sip a mojito or martini with your next cyberopera. Theatre founder and Producing Artistic Director Bonnie Cullum has been working toward this for several years, steadily upgrading what was originally a bare-bones lobby area into a cozy venue for enjoying libations. The idea was to create a place where patrons might arrive early enough to have a few drinks before the show or stick around afterward instead of going somewhere else. If they liked it well enough, they might even show up on nights when there wasn't a play, just to wet their whistle. "Through the years, the challenge when people finish the show is always 'Where are we gonna go now?'" says Cullum. "If they could stay here, and the actors and audience could intersect and be able to talk about the show, and some of the people come in from Salvage Vanguard and some of the restaurants on Manor Road when they close, plus the neighbors, then it starts to be this great cross-section of people."

The plan appears to be working. Cullum reports a steady increase in business over the past year, such that the Butterfly now sees action all week long. "We're looking at this year's budget being double what it was two years ago, and that's primarily because of the bar," she says. "Now we have a barback every night, because it's that busy."


And with the bar part of the theatre, when the bar does well, so does the Vortex. "It's not like we're making a ton of money [from the bar]," Cullum allows, "but if it's enough to help support the infrastructure and pay the bills, then the overhead on the building doesn't have to come out of the box-office revenue."

Read more at the Austin Chronicle. . . .

Ethos/Vortex Rep Auditions of Male Singers for Retrospective, July 7, 2013

2703 Manor Rd.

*AUDITION NOTICE*

ethos seeks male performers of any ethnicity or age to sing several featured roles in CyberFest. Must be a singer. CyberFest is a retrospective of ethos work from 1995-present, directed by Bonnie Cullum. 

By appointment on Sunday, July 7thTo sign up for an audition slot, please contact: Bonnie Cullum at vortex@vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282.

Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd. - click for map

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

EARTH, conceived by Bonnie Cullum, Vortex Repertory, March 22 - April 20, 2013

(Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd.)
presents

Earth

Conceived and Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Original Music by Chad Salvata and Chris Humprey

March 22 - April 20, 2013

Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd., Thursdays - Sundays, 8 p.m.

VORTEX Repertory Company presents the world premiere of EARTH, a new multi-disciplinary show performed in a mountain of dirt. The audience surrounds an actual mound of moist earth that engages the senses as performers sing, dance, play, and tell stories of the Earth from diverse global mythologies.

Conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum, EARTH is the next in VORTEX’s The Elementals, a series of devised works with sacred intention. As we embrace the power and magic of the elemental forces of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit, we intertwine ritual and environmental action with our theatrical art.

Tickets:

$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.

ASL Interpreted April 5


EARTH features a stellar cast of VORTEX Repertory Company members-- Mick D’arcy, Anderson Dear, Gabriel Maldonado, Betsy McCann, Emerald Mystiek, Mindy Rast-Keenan, and Melissa Vogt-Patterson with the VORTEX debut of Aisha Melhem.

Conceived and Directed by Bonnie Cullum. 

Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Costume Design by Talena Martinez. Choreography by Toni Bravo. Original Music by Chad Salvata and Chris Humphrey. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley. Production photography by Kimberley Mead.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Bonnie Cullum Tells Wayne Alan Brenner The Story of the Butterfly Bar at the Vortex Repertory, Austin Chronicle, January 11, 2013

The Bullet Hole in the Butterfly Bar
This East Austin joint's a good story you could be part of
by Wayne Alan Brenner, 11:00AM, Fri. Jan. 11

There's a bullet hole and there's a story that goes with the bullet hole, and Bonnie Cullum – artistic director of Vortex Repertory Company, owner of the multipurpose Vortex compound near where Chestnut Avenue intersects the restaurant-studded stretch of Manor Road – Bonnie Cullum is telling me that story.


"It happened in the Seventies," she says. "This bar was at The Landing on San Antonio's Riverwalk. And the story goes, there was a cat burglar who kept coming and breaking the pane of glass, opening the door and coming in and taking all the money out of the cigarette machine. So they hired a private security dude, because they were going to be closed over Christmas, and they thought it would happen again. And the security dude looked remarkably like Santa: Big fat guy, white beard, white hair. And nothing's going down, so he takes a little nap on the bandstand. And here comes the cat burglar, he's breaking into the cigarette machine, and Santa stands up, says 'Hold it right there!' – and he's got a gun. The burglar starts to run and Santa fires the gun towards the ceiling. It's a cement ceiling, and the bullet ricochets off that and goes through the bar and slices off the beer tap. The cat burglar's fainted from hearing the loud bang, he's out cold on the floor, the beer is hitting the ceiling and splashing down, and the burglar wakes up and there's Santa Claus staring down at him, holding a gun, and the beer's pouring down all over him."


That's the story – the story of the bullet hole in the bar at the Butterfly Bar, the Eastside watering hole attached to the Vortex theatre. But the Butterfly Bar has its own story, too – a much more recent one, a story that's still evolving, and we'll get to that soon enough. Right now, let's look at the bar, the impressive artifact itself. The joint's had this gorgeous wooden bar for a while – it used to belong to Cullum's father, renowned San Antonio jazz man Jim Cullum.

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

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, Vortex Repertory, September 1 - 29

The Elementals: Water by Bonnie Cullum & Chad Salvata

September 1 - 29, Thursdays - Sundays at 8 p.m.

Click for additional information

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

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.

Auditions for Water by Bonnie Cullum and Chad Salvata, Vortex Repertory, May 6

VORTEX Repertory Company announces Auditions for WATER, Conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum, Choreography by Toni Bravo, Music by Chad Salvata, Sunday, May 6, 2012 3 - 6 p.m. at the VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 (click for map) Seeking 7-10 Dancers of any gender, any ethnicity and 2 strong Singers

VORTEX announces AUDITIONS for WATER on Sunday, May 6 promptly at 3 p.m. Everyone should come dressed to move and dance and be prepared to stay until 6 p.m. as needed. WATER is an original collaborative piece with dance and song to be performed on stage in a pool of water in order to convey environmental and spiritual messages that celebrate the beauty of water and heighten awareness, reverence, and protection of this precious resource. All performers must be courageous, passionate about Water, excited about the collaborative creation of new material, and be comfortable with being wet.

Audition Preparation for Everybody: Resume and Headshot. Dressed to move. Singers should prepare 1-2 minute of song (any genre) to be performed with accompanist. Only prepared, strong singers please. Schedule: Workshops to develop the ensemble material in May-June. Rehearsals in July-August. Performances in September 2012. Performers will receive a stipend. For more Info: Bonnie Cullum vortex@vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282

Click 'Read more' for additional information about the director and choreographer.

Upcoming: Vortex Repertory's Fire and Brimstone Awards Party, January 6

Found on-line:

VORTEX’s Annual Fire and Brimstone Awards

Friday, January 6, 2012

8:30 pm until 12:00am at the Vortex, 2703 Manor Rd. (click for map)

Join VORTEX friends and family to celebrate VORTEX’s Annual Fire and Brimstone Awards, honoring our recent 23th season. For many years, VORTEX Producing Artistic Director, Bonnie Cullum, has given dozens of Fire Awards to honor artists and technicians for their achievements and Brimstone Awards to roast notable gaffs about which we can finally laugh. We are thrilled to welcome The Late Joys to play for our party!

In celebration of VORTEX’s 23 years of theatre in the Austin community, we gather together to remember a notable artistic year, our 23th Season, 2010-11: Vampyress, GAYlicious! Planet of The Mermaids, The Elementals: AIR, Footnotes for People Who Don’t Speak Spanish, Ecosexology, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, LEAR, and Summer Youth Theater’s The Physicists, as well as the fabulous new addition of The Butterfly Bar.

Admission to the party is FREE. Donations are welcome. Come celebrate Friday, January 6th, 8:30pm to midnight with a fabulous spread in The Butterfly Bar. Cash bar.

Upcoming: Sarah Silver Hands by Chad Salvata, Vortex Repertory Theatre, October 8 - 30

Found on-line:

VORTEX Theatre stages world premiere of faery tale opera

Sarah Silver Hands

by Chad Salvata

Vortex Repertory Theatre, 2307 Manor Rd. (click for map)

October 8 - 30, Thursdays - Sundays at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $30 to $25 for priority seating, $20 to $15 for general admission and $10 for starving artists and students.

Click to purchase on-line at the Vortex

Performances on Thursdays and Sundays are "2-for-1" with the donation of two non-perishable food items for the SafePlace Pantry.

For reservations and more information, call (512) 478-LAVA (5282) or visit www.VortexRep.org.

In the tradition of the Brothers Grimm, the VORTEX Theatre unleashes a dark faery tale world for the world premiere of Sarah Silver Hands. Revolving around the Cornucopia Tree and telling the story of Princess Sarah of the Autumn Kingdom, the original operatic work takes the stage from October 8th through 30th.

Sarah Silver Hands continues the long line of original operas with fantasy themes and magical realism by award-winning artist Chad Salvata. The creator, composer, and orchestrator of the music and libretto, Salvata has been recognized with many awards for artistic excellence including B. Iden Payne Awards for "Outstanding Original Score" for Vampyress and The Dragonfly Princess and an Austin Critics' Table Award for "Outstanding Original Score" for Pythia Dust.

Directed by award-winning VORTEX Producing Artistic Director Bonnie Cullum, Sarah Silver Hands stars award-winning actress Betsy McCann as "Spyril" and introduces Christine Achico as "Sarah." The original cast will also feature Melissa Vogt-Patterson, Rudy Ramirez, Anderson Dear, Hayley Armstrong, Justin LaVergne, Christina Leidel, Andy Agne and Joanna Wright.

The lavish fantasy designs feature a multi-dimensional Cornucopia Tree by Ann Marie Gordon, lighting designs by Jason Amato, sound design by Sergio R. Samayoa, fantasy costumes by Talena Martinez and Chad Salvata, and mask creations by Melissa Vogt-Patterson. The performances also feature percussion by Matthew Patterson, makeup design by Helen Hutka and prop design by Helen Parish.

Sarah Silver Hands is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The award is The VORTEX Theatre's second award from the NEA.

The world premiere performances will be staged on Saturday, October 8th, with performances continuing on Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. through October 30th.

Images by Kimberley Mead: The Elementals - Air, Vortex Repertory, February 18 - March 20

Images by Kimberley Mead, received directly from the Vortex Repertory:

presents the world premiere of

The Elementals: AIR

Feb.18 - Mar.20, 2011; Thursdays-Sundays @ 8 p.m.

Vortex Repertory, 2307 Manor Rd. (click for map)

Tickets: $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 for SafePlace Pantry.

Limited seating. Advanced purchase recommended.

Click to view additional images by Kimberley Mead at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . . .

Upcoming: The Butterfly Bar at the Vortex (video included), opening February 19

Received directly from the Vortex Repertory, an announcement and a video done by Shanti Matulewski:

Happy Year of the Rabbit Everybody!!

I am teaming up with my cousin, Emily Fleming-Nash, to create a new bar on the grounds of The VORTEX. Some of you know Emily from her previous business, Emerald City Press. The metamorphosis of The VORTEX Café into The Butterfly Bar has begun, with our grand opening on February 19.

The Butterfly Bar is a green, eco-friendly, local business that will invest in a large amount of butterfly-oriented landscaping onsite. When finished, the goal is to have The Butterfly Bar @ The VORTEX recognized as an Official Butterfly Habitat and Sanctuary.

The Butterfly Bar remodel is coming along swiftly, and the space looks beautiful with a fresh paint job and gorgeous lighting. We need just a little help to push us through to completion. You will be enjoying new furniture, real glasses (Bye, bye plastic!), and a new menu featuring amazing desserts and savory treats including deluxe cheese plates and smoked curry hummus.

If you can and would like to donate to the opening of our new bar, in any way small or large, we would be forever grateful and appreciative. Donations are tax-deductible.

All donations can be made through The VORTEX Paypal account located at the bottom left-hand side of the website below. Just click on the little box that says “ DONATION” above The Butterfly Bar logo.

http://www.vortexrep.org/

Each of the first six people to donate $500 or more will have their name engraved on a small brass plaque to be placed on the back of one of the barstools for all to see!

Thank you in advance for any and all of your help on this exciting new project. If you have any questions, please let me know!

With love and great expectations--

Bonnie

vortex@vortexrep.org

www.thebutterflybaraustin.com

www.vortexrep.org

Upcoming: The Elementals: Air, Vortex Repertory, February 18 - March 20

Found on-line:

presents the world premiere of

The Elementals: AIR

Sacred Dance Theatre
conceived andd irected by Bonnie Cullum, music by Chris Humphrey
Feb.18-Mar.20, 2011; Thursdays-Sundays @ 8 p.m.

Tickets: $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 for SafePlace Pantry.

Limited seating. Advanced purchase recommended.

[image: "Towering Clouds," Shi Yali, www.stockphoto.com

Fresh Breezes. Heavenly Song. Fearless Flying.
Storm Winds. Gentle Floating. Sweet Scent.
Pulsating Didgeridoo. Glowing Sunrise.
Soaring Eagle. Starfinder.

The Elementals: AIR celebrates the gifts and stories of Air through dance, song, poetry, and sacred intention. AIR features aerial dance, live music, poetic narrative, and illuminating imagery on a multi-level playground. Environmental themes focus on the precious Elemental Forces of Air. Spirits of the Air include Eagle, Butterfly, Sylph, Dragon, Phoenix, Harpy, Angel, and Airbender. AIR is the first in a unique series of five sacred elemental explorations (Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit) to be created collaboratively with performers and designers over the next several years at The Vortex.

The Elementals: AIR features VORTEX veteran performers Gabriel Maldonado, Betsy McCann, Andy Agne, Jennifer Coy, Krysta Gonzales, Justin LaVergne, and Alejandro Rodriguez. Making their VORTEX debuts with AIR: Celeste Bliss, Bethany Summersizzle, Courtney Brock, Joanna Wright, Kylie Baker, Jenny Lavery, and Carole Metellus.

Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Patrick Anthony and Jason Amato. Costume Design by Talena Martinez.

The Elementals: AIR is funded in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts Commission, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Vortex Repertory Receives NEA Grant for Sara Silverhands

Received directly:

VORTEX Repertory Company’s

Sarah Silver Hands receives $20,000 NEA Grant

VORTEX Repertory Company is pleased to announce receipt of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for Sarah Silver Hands, a world premiere musical for all ages by award-winning Austin composer, Chad Salvata, and directed by VORTEX Producing Artistic Director, Bonnie Cullum. Sarah Silver Hands premieres at The VORTEX in Austin, Texas in October 2011.

Sarah Silver Hands is an original fairy tale, inspired loosely by the Grimm Brothers’ The Girl with No Hands. The protagonist, Sarah, Princess of the Autumn Kingdom, overcomes the disability of losing her hands to find her own truth and magic, and finally ends the war between the Autumn and Winter Kingdoms. Sarah reclaims the hero’s journey for young women as she rises above the obstacles of disability and tragedy to find self-empowerment.

Chad Salvata’s work has been widely recognized for its musical beauty and fantastical imagination. He has received numerous awards for excellence in his original works including The Dragonfly Princess, Bell(e), Vampyress, Pythia Dust, and The X&Y Trilogy. Sarah Silver Hands will be Salvata’s first work specifically designed for all ages.

Auditions: Air, Vortex Repertory, October 25

Received directly:

Vortex Repertory Company announces

Auditions for

The Elementals: AIR

First in a series of five sacred

Elemental theatrical works

Conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum

Music by Chris Humphrey

When: Monday, October 25, 2010 by appointment

For an audition appointment email vortex@vortexrep.org or call Bonnie Cullum at 512-478-LAVA

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

VORTEX announces AUDITIONS for The Elementals: AIR by appointment on Monday, October 25, 2010.

AIR is the first in a sacred series of five elemental explorations to be created collaboratively over the next few years at The VORTEX. AIR features dancers, actors, aerialist, singers, didgeridoo, and reeds in an experimental, imagistic, innovative, and spiritual setting. Environmental themes entwine airy melodies and theatrical dance to create a potent interaction with AIR.

Seeking up to 10 performers who are passionate about creating AIR. Weekly workshops to develop the material in November-December 2010. Rehearsals in January-February 2011. Performances in February-March 2011. Performers will receive a stipend.

Seeking Actors/singers/dancers/aerialist of any gender, any ethnicity.

Audition Preparation: Resume and headshot.

Dancers should prepare 1-2 minutes of dance with music on CD.

Singers should prepare 1-2 minute of song to be performed with accompanist.

Actors should prepare 1-2 minutes of text with linguistic merit.

Aerials should prepare a basic 1-2 minute routine on silk, lyra, or other device and be prepared to demonstrate any special tricks.

Multi-skilled performers may show a mixture of these things.

Bonnie Cullum (Producing Artistic Director) is widely recognized for her original collaborative work. She received B. Iden Payne Awards for her direction of Troades: The Legend of the Women of Troy, Despair’s Book of Dreams and the Sometimes Radio, and Moby Dick with dozens of other nominations in her 25 year career as an Austin theatre director and producer. Her ritual theatre work, Dark Goddess, enjoyed five individual productions over seven years and firmly established her style in collaborative and sacred performance. She was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame in 2009 and has thrice been recognized as Best Director by the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin.

The Elementals: AIR is funded in part by VORTEX Repertory Company, the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts Commission, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Auditions: Vortex Summer Youth Program: You Can't Take It With You

Received directly:

AUDITIONS for Vortex Summer Youth Theatre 2010 production

You Can’t Take it With You

May 24-June 3, 2010 by application and appointment

at the VORTEX, 2307 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722

(1/2 mile East of I-35, between Chestnut and Maple) On bus route #20

VORTEX is seeking students ages 13-17 to participate in Summer Youth Theatre 2010. Now in its 19th year, the award-winning SYT program remains tuition-free. Rehearsals take place evenings and weekends in June and July. SYT encourages diversity. Students of any ethnicity or heritage, or students with any disabilities or economic challenges are welcome. Experience is not required.

SYT 2010 provides students with experiences in all aspects of theatre, including acting, technical theatre, and publicity. Rehearsals and workshops are Free to all participants. The rehearsals culminate in a full production of a play, presented to the public for six performances over two weekends.

Prior to the audition/interview, students must fill out a short application. For the audition, students should prepare a memorized, one-minute piece of text from a play, poem, or song. A parent or guardian is also required to attend the interview.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Sleeping Beauty, Vortex Repertory, April 2 - May 9

The Vortex's Sleeping Beauty is a riot of costumes and color, music and dance. Bonnie Cullum and composer-librettist Content Love Knowles keep that cast of 20 swirling in the vortex around the spiral staircase at stage center, animated by Knowles and three other musicians perched high above stage right. Many of the players play double roles. Costumes by Pam Fletcher Friday and Griffon Ramsey are inventive, playful and brilliantly colored, with the witty use of found fabrics and objects, as if the players had discovered a treasure trove of dress-up clothes in grandma's attic.

Jennifer Coy as the Fool deserves the lead image for this musical. In good fool tradition, she is the only real adult in this happy ensemble of gifted adult-sized characters and artists. Coy has a brash, raucous side to her, a knowing wink at this nonsense, and she winds it up with a solo epilogue addressing the audience, making sure that they enjoyed the spectacle and crowing, "And now let's all have a drink!"

Playtime at the Vortex gives us a sprightly retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story full of incident and relatively bereft of deeper meaning. The first act establishes the court, the statuesque Queen (Betsy McCann) yearning for a child, some Disneyesque jumpin' jive in the castle, a long funny number as the Queen is offstage in labor, celebration, and a long, long naming song that saddles the kid with about fifteen names.

And then there's the extended business of fairies bringing gifts. Because the heedless top-hatted King (Adam Smith) neglected to invite her, the impressively salamander-like fairy Ixlamere (Suzanne Balling) curses the newborn with the prediction that she'll prick her finger on a spindle and die.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .