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by Michael Meigs
Don't let this gem flicker past you. Saroyan's gentle, quizzical one-act from 1941 isn't well known, and you're not likely to get the opportunity to enjoy it ever again. MFA candidate in directing Steven Wilson has magicked forth this evening with some powerful help, and it's a revelation of theatre and acting craft nestled within a revival.
You'll see nothing like it anytime soon . In Austin terms it's as if Norman Blumensaadt's devoted exploration of twentieth century classic writing has been blended with acting talents often seen at the Zach Theatre. With a bit of marketing the Zach Theatre could put this staging into its Whisenhut theatre in the round and run it profitably for a month, without a single change.
Admission is free. It is, after all, Wilson's thesis project, with technical collaboration by University of Texas students including third-year MFA graduate students William Anderson (set design) and Hope Bennett (costume design). The single-page program leaflet lists everyone in democratic alphabetical order in dizzyingly tiny print, including leading Austin actors Janelle Buchanan (an Actor's Equity artist), David R. Jarrott and Rommel Sulit. On opening night UT prof, playwright and Zach collaborator Steven Dietz occupied one of the 40 seats in the audience; Zach star Barbara Chisholm was in another.
With the constraints of academic endeavor and financing by Kickstarter, his edition of The Beautiful People is designed to disappear after only six performances before a maximum audience of about 240 persons.
Wilson and friends are staging it in grandiloquently titled Museum of Human Achievement, a lofty title for a ramshackle space behind what used to be the Goodwill warehouse on Springdale Road and just south of what used to be the Blue Theatre (click for map). Easiest access is via a relatively obscure gate on Lyons Rd. just west of the railroad tracks. Your vehicle noses into a rutted, muddy parking area. Austin's recent rains had left such large expanses of standing water that the company e-mailed ticket holders the day before to warn them to wear rubber boots or similar footwear and even offered to reschedule their seats if desired.
Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com
It's a Wonderful Life
a live radio show
by Joe Landry
directed by Nathan Jerkins
featuring Ryan Crowder, Jenni Finley, Chris Gibson, David R. Jarrott, Claire Ludwig
November 29 – December 23
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. Sundays at 6:00pm.
Opening night party following the show on Thursday, November 29
$25 Opening night, $20 Regular, $18 Student/senior
Rice’s Crossing Store (3300 Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, TX 78665) (click for map)
More information available at www.penfoldtheatre.org
Penfold Theatre Company presents It's a Wonderful Life: a live radio show at Rice’s Crossing Store in Round Rock from November 29 to December 23.
It's Christmas Eve 1946, and members of the KPNF radio station are coming together for a live radio performance of It’s a Wonderful Life. As the live studio audience, guests step back in time while five actors bring the entire story to life with dozens of characterizations and live foley sound effects. In this imaginative re-incarnation of a cherished holiday tradition, audiences of all ages will fall in love with George Bailey and his timeless tale of despair, redemption and hope all over again.
The show takes place at Rice’s Crossing Store, named for Texas war hero James O. Rice and one of the oldest structures in Williamson County. Fully restored and relocated to the historic village at the Old Settlers’ Association, the store is the perfect yesteryear backdrop for a story that spans the first half of the twentieth century.
Guests can enjoy holiday treats as they watch the show, which features mock radio commercials of local businesses and a nightly cameo role for a selected member of the audience. The show returns after a completely sold out run last holiday season, so guests are encouraged to make their reservations early.
ABOUT PENFOLD THEATRE COMPANY Penfold Theatre Company cultivates a love for live theatre in northern Travis and Williamson Counties by offering first-class theatre performances and education programs. 2012-13 is the company’s fifth anniversary season and features a variety of work, from old favorites to regional premieres: Moonlight and Magnolias (October 2012), It’s a Wonderful Life: a live radio show (December 2012), A Minister’s Wife (March 2013) and Shipwrecked! (June 2013).
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