THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare, the Baron's Men at the Curtain Theatre, April 5 - 27, 2013

[performing at the Curtain Theatre, Garriot estate, 7400 Coldwater Canyon -- click for map]
present
 
The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare
April 5 - 27, Fridays and Saturdays
Thursdays – April 18 and 25
Box Office opens at 7 pm and performance begins at 8 pm

This April, we invite you to join us as The Baron's Men present William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice at Richard Garriott's Curtain Theater, the only Elizabethan style theater in Austin. In this period-themed production, we embrace and explore the dark and light of the Bard's well-known tragicomedy, noted as much for its challenging and controversial themes as its entertaining plot and captivating, memorable characters. Performances will be held every weekend in April. See our website or find us on Facebook for details. We hope to see you there!

Cast:
The Duke of Venice- Casey Weed
The Prince of Morocco- Andreas Stein
The Prince of Aragon- Andreas Stein
Antonio, a merchant of Venice- Andy Bond
Bassanio, his friend, suitor to Portia- Bradley Wright
Gratiano, friend to Antonio and Bassanio- Robert Stevens
Salerio, friend to Antonio and Bassanio- Aaron Neimuth
Solanio, friend to Antonio and Bassanio- Michael O'Keefe
Lorenzo, in love with Jessica- Harry Conner
Shylock, a Jew of Venice- Robert Deike
Launcelot Gobbo, a clown, servant to Shylock- Eva McQuade
Old Gobbo, father to Launcelot- Gene Storie
Leonardo, servant to Bassanio- James Holder
Stephania, servant to Portia- Leanna Holmquist
Portia, an heiress- Hanna Haide
Nerissa, her waiting woman- Becky Musser
Jessica, daughter to Shylock- Rachel Steed Redig
Tubal, a wealthy Jew- Jimmie Bragdon
Jailer- Chris Casey
Magnificoes of Venice- Garrison Martt, Gene Storie, Chris Casey, Jimmie Bragdon
Prince of Aragon's Train- Felix Ferris, Joanna Casey
Prince of Morocco's Train- Felix Ferris, Joanna Casey

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Henry V by Shakespeare, The Baron's Men at the Curtain Theatre, September 30 - October 22

This Henry V by The Baron's Men is a feast for the eyes. The elaborate Elizabethan wardrobe of the company goes well with the gratifying outdoor setting of the Curtain Theatre, Richard Garriott's lakeside replica in miniature of the Globe. Costume designers Pam Martin and Dawn Allee are current nominees along with Jennifer Davis for Austin's B. Iden Payne stage award for outstanding costume design, for this company's 2010 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. For Henry V they've outdone even that outstanding level of accomplishment.

Their program notes acknowledge the work and care that went into these recreations -- "the more than a dozen doublets designed and manufactured for this production, as well as several different designs of pants (trunk hose, venetians, and pumpkin hose). These clothes could not have been made without the dedication and love of the troupe members who donated many hours and some very late nights to complete the costuming."

The company establishes and sustains the Elizabethan illusion by placing cast members onstage both before the piece begins and during much of the intermission. Pikesmen station themselves on watch and parade to the beaten command of drums; Henry and his confederates stand at upper center stage studying a huge, meticulously designed map of the kingdoms on both sides of the Channel. At intermission the guard is again mounted, and Pistol sits moodily at the edge of the stage.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

The Flair of Sam Bass: The Tempest Project, May 20 - June 11

How much magic can you pack into the box?

The Sam Bass Community Theatre has seats for 52 in that modest structure on Lee Street in Round Rock, north of Austin. The building once served as the Union Pacific depot in town, and one assumes that there wasn't need to serve a lot of passengers. So this theatre can entertain a maximum of just a few more than 200 persons during each week, or about 800 during the course of the usual run. That will be the equivalent of two nights' capacity at the Zach's new Topfer Theatre, or just about 2½ nights at Travis High School performing arts center, where The Mikado has been playing.

Writing recently about the current remarkable season of Shakespeare in Austin, I called the Sam Bass "the little theatre that could," echoing the children's book about the little engine that huffed and puffed and made it to the very tip top of the mountain.Frank Benge's steam punk adaptation of The Tempest ran from May 20 to June 11. It was a triumph of concept and design, bringing into focus the astonishing talent on display at this modest but long-running theatre.

[image: Susan Poe Dickson as Prospera, by Kevin Scholtes]

Click to read more and view additional images at AustinLiveTheatre.com

Upcoming: The Graveside Service by Tim Thomas, FronteraFest at Hyde Park Theatre, February 5

Received directly:



Announcing


The Graveside Service

by Timothy Thomas

as part of FronteraFest's Short Fringe. This is your first chance to get a glimpse at what will become a new musical from Loaded Gun Theory. This show will sell out!

Friday February 5, 2010, 8 p.m. at the Hyde Park Theatre
Buy Tickets Now!

Loaded Gun Theory will reveal everything about KOOP Radio's Mr. Spradling and Mr. Harris and their roles in the deaths of certain musicians.

Lights! Longing! Music! Carnage!

Directed by Amy Lewis with Craig Kanne as Mr. Harris,Gene Storie as Mr. Spradling, Nikki Zook as Lillian Price, Bobbie Oliver as Mrs. Roger T. Price

Sordid Lives, Sam Bass Community Theatre, May 15 - June 6

Round Rock's Sam Bass Community Theatre isn't a formal repertory company. It's a circle of players, techs and supporters who gather for six or seven productions a year in the plain playing space that was formerly a Union Pacific depot.

As you follow the Sam Bass season, you have the pleasure of seeing familiar faces reappear in new guises and disguises. They're friendly folk; the cast always gathers outside the theatre to greet their departing public. As I was driving home afterwards, there popped into my mind all unbidden the scene in which Hamlet expresses his pleasure at re-encountering the band of traveling players.

The final production of the season is set in Winters, Texas. That's a town so small that when I found it on Google Maps I had to back out twice before I could orient myself. Winters is smack dab in the middle of the state, in a largely blank area about 20 miles south of Abilene. The inhabitants of Winters might well be considered "people of the land." That is, echoing Mel Brooks' dialogue for Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles: "You know -- morons."

The characters and incidents in Sordid Lives are ridiculous but very funny. We in the audience laugh with good heart at small-town dumbness, morality and immorality -- in fact, with a certain proprietary affection. We're in Texas and we know those stereotypes, folks who are the focus of many a joke.

This is a revenge play. Shores acknowledges that he grew up in the mercilessly parodied town of Winters.

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