He was standing at the gate when I walked up. East 7th and Concho. This looked like the place.
"Is this where the play is?"
He looked me over.
"Yeah. Go ahead. The house is open."
Yes, it was open. And it was a house. Dark inside, with rough fabric curtains hanging between the entry and the kitchen, and then between the kitchen and the living area. Cooler this time, with an air conditioner laboring away in the depths of the room. Singly or in couples, the audience gathered. Friendly enough. Waiting, though. Quietly murmuring.
The lights dimmed, a curtain moved aside. Barely visible in the low light, a man in a scruffy suit stood there, then lurched forward toward us, into the playing space.
Received directly: Austin Drama Club presents Richard III
by William Shakespeare July 30 through Aug 22 Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. Austin Drama Club is in the house at the corner of 7th St. East and Concho.
Richard III is directed by Julio Mella, a core member since our first production of Henry V in the winter of '06. Here Julio directs for the first time and takes the title role. His vision for the play takes its inspiration from the Mafia spirit of Mario Puzzo's Godfather books and from the black and white gangster movies from the 1930s - 1950s. ADC expects that this production will inspire more people to come see this classic that gives us some great lines including, "My kingdom for a horse!"
Julio is joined by several Austin Drama Club vets --
Jennifer Fielding (the Witch in The Wizard of Oz)
Jessie Satura joined our company as uncle Exter in our last production of Henry V. He is from that fine Wimberly acting tradition.
Erin Jo Enochs was the the star of our production of Oedipus. She played Shylock's wife in The Merchant of Venice and Desdemona in Othello.
Richard Bateman is a magician and story teller who joins the cast for his first show with Austin Drama Club. Look for him to perform his show here later this fall.
Japhy Fernandes does the lights and sets with help from his wife Ellen Fernandes.
