Ann Pittman's Austin Theatre Favorites in 2013

From her blog aNNpITTMAN, posted January 12:

Top Ten Twenty-Thirteen Theatre

Ann Pittman (via Blogspot)

Everyone has their favorites. And everyone's weighing in (Chronicle critics: AdamRoberts, Robert Faires ... a cat).

Of course, I have my own opinions :)

So here's my credential-free pick for Austin's Top Ten 2013 Theatre Experiences (p.s. I don't include national tours or shows I was in on this list... tours obvs. aren't Austin, and despite my first girl-on-girl kiss this year, its probably biased to nominate performances I was a part of). Of the over twenty shows I saw this year, here's some moments, people and experiences that I loved (in no particular order)...

1. Barbara Chisholm in Fixing King John. This was a fun, smart show by the Rude Mechs, and pulling her hair out in the middle of it was a brilliant Barbara Chisholm.

2. The amazing set of Nursery Crimes (the DAC has never been better utilized) and the supporting characters trio of Travis Bedard, Bobby DiPasquale, and Heath Thompson. Kudos to Last Act's Will Snider for some great choices.

3. Ryan Crowder's big fat crocodile tears (in addition to the rest of his performance) in Penfold Theatre's Red.

4. Martin Burke's final monologue in Harvey. Lovely.

5. Kristi Brawner in general. From Sally in Reefer Madness to Lucy in Charlie Brown, she is quickly becoming Austin's most versatile 20 Something (sorry guys, she's taken).

6. HPT's Ken Webster as Thom Pain. Again.

7. Mad Beat Hip & Gone. I cannot understand why this didn't get more critical attention. Whatev. You guys, it was great. And those lightbulbs...

8. The Drawbridge/Gangplank lowering and raising set piece thing in Austin Playhouse's Man of La Mancha. Awesome and daunting. Broke up the play and the mood perfectly appropriately.

9. Little Shop of Horrors' colorful costumes at Zilker Park.

10. ZACH's A Christmas Story set. You'll shoot your eye out.

AND what I really, really wanted to see (which might have influenced the above list), but, alas, life had other exciting adventures...

1. Mical Trejo in Teatro Vivo's Confessions of a Mexpatriate

2. And Then There Were None by Austin Playhouse

3. Tongues (in the swimming pool!) by Theatre at the J

4. Fat Pig by Theatre En Bloc

So there you have it! Of the Austin theatre events I saw, these were the most super-duper. Maybe next year I'll be brave enough to give you The Worst Of... who knows! In the meantime, here's looking forward to more great, funny, meaningful, important, silly theatre in the heart of Texas in 2014!

Nursery Crimes by Greg Klein, Last Act Theatre Company at Dougherty Arts Center, November 8 - 24, 2013

by Michael Meigs

Sara Cormier, David Boss (photo: Will Hollis Snider)

David Boss with his resonant baritone and weary dead-pan styling makes a fine Philip Marlowe, or, in acknowledgment of the film noir inspiration for playwright Greg Klein and the company, a good Bogey. 

Klein's play is an homage to that very distinctive style, so much so that the first half of the Kickstarter promo video was a 1940s-style dramatization with first-person narration, video-recorded in stark black and white by director Will Hollis Snider.

You could write a straight film noir play script and make it work; you could even do a parody version that could amuse both film buffs and the casual public. 

Klein's choice is different. He's soberly respectful of the genre as he mines his Mother Goose for characters. The protagonist sleuth is Jack Horner, and he's certainly sitting in his corner while his good-natured seen-it-all secretary Donna (presumably Mother) Hubbard (Peggy Schott) laboriously types his reports and answers his phone.


Sara Cormier is the attractive bad news that comes his way, asking for help. She's Bo Peep, and her sheep have disappeared. Her father's the farmer Old MacDonald (Travs Bedard). We run across some baddies, Jack (D. Heath Thompson) and Jill (Elena Weinberg), who use the cheerful dolt Humphrey aka Humpty (Bobby DiPasquale) for some of their bad business. Peggy Schott checks in also as Marjorie Daw; Bedard as the gruff avuncular cop Guy Blue; DiPasquale as Peter Piper; and Mary quite contrary (Weinberg) is hopelessly dependent upon her drug dealer boyfriend King Cole (Thompson). While the sleuth's nosing around through the underworld he runs across the three blind mice (DiPasquale, Thompson and Bedard). Double crosses, bad temper, murder, the big shadowy metropolis. You know. The city that never sleeps and kept hick middle-class America on the edge of its cinema seats.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

NURSERY CRIMES by Greg Klein, Last Act Theatre Company at the Dougherty Arts Center, November 8 - 24, 2013

presents

Nursery Crimes

Sara Cormier, David Boss (poster photo: Will Hollis Snider)

Written by Greg Klein

Directed by Will Hollis Snider

November 8 - 24

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m, Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

*Saturday, Nov. 9 and Friday, Nov. 15 are artist benefit nights. All ticket and concession sales go to the cast, crew and other artists who made this show possible.
*Thursday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 17 are “pay what you can” shows.

Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704

Tickets are $15. Student tickets are $12 with valid student ID. Tickets can be purchased online at https://secure.buyplaytix.com/lastacttheatre/reserve/nursery_crimes.html and at the door. Attendees can also reserve seats online and still pay at the door. Last Act Theatre Company accepts all major credit cards, cash and 

 checks.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and she doesn’t know where to find them. So, she turns to private eye Jack Horner to crack the case. But will it turn out to be more than he bargained for?

Quick dialogue moves this story full of childhood characters from what seems to be a humble beginning through a series of twists and turns, in a grown-up tale of murder, deceit and mystery.

Cast
David Boss - Jack Horner
Sara Cormier - Bo Peep
Peggy Schott - Donna Hubbard and Marjorie Daw
Elena Weinberg - Jill and Mary Contrary
Travis Bedard - Thomas McDonald, Guy Blue and Blind Mouse
Heath Thompson – Jack, Cole Kingsley and Blind Mouse
Bobby DiPasquale - Humpty Dumpty, Peter Piper and Blind Mouse

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Funding Appeal: Nursery Crimes by Greg Klein, Last Act Theatre Company

Kickstarter funding appeal for $5000 to help fund






production of
Nursery Crimes
by Greg Klein

via





[click Kickstarter logo to go to info/donations page]

Last Act Theatre Company is a local Austin theatre company that aims to produce works promoting local and independent artists. Nursery Crimes, written by Greg Klein, will mark the final play of our third full season, and will be directed by the talented and handsome Will Hollis Snider. Last Act has continued to grow with each production, and Nursery Crimes will be no different, taking place at the Dougherty Arts Center, November 7–24.

Nursery Crimes is a stylized crime noir parody using nursery rhyme characters. Bo Peep has lost her sheep, and it's up to Private Eye Jack Horner to find them. Quick dialogue moves the story from what seems a humble and straightforward beginning to a series of twists and turns, as these childhood characters are all grown up in this tale of deceit, murder, and mystery.

Auditions for Nursery Crimes by Greg Klein, Last Act Theatre Company, June 1 and 3 2013

Last Act Theatre Co. is seeking multiple actors of all ages and races for the premiere of their stylized crime noir, Nursery Crimes, and holding auditions over two days on Saturday, June 1, 10am – 2pm at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd (click for map )and on June 3, 6pm – 8:30pm at the Carver Library, 1165 Angelina (click for map ). Two audition times are available for actors that may have conflicts on either days. Callbacks will take place the following week, on June 8 and 10, same respective times.


Bo Peep has lost her sheep, and it’s up to Jack Horner to find them. While not his usual fare, Private Eye Jack Horner is a sucker for a damsel in distress. What seems like an open and shut case about a few missing sheep spirals into a world of deceit, murder, and mystery. Nursery Crimes features the gritty, underbelly versions of characters like Jack Horner, Bo Peep, and Humpty Dumpty that have no idea they are the subject of children’s poems.

Actors should bring a headshot and resume and come prepared with a one minute monologue.


Please email lastacttheatre@gmail.com to reserve an audition slot.


Rehearsals will begin in late September. Nursery Crimes is a brand new play, so the script will be workshopped between now and September. Actors will have the chance to help define their characters as well as help refine the pacing and dialogue of the script. Actors should ideally be available for one rehearsal a week between now and September.


Nursery Crimes runs November 7th - 24th at the Dougherty Arts Center, and is written by Greg Klein and will be directed by Will Hollis Snider. Compensation may be provided. Details to be determined.

Click to read a list of characters & descriptions at AustinLiveTheatre.com