Austin Artists Nominated for 2011 Falstaff Awards, PlayShakespeare.com

The website www.PlayShakespeare.com has released the nominations and winners for its 2011 Falstaff awards honoring achevements in the production of Shakespeare and Shakespeare scholarship. Five Austin area artists are among those nominated, three of them for their work on Austin Shakespeare's Hamlet with Helen Merino.

PlayShakespeare.com writes,

Sweeping the awards with 8 wins and 1 nomination this year was the highly acclaimed Sleep No More, a collaboration with Punchdrunk and Emursive. An entire New York City building was transformed into an theatrical experience of Macbeth like no other. With over 100 rooms, sold out audiences donned eerie masks and experienced a highly choreographed performance close up, even interacting with the actors themselves. A Hitchcockian flair to sets, music, and lighting earned Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle awards for Best Director, Best Set Design and Best Lighting Design. Top honors for Best Principal Performance (Male and Female) went to Nicholas Bruder and Sophie Bortolussi.

Austin area artists appearing on the list:

Best Principal Performance, Male: Philip Kreyche as Othello for his No'Az Productions

Best Scenic Design: Marketa Fantova for As You Like It, Texas State University (now at Alfred University, New York)

Best Lighting Design: Jason Amato, Hamlet, Austin Shakespeare (click to view dress rehearsal images by Kimberley Mead)

Best Cosume Design: Pam Fletcher Friday, Hamlet, Austin Shakespeare

Best Choreography or Fight Direction: Toby Minor, Hamlet, Austin Shakespeare (click to view Austin Shakespeare video including brief excerpts of the final duel)

AustinLiveTheatre.com also nominated Pam Martin and Dawn Allee for their costuming of Henry V by the Baron's Men, providing a link to the company's promotional video for the production. PlayShakespeare.com editors compared it with Kimberley Mead's portfolio of 53 images for Austin Shakespeare's Hamlet and decided to favor the work by Pam Fletcher Friday.

Click to view the announcement and link to the full list of nominees and awards at PlayShakespeare.com . . . .

Upcoming: MilkMilk Lemonade, Shrewd Productions at the Hideout Theatre, September 8 - 25

Received directly:

presents

MilkMilk Lemonade

by Joshua Conkel

September 8 - 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m.

at the Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Avenue (click for map)

Tickets: $15-25 - Buy online

Meet Emory, an 11-year-old boy who lives on a farm with his chain-smoking Nanna and his only friend, a giant chicken named Linda. Nanna wishes Emory would put that barbie down, stop choreographing elaborate dance numbers and act more like a boy. Elliot, the bully down the road, wishes the parasitic twin living inside him would stop making him do awful things. Linda wishes she could pursue a career as a stand-up comedian instead of a main course meal. And Emory… he just wants to reach for the stars!

Shrewd Productions is proud to present this wickedly funny, delightfully strange and decidedly shrewd exploration of sex, gender, growing up - and how we fight to be who we are, no matter what.

Shrewd's production of MilkMilkLemonade in September of 2010 received 5 Austin Theatre Examiner nominations and 4 Austin Critics' Table nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress for Shannon Grounds and receiving a special citation award for Amelia Turner's makeup design. MilkMilkLemonade is directed by Jason Hays and stars Chris Hejl, Joe Hartman, Chris Humphrey, Shannon Grounds and Mike Slefinger, with set design by Nick Renaud, lights by Jon Derrington, sound by Bryan Schneider, makeup by Amelia Turner, choregraphy by Sharon Sparlin and costumes by Pam Friday.

“In this Shrewd Productions rendition of Joshua Conkel's play, the actors put themselves on the line, and the story stays with you after you leave."
- Barry Pineo - Austin Chronicle, "Top 10 Most Memorable Locally Produced Live Performance Offerings That I Chanced To See in 2010"

“by far the most non-stop hilarious show I have seen in a very, very long time."
- Olin Meadows, AustinOnstage.com

“A bizarre, but beautiful, journey into the world of youth...one of the most original, but delightful plays to hit the scene in some time“
- Ryan Johnson, Austin Theatre Examiner

"a touching and charismatic romp through childhood dreams and disillusions“

- Cate Blouke, Austin American-Statesman

Images by Kimberley Mead: Sleeping Beauty, Vortex Repertory, April 2 - May 9

Images by Kimberley Mead of cast members of Vortex's Sleeping Beauty, in costumes designed by Pam Fletcher Friday and Griffon Ramsey:


Sleeping Beauty
A magical musical faery tale
by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles
April 2-May 9 Thursdays-Sundays 8 p.m.
[right: Rowan, the Whispering Tree (Christina Childress)]

The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin 78722. Free Parking. Bus Route. Lovely café.
Tickets: $30-$10 Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org
$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. Limited seating. Advance purchase recommended.


[Above: Sanastra of the Pond (Dara Allen)]

VORTEX Repertory Company proudly presents Sleeping Beauty, a magical new musical by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles. This dynamic production joins the musical theatre cannon with a feminist, revisionist re-telling of a well-beloved faery tale. This production is accessible for all ages.

Conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum. Musical Direction by Content Love Knowles. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Costume Design by Pam Fletcher Friday and Griffon Ramsey. Sound Design by Roy Taylor. Photography by Kimberley Mead.

See additional images at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Sleeping Beauty, Vortex Repertory, April 2 - May 9

UPDATE: The Vortex has extended Sleeping Beauty to May 9

Click for ALT review, April 11

UPDATE: Review by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, Austin Statesman's "Seeing Things" blog, April 8

UPDATE: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin interviews Bonnie Cullum about Sleeping Beauty, April 1

UPDATE: Lisa Schepps on KOOP-FM interviews leading singer-actors Jonathan Itchon and Julia Lorenz, as well as creators Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles on her program "Off Stage and On the Air," March 29

Received directly:

Vortex Repertory Company
presents

Sleeping Beauty

A new musical faery tale
by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles
April 2 - May 9 Thursdays-Sundays 8 p.m.
ASL-Interpreted Saturday, May 10, 2010
Audio Description Saturday, May 17, 2010
Faery Masque Ball on Saturday, May 1
The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin 78722. Free Parking. Bus Route. Lovely café.

Tickets: $30-$10 Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org
$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. Limited seating.

VORTEX Repertory Company proudly presents Sleeping Beauty, a magical new musical by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles. Loosely based on the Grimm Brothers’ faery tale, this dynamic production joins the musical theatre cannon with a feminist, revisionist re-telling of a well-beloved faery tale. While this production is not designed for children (scary faeries), we welcome audiences of all ages (PG-13 with no nudity or foul language). This is not your mama’s faery tale.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .