Opinion: Dan Solomon's Top 10 Arts Events of 2012, Austin Chronicle

In today's weekly Austin Chronicle:

Top 10 Arts Events of 2012

Remembering the year onstage in dynamic acting, atmospheric design, and unexpected beauty

By Dan Solomon, Fri., Jan. 4, 2013

in no order:

Zac Crofford (Trouble Puppet Theatre Co.)

1) FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY FOR 'TOIL AND TROUBLE' (Trouble Puppet Theater Company) Trouble Puppet has proven itself good at everything, and when it pulls off the unexpected – like compelling, well-articulated stage combat – it just serves notice that they're still finding new ways to impress you.

2) NOEL GAULIN IN EVERYTHING Gaulin had a hell of a year – screaming, jumping, moving-as-if-on-strings, and otherwise turning himself into a live-action cartoon character in The Bear, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Vodka, Fucking, and Television.

3) RACHEL WEISE'S DIRECTION Yeah, my wife wrote one of the lovely plays Weise directed this year, The Man Who Planted Trees. But I also loved her staging of The Bear by Anton Chekhov, and I've never even met him.

4) THE SCRIPT FOR 'MESSENGER NO. 4 (OR ... HOW TO SURVIVE A GREEK TRAGEDY)' (Cambiare Productions) Will Hollis Snider's charming and inventive epic blended Back to the Future, The Matrix, and Euripedes into something altogether new.

5) THE FINAL MINUTES OF 'JUBILEE' (Rub­ber Repertory) Making your cast jump up and down for an interminable amount of time sounds boring, and making boring-sounding things beautiful was what Jubilee did best.

6) THE ATMOSPHERE OF 'DREAM CABINET' (Salvage Vanguard Theater) Few productions set a mood more effectively.

7) EVERYTHING ABOUT 'LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL' (Summer Stock Austin) I'm not made of stone, you guys.

8) BETH BRODERICK IN 'JUST OUTSIDE REDEMPTION' (Theatre en Bloc) Broderick stole every scene by balancing charm, humor, and gravity.

9) KACY TODD IN 'HOLIER THAN THOU' (Poison Apple Initiative) Todd carried the emotional climax of a play consisting of interconnected monologues – no mean feat.

10) SOUND DESIGN FOR 'SPACESTATION1985' (Natalie George Presents) I didn't love the play, but the sound by Buzz Moran made the outer space setting come to life.

Profile: Matt Hislope and Josh Meyer of Rubber Repertory, by Dan Solomon for the Austin Chronicle

From today's edition:

Discomfort Zone

How far can Rubber Repertory push you?

by Dan Solomon, Fri., April 13, 2012

When Rubber Repertory started auditioning for its new show – the company's last before an "indeterminate hiatus" as half of its producing duo moves to Los Angeles – they didn't know much of anything about what they'd be putting on stage. "Our one thing was that we didn't want audience participation," co-Artistic Director Matt Hislope says.

"We wanted to put on a show," his creative partner, Josh Meyer – the moving-to-California half of the duo – adds. To help them create the performance that is Jubilee, running now at the Off Center, they looked to cast 10 people they'd never worked with before – but whom they trusted to follow them wherever they might be going.

"One of the reasons this group was selected was that they were literally up for anything," Meyer says. "We knew they'd be game for going on this journey with us. They seemed willing to go anywhere. They were all really committed." At this point in the company's career, Rubber Repertory is likely to attract the sort of performers who find being "up for anything" and "going on a journey" to be especially appealing: This is the company that built its reputation on performances including the "X-rated self-help odyssey" Mister Z Loves Company, the outright pornographic A Thought in Three Parts, and the audience-participatory performance pieces Biography of Physical Sensation – which involved an audience member wearing a vibrator throughout the duration of the show, among other experiences – and The Casket of Passing Fancy, in which audience members were offered opportunities like "Who wants to be made into a sandwich and eaten?" and "Who wants a one-on-one yoga session in the nude?"

Read more at the Austin Chronicle on-line . . . .

Cast Photos: Jubilee, Rubber Repertory at the Off Center, April 5 - 21

From

: photos from of the cast of *JUBILEE*

directed by Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope

featuring Eva Claycomb, Arthur Simone, Jen Brown, Jay Byrd, Steven Fitzpatrick, Anna Marcella McConnell, Sophie Ricketts, Susan Peterson, Paul Szent-Miklosy, Jacob Trussell

April 5-21, Thursdays-Sundays at 8 p. m.
The Off Center, 2211 Hidalgo St. Austin, TX 78702 (click for map)

Tickets: $15. Thursdays are pay-what-you-wish (at the door).
Order online ($16.52 including fees) at

or call 1-800-838-3006

Ages 16 and up

Lighting: Steven Shirey -- Costumes: Company

Click to view additional photos from Rubber Repertory at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . . .

Upcoming: Jubilee, a group work by Rubber Repertory at the Off Center, April 5 - 21

presents

*JUBILEE*

directed by Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope

featuring Eva Claycomb, Arthur Simone, Jen Brown, Jay Byrd, Steven Fitzpatrick, Anna Marcella McConnell, Sophie Ricketts, Susan Peterson, Paul Szent-Miklosy, Jacob Trussell

April 5-21, Thursdays-Sundays at 8 p. m.
The Off Center, 2211 Hidalgo St. Austin, TX 78702 (click for map)
Tickets: $15. Thursdays are pay-what-you-wish (at the door).
Order online ($16.52 including fees) at

or call 1-800-838-3006.
Ages 16 and up

Lighting: Steven Shirey -- Costumes: Company


What shall we sing this tenth year? What movements shall we make? What skits shall we perform? This will be Rubber Repertory’s last show before an indeterminate hiatus, and we’re looking for more than just a good idea; we’re looking for atonement. We want to find the very proper time to sound the trumpet. We want to put on the clothes that will make us disappear. We want to arrange our bodies in a way that gives real comfort. Part dance and all devotion, JUBILEE is a nonstop, non-narrative, and non-denominational leap of faith. [NOTE: To carnal minds we may appear to act absurdly, but the path of duty is rarely the path of safety.]

“What's wonderful about Rubber Repertory is that they take the concepts, the tenets, the expectations of theatre, and blow them out of the water.” -Avimaan Syam, Austin Chronicle

ABOUT RUBBER REPERTORY Since 2002, Co-Directors Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope have created some of the most unique theatre in Texas. With shows such as Biography of Physical Sensation, The Casket of Passing Fancy (2007 Rockefeller MAP Fund grant), Surprise Annie, RED CANS, and the American premiere of Wallace Shawn's notoriously "unstageable" A Thought in Three Parts, Rubber Rep pushes boundaries and creates work that's high on invention and surprise. Their productions have garnered B. Iden Payne and Austin Critics Table Awards for "Outstanding Theatrical Innovation," "Outstanding Direction," "Unique Theatrical Experience," and "Outstanding Late-Night Adventure." For more information, visit www.rubberrep.org.

Arts Reporting: Backstage.com on Austin Theatre (Mostly A Puff Piece for Zach), November 17

Following up a Zach tweet:

ZACH and Other Theaters Make Austin a Magnet for Talent

By Doug Strassler November 17, 2011

Austin, the capital city of the Lone Star State, has plenty going for it. Kiplinger magazine ranked it number one on its "Best Cities 2010" list, and the city is third on CNNMoney.com's roster of "America's Most Recession-Proof Cities."

Clearly, Austin is doing something right. It has long been defined by its music scene, which is how it became home to the popular and growing South by Southwest festival. But Austin has emerged as more than just a base for music. In fact, it has become a mecca for theatrical and visual arts as well. So what makes the city such a bastion of creative energy?

"Historically, you can blame the University of Texas," says Robert Faires, senior arts editor of The Austin Chronicle. "Since the 1880s, it's been drawing creative types from all over the state—most of whom felt like lonely outsiders in their small hometowns—to this spot in the heart of Texas. They all discover one another here and begin to interact, and then the creativity just begins breeding. Because it's so fulfilling for them creatively here, they decide not to leave."

"We're a blue oasis in a red state," echoes Dave Steakley, the producing artistic director of Austin theater ZACH for more than 20 years. "People, even politicians, come from the conservative parts of the state to be their true selves. It's an unbelievably desirable place to live."

If there is anyone who has his finger on Austin's artistic pulse, it's Steakley, who has shepherded ZACH to its position as the linchpin of the Austin arts scene. [. . .]

Click to read more at Backstage.com . . . .

Auditions for Uncompleted Works, Rubber Repertory, November 19

Found on-line:

is holding open auditions for

UNCOMPLETED WORKS 2002-2016

Saturday, November 19 · 10:00am - 5:00pm

Circus Tent Theatre, 6404 Hergotz Lane (click for map)


The show will rehearse Sunday through Thursday evenings in January, February, and March, with performances April 5-21 at the Off Center.

Performers must be available for all rehearsals and performances. Performers need not be actors. Dancers, musicians, and visual artists are equally welcome, but you will be expected to step outside your area of expertise and work as an ensemble. The work will often be difficult, sometimes be fun, and only occasionally be creative. We really have no idea what we're doing or how to do it. Be up for mind games, physical discomfort, singing, dancing, screaming, sexuality, learning a foreign language, uncomfortable closeness, and pot luck dinners. No promises, but anything's possible. Performers will receive stipends of at least $300.

Auditions will be scheduled in one hour increments from 10am-5pm on November 19th. Please email rubberrep@gmail.com to schedule a time. You will be asked to prepare 2 minutes of something from the above list.

Upcoming: Surprise Annie, Annie La Ganga and Rubber Repertory, October 6 - 29

Received directly:

presents

SURPRISE ANNIE

starring Annie La Ganga
directed by Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope


October 6 - 29
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8.pm.,
with a special 7 p.m .performance on October 27

at 12 surprise venues. Ticketholders will be notified of the venue approximately 24 hours before each performance.

tickets: Sliding scale $15-$30, available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/196590.


You're familiar with Annie La Ganga, right?
No?

She's a writer, a stand-up comic, a spoken word artist, an improvisational monologist, and one of our all-time favorite Austin performers. And not just ours:

"Funny and moving and very real, insanely candid." -Dave Eggers, McSweeney's

I laughed, often uproariously, once or twice uncontrollably, for close to an hour." -Barry Pineo, Austin Chronicle

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Biography of Physical Sensation, Rubber Repertory at Fusebox Festival, April 21 - 30

Received directly:

Rubber Repertory, in association with Fusebox Festival

proudly presents

BIOGRAPHY OF PHYSICAL SENSATION

directed by Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope
based on the life of Jamie Damon
set design by Lisa Laratta
featuring Katie Van Winkle, Rebecca Beegle, Taylor Flanagan, Matt Hislope, and Josh Meyer

7 encore performances! April 21-23, April 27-30.

Wed. and Thurs. performances are at 8pm. Fri. and Sat. are at 7pm.

The Off Shoot, 2211 Hidalgo St.,Austin, TX 78702

TICKETS: $15. Available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163864.

VIDEO TRAILER: http://vimeo.com/21604712

"What's wonderful about Rubber Repertory is that they take the concepts, the tenets, the expectations of theatre, and blow them out of the water." -- Austin Chronicle

The biography is BACK. Rubber Repertory's hit show invites an audience of 35 to experience a human life through actual tastes, touches, smells, and sounds. This reinvention of the traditional biography forgoes narrative in favor of pure physical experience, placing audience members in the center of over a hundred pivotal moments of perception.

Each person who attends is invited to choose from seats of three different sizes. The size of your seat dictates the intensity of sensations you're willing to receive. Those in the smallest seats will receive low-intensity sensations--the smell of lavender and stale cigarettes, for instance--while those in the larger seats expose themselves to far livelier thrills. Once the show begins, it's a fast and feely ride through puberty and pork chops, gunshots and tetherball, party whistles and old pianos, rehabilitation and lemon cake. In other words: life itself.

BIOGRAPHY OF PHYSICAL SENSATION is based on the life of Jamie Damon, one of over 50 people who interviewed at Fusebox 2010 to be the subject of the show.

View images at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Biography of Physical Sensation, Rubber Repertory at Salvage Vanguard Theatre, October 14 - 30

UPDATE: Feature by Cate Blouke for the Austin Statesman, October 13

UPDATE: "The Care of Feeding of Audiences," Travis Bedard's anticipation of the participatory experience, CambiareProductions.com, October 14

UPDATE: Review by Cate Blouke for the Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog, October 19

UPDATE: Reflections by Sarah Coleman at the UT blog Performing Arts Management, October 19

UPDATE: Review by Avimaan Syam for the Austin Chronicle, October 21

UPDATE: Bastion Carboni and Georgia Young discuss their experiences at the same performance for austinist.com, October 21

Received directly:

The Rubber Repertory in association withg the Salvage Vanguard Theatre

proudly presents

Biography of Physical Sensation

Based on the life of Jamie Damon

Directed by Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope

October 14-30, Thursdays-Sundays at 8 p.m.

Salvage Vanguard Theater 2803 Manor Rd.

Featuring Jenny Larson, Katie Van Winkle, Matt Hislope, Josh Meyer, and Marcella Garcia.

Lighting Design by Megan Reilly

Tickets: Order online here, or call 1-800-838-3006

YOU PICK YOUR PRICE $15-$25

Very limited seating – 40 seats per performance. Advance purchase recommended.

In their first new show since The Casket of Passing Fancy, Rubber Repertory pushes the limits of audience participation to even more fateful extremes. Each night, an audience of 40 will be given the chance to experience a human life through actual tastes, touches, smells, and sounds. This reinvention of the traditional biography forgoes narrative in favor of pure physical experience, placing audience members in the center of over a hundred pivotal moments of perception.


Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Rubber Repertory Seeks Candidates for 'Your Life,' Interviews April 23 - 25

Received directly:

[photo by Marjory Collins]







Calling all self-aware sensualists!
Calling all erudite explorers of their own existence!
Calling all those who submit to solipsism!

Rubber Repertory wants to give you an extraordinary experience: the chance to have an entire show based on YOUR LIFE. On April 23rd-25th, the gentlemen of RR will be conducting dozens of 10-minute interviews to select a subject for a new work that will premiere at Salvage Vanguard Theatre in October. They'll ask you some questions, tell you some secrets, and administer a few simple tests that won't hurt a bit. A handful of finalists will be invited back later in the week for a more rigorous examination, and then one lucky person will be selected to have their pains/pleasures made abstract/immortal.

Please bring:
your oldest article of clothing
a sample from a journal or diary entry
something that smells like you (will not be returned)
a donation to support the development of the show

Appointment times:
April 23: 6 p.m. -10 p.m.; April 24: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; April 25: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Interviews by appointment at Salvage Vanguard Theatre: rubberrep@gmail.com

PROUDLY PART OF THE 2010 and 2011 FUSEBOX FESTIVAL.
--
www.rubberrep.org
www.fuseboxfestival.com
www.salvagevanguard.org

Upcoming: Mr Z Loves Company, Rubber Repertory at the Vortex

UPDATE: Review of Mr Z Loves Company by Wayne Alan Brenner in Austin Chronicle of April 16




Received March 2:

RUBBER REPERTORY proudly presents:
Mister Z Loves Company
An X-Rated Self-Help Odyssey
Created and Directed by Matt Hislope and Josh Meyer
Produced in association with VORTEX Repertory Company and the Fusebox Festival.

"Mister Z Loves Company takes the topic [of sex] beyond the limits of taste previously witnessed in Austin theater." --Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman

Look out! Rubber Repertory strikes again with a revival of their cult hit from 2003. Join the immaculately dressed Mister Z and his chorus of naughty maids for an evening of musical comedy thrills and performance art spills that are definitely not for the squeamish. With the help of two tiny organs, an old steamer trunk, and an army of phallic substitutions, Mister Z's id will be unleashed in ways you'll never forget. Adults only.

The cast of Mister Z Loves Company includes Rubber Repertory Co-Artistic Directors Matt Hislope and Josh Meyer in the title roles, with Amie Elyn, Carlos Treviño, Andreá Smith, Angelica Mcauley, Mikaela Thomas, and David Yeakle as the naughty maids. Featuring a whimsical original score by Adam Sultan and scenic design by Lowell Bartholomee.

At The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 Friday, April 10-Saturday, April 25. Thursday-Sunday at 8pm.
Tickets: Pick-Your-Price: $30-$10 $30-$25 Priority Seating, $20-$15 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists
Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org Limited seating. Advance purchase recommended.

ABOUT RUBBER REPERTORY Since 2002, Co-Directors Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope have created some of the most unique theatre in Texas. With shows such as The Casket of Passing Fancy (2007 Rockefeller MAP Fund grant), RED CANS, At Home With Dick, and the American premiere of Wallace Shawn's notoriously "unstageable" A Thought in Three Parts, Rubber Rep constantly pushes boundaries and creates work that's high on invention and surprise. Their productions have garnered B. Iden Payne and Austin Critics Table Awards for "Outstanding Theatrical Innovation," "Outstanding Direction," "Unique Theatrical Experience," and "Outstanding Late-Night Adventure." For more information, visit www.rubberrep.org.

Rubber Rep photos from the 2003 production

Rubber Rep photomontage from 2003 production

Reviews: The Casket of Passing Fancy, Rubber Repertory, October 10 - November 1

UPDATE: Barry Pineo describes his experience, Austin Chronicle of October 24

UPDATE: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin's three questions for Matt Hislope, October 15

UPDATE: SaraMarie's review from Austinist.com, ca. October 14

UPDATE: Review in the Austin 360 (Austin Statesman) by Joey Siler, October 13

UPDATE: Rubber Rep blog with images and postings of the offers chosen to date, performed and then discarded

Pre-opening article by Wayne Allen Brenner in the Austin Chronicle, October 9, including interview with show organizers Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope

Received on September 20 - -

"The Rubber Repertory presents The Casket of Passing Fancy October 10 - November 1, Thursdays - Sundays at 8:00 p.m.
at the Blue Theatre, 916 Springdale Rd. East Austin

"At last! The Duchess is ready to make her offers, and a lifetime of regret is on the line. In this dizzyingly intricate new production, Rubber Repertory sets out to do nothing less than fulfill every audience member's deepest desire."

"The rules of the game are simple. Those who dare to sit in the Duchess's parlour will be given the chance to claim one of 500 remarkable experiences. Pick one, pick wisely, come early, play often: Once an offer has been accepted, it will be eliminated from the show forever."

"Over a year in the making, The Casket of Passing Fancy combines elements of Victorian parlour games, performance art, and live auctions to create a show that will be different for everyone who attends. You may find yourself exploring an unconscionable taboo or reveling in the beauty of the mundane. Your experience may last 5 minutes or 50 years. Your choice may bring pain or pleasure, sickness or health, sweetness or sour."

"All that's certain is that some will win, and some will lose, but no one will emerge unchanged."

"Featuring Carlos Treviño, Kris Olson, Thomas Graves, Joe Hartman, Silky Shoemaker, Matt Hislope, Paul Soileau, Rebecca Beegle, Michelle Flanagan, Taylor Flanagan, Heather Barfield Cole, and Jennifer Underwood as 'The Duchess.' "

"This show is made possible through generous support from the Rockefeller Foundation MAP Fund."

"NOTE: No one under 18 years old will be admitted."

"Tickets: Order online at brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800-838-3006. YOU PICK YOUR PRICE: $15-$25. Only 30 seats per night. Advance purchase recommended. Info Line (512) 470-1735"

"Website http://www.rubberrep.org
Contact Josh Meyer (512) 470-1735
rubberrep@gmail.com"



Organizers Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope
(Photo by Celesta Danger, published in Austin Chronicle of October 9)