The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Weird City Theatre Company, July 16 - 26

Here's what I like about John Carroll and the Weird City Theatre Company: they have a sense of fun that's irreverent and modern, but they take their drama seriously.

Necessarily low-rent but not sloppy, the company performs with energy, confidence, and an appreciation for the text, whatever it might be. They have a taste for pop -- we've seen an adaptation of Night of the Living Dead, a faithful production of William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes, and around Halloween we'll get their take on Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau's 1921 unathorized film version of Dracula.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals from 1775 is pop of a different sort. Sheridan, born into a theatrical family and married for love. The success at Covent Garden of this, his first play, spurred him to buy out Garrick's Drury Lane and subsequently to run successfully for Parliament. It's a comedy of manners in which Jack, an artistocratic military officer, disguises his well born origins in order to court Miss Lydia Languish, a dizzy heiress beguiled by popular novels and intent on forfeiting her ample trust fund by marrying poor, for love.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: The Rivals, Weird City Theatre Company, July 16-26

UPDATE: Click for ALT review, July 31

UPDATE: Review by Hannah Kenah in the Austin Chronicle, July 24

UPDATE: Review by Ryan E. Johnson at examiner.com, July 21

Received directly:

Weird City Theatre Company to produce

THE RIVALS

Weird City Theatre Company to produce an adaptation of THE RIVALS, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and directed by John F. Carroll. The WCT adaptation takes the classic comedy out of the 18th Century and into the 1980s with a great deal of inspiration coming from the films of John Hughes.

Performances run July 16—July 26, 2009. Performances will take place at the Dougherty Arts Center, 110 Barton Springs Road, in Austin, Thursday through Saturday night at 7:00PM and Sundays at 3:00PM.

Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $12.00 for children, seniors and students (with ID), and group rates are available. Tickets can be purchased at our website, www.weirdcitytheatre.com, or by calling 512.745.2636

Weird City Theatre's mission is to encouraging the growth of the artist and represent the uniqueness and vitality of Austin through re-envisioned classics and original works, cross-media, and merging a new audience with the traditional. Keeping a child-like since of play, we focus on the process of the actor and are playing our part to keep Austin weird!

Weird City Theatre is a sponsored project of Austin Circle of Theatres, a non-profit performing arts service organization.

Upcoming: Fundraiser for Weird City Theatre Company, Blue Theatre, Jun 20

Received by e-mail:

Hi Everyone,

Weird City Theatre Company will be holding our first Fund raising event on June 20, 2009 at the Blue Theatre. The fundraiser is our "Totally Awesome '80s Dance Party" to coincide with the concept of our upcoming production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals.

You are welcome (and encouraged) to bring friends, co-workers, family, take pictures for publication, etc.

The fundraiser will be at the BLUE THEATRE, 916 Springdale Road (just north of 7th Street, a couple miles east of I-35), from 6PM until 12:00AM on Saturday June 20. General Tickets are $5.00 at the door (cash only), and we will serve beverages, for a suggested donation, and hors d'oeuvres.

Donations to the company are tax-deductible and we can accept cash or checks.

There will also be a raffle during the evening. The WCT Fundraiser is family friendly, and we encourage all to come. We will be playing music from the '80s and encourage guests to put on the radist '80s attire and come on out!

Please find attached a press photo from our upcoming production of The Rivals and our new logo.

If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely, --

John Carroll
Weird City Theatre Artistic Director

Richard Brinsley Sheridan's THE RIVALS
July 13 through July 26, 2009
Dougherty Arts Center
Tickets on sale soon!

Check us out on the web:

www.weirdcitytheatre.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/WeirdCityTheatre
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weird-City-Theatre/65641856436?ref=mf www.myspace.com/weirdcitytheatre

Auditions for The Rivals, Weird CIty Theatre Company

As published on Austin.com:

Open Auditions for The Rivals at Weird City Theater

Written by Dan Viotto

Auditions to be held on Tuesday May 19th. Wierd City Theater is calling out to all you budding thespians in the area in the hopes that you want your moment in the spotlight. Auditions for the upcoming performance of The Rivals will take place on Tuesday May 19th, but actors will need to arrange for the audition before the fact. Auditions will be held at the theater offices of Austin Circle of Theaters located at 701 Tillery Street in East Austin. To schedule your audition, please send an email to weirdcitytheater@gmail.com.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The Rivals is written by Richard Brinsly Sheridan and directed by John F Carroll. Performances run July 13 —July 26, 2009. Performances will take place at the Dougherty Arts Center, 110 Barton Springs Road, in Austin, Thursday through Saturday night at 7:00PM and Sundays at 3:00PM. Weird City Theatre Company is a sponsored project of Austin Circle of Theatres, a non-profit performing arts service organization. Weird City Theatre's mission is to encourage the growth of the artist and represent the uniqueness and vitality of Austin through re-envisioned classics and original works, cross-media, and merging a new audience with the traditional. Keeping a child-like since of play, they focus on the process of the actor and are playing their part to keep Austin weird! For more information visit the theater's website.