Upcoming: Insomnia, a musical comedy by Crank Collective at the Hideout Theatre, March 25 - April 10

UPDATE: KOOP-FM's Lisa Schepps interviews director John Cecil and the cast, and they perform two numbers from the show, March 22 (30 min.)

Found on-line:

Insomnia: A Musical Comedy

March 26 - April 10, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.

Hideout Theater, 617 Congress Avenue (Mainstage, first floor, not the improv space upstairs)

(Google directions and map) Running Time: 60 minutes

Ticket Price: $15, general admission; $12 student/senior

Tickets by Phone: 866-811-4111 or on-line at theatermania.com

• “Insomnia Patch activates the body’s own “alert centers,” creating a sense of well-being, enhancing productivity, and ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR SLEEP.”

Another light musical comedy from Crank Collective, who produced last year’s H1N1-themed Epidemic of Fear, The Influenzical. Insomnia is directed by John Cecil, and features Kacey Samiee, Joshua Meindertsma, Gail Hebert, Phil Rodriguez, Brett Tribe, Tracy Medberry and Kate Caldwell. Live music provided by Mikey Walters, Chris LaCava and the Hoyle Horns.

Crank Collective is a sponsored project of the Greater Austin Creative Alliance, a non-profit arts service organization, working to advance, connect and celebrate Austin's creative life. Insomnia is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division.

More information and media at www.insomniashow.com, or contact John Cecil at insomniapatch@gmail.com or 512-569-6155.


Cast: Brett Tribe, Kacey Samiee, Phil Rodriguez, Tracy Medberry, Josh Meindertsma, Gail Hebert, Kate Caldwell (click image for bios)

Video montage from the 2008 production of Insomnia in Bucharest



Crank Collective is a sponsored-project of Austin Circle of Theaters, and this project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division

Sordid Lives, Sam Bass Community Theatre, May 15 - June 6

Round Rock's Sam Bass Community Theatre isn't a formal repertory company. It's a circle of players, techs and supporters who gather for six or seven productions a year in the plain playing space that was formerly a Union Pacific depot.

As you follow the Sam Bass season, you have the pleasure of seeing familiar faces reappear in new guises and disguises. They're friendly folk; the cast always gathers outside the theatre to greet their departing public. As I was driving home afterwards, there popped into my mind all unbidden the scene in which Hamlet expresses his pleasure at re-encountering the band of traveling players.

The final production of the season is set in Winters, Texas. That's a town so small that when I found it on Google Maps I had to back out twice before I could orient myself. Winters is smack dab in the middle of the state, in a largely blank area about 20 miles south of Abilene. The inhabitants of Winters might well be considered "people of the land." That is, echoing Mel Brooks' dialogue for Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles: "You know -- morons."

The characters and incidents in Sordid Lives are ridiculous but very funny. We in the audience laugh with good heart at small-town dumbness, morality and immorality -- in fact, with a certain proprietary affection. We're in Texas and we know those stereotypes, folks who are the focus of many a joke.

This is a revenge play. Shores acknowledges that he grew up in the mercilessly parodied town of Winters.

Click to read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming, FronteraFest: Reality Check at Blue Theatre, January 24, 26, 30 and 31

Received January 27:

Reality Check
by John and Tracy Medberry
The Green Room Theatre

Would you bet it all for $10,000,000? Come watch as one lucky contestant will take that chance and run through the gauntlet of the courts--the most noble of creations, our Justice System--and pass the jury, the vicious judgmental jerks you are. Yes, you are the jury, and one of you…will be the accused. Let’s Play Reality Check!

At the Blue Theater, 916 Springdale Rd. Tickets $10.

Sat. 1/24 6:30pm Mon. 1/26 7:30pm
Fri. 1/30 9:15pm Sat. 1/31 2:15pm

Tickets for Reality Check