CYBERFEST, Ethos at the Vortex, September 20 - 28, 2013

ethos presents

Cyber-Fest 2013

An Audio-Visual Immersion Event
September 20-28, 2013 9 p.m.
Friday-Sunday, September 20-22 and Thursday-Saturday, September 26-28
Join us for cocktails with the artists after the shows
The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722 - click for map Free Parking. Bus Route. The Butterfly Bar@The VORTEX--open nightly at 5 pm
Tickets: $30-$10: $30 Priority Seating, $20 General Admission , $10 Artists/Students
Available at www.vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282. Advance Purchase Recommended.
Radical Rush—Limited Free tickets available nightly at 8pm.
The VORTEX rocks the doors wide open for CyberFest-- an audio-visual emersion event. This extraordinary live musical performance features fantastical costumes, stunning lighting, spectacular hyper-real imagery, cybernetic movement, and electronic music-- showcasing the original work of ethos, an Austin-based performance troupe headed by composer and visionary Chad Salvata. A blend of electronic media and live performance transcends a typical theatrical or musical experience. This concert-style show invites the audience to dance, drink, tweet, and take photos. In fact, there will be an Instagram photo contest during the performances. The Grand Prize will be a Cybernetic Makeover and photo session as well as a collection of ethos CDs.
Since 1995, Chad Salvata has been shaping ethos’ unique work and vision. CyberFest includes great songs from ethos’ award-winning cybernetic operas including The Black Blood, Panoptikon, Triskelion, and Elytra as well as Pythia Dust, Pink Sun, and The Dragonfly Queen. Additionally, CyberFest presents a sneak preview of three new songs from ethos’ upcoming film Octia of the Pink Ocean, the long-awaited sequel to Elytra and even a rocking new version of a Salvata classic, Invisible House. Over the past 20 years, ethos has received many B. Iden Payne Awards and Austin Critics’ Table Awards for Outstanding Original Scores, Costume Design, Performance, and Multi-media Excellence.
CyberFest features a cast of ethos all-stars including Melissa Vogt-Paterson, Anderson Dear, Betsy McCann, Eryn Gettys, JoBeth Henderson, Mick D’arcy, Justin LaVergne, Emerald Mystiek, Trey Deason, Gabriel Maldonado, Aisha Melhem, and Chad Salvata. With Tyler Mabry on Keyboards and Matthew Patterson on Percussion.
Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Video Design by Sergio R. Samayoa. Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Costume Coordination by Talena Martinez. Sound Design by Roy Talyor. Stage Management by Tamara L. Farley.
Tickets and more information www.vortexrep.org
CyberFest is funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company and by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Ethos/Vortex Rep Auditions of Male Singers for Retrospective, July 7, 2013

2703 Manor Rd.

*AUDITION NOTICE*

ethos seeks male performers of any ethnicity or age to sing several featured roles in CyberFest. Must be a singer. CyberFest is a retrospective of ethos work from 1995-present, directed by Bonnie Cullum. 

By appointment on Sunday, July 7thTo sign up for an audition slot, please contact: Bonnie Cullum at vortex@vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282.

Vortex Repertory Company, 2307 Manor Rd. - click for map

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Viper Vixens of 2012, Electronic Planet Ensemble at the Vortex, January 13 - 29

The Electronic Planet Ensemble are magic men -- I can say that since percussionist Rachel Fuhrer apparently has disappeared this year, leaving poet David Jewell, keyboardist Chad Salvata and bassist/video artist Sergio R. Samayoa to deliver this piece assisted by drummer Doug Marcis. I had to identify Marcis from the poster legend, since there was no program available at the Vortex this year.

Their January offering for 2012, Viper Vixens, falls far short of earlier Januaries: Planet of the Mermaids in 2011, Surfin' UFO in 2010 and Spaceman Dada Robot in 2009.

Even the mail art display in the Vortex's Butterfly Bar was much smaller and less imaginative than in earlier years, hung in the semi-darkness and literally overshadowed by the Betty Boop cartoon projected on the wall by the bar.

The EPE's strength has been projecting a sci-fi universe of mythic figures before our minds' eyes, using powered rhythms and David Jewell's hallucinatory lyrics. Samayoa's imaginative video creations served as springboards into that trippy world.

Not so this year.

Their music still rocks, but Viper Vixens of 2012 pretty much abandons Jewell, even though he's still right there out front, wearing a fine voluminous shiny gray polyester suit and wearing a red tie, working his fingertips over a laptop fuzzbox. During most of the hour's adventure you can't really hear what he's saying.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Ongoing: Vampyress by Chad Salvata, Ethos Productions at Vortex Repertory, october 15 - November 13

Found on-line:

Ethos
in association with VORTEX Repertory Company
announces the long-awaited revival of

Vampyress

an opera by Chad Salvata
directed by Bonnie Cullum

October 15 - November 13
at the Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd.

Free Parking. Bus Route. Café & Bar with beer, wine, and food.

Tickets 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.

Based on the true story of The Bloody Countess, Erzsebet Bathori, this original opera is a tale of horror, murder, and magic created by award-winning Ethos composer and designer Chad Salvata. Vampyress received accolades when it debuted at The Vortex in 2005, including winning B. Iden Payne Awards for Outstanding Original Score (Chad Salvata), Outstanding Lead Actress (Melissa Vogt-Patterson), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Betsy McCann).

Born in 16th-century Hungary, this Bloody Countess, Bathori, murdered hundreds of young women and bathed in their blood in order to sustain her youth and beauty. This historical figure has been both vilified and honored over the centuries. Salvata’s embellishment of her notorious downfall produces a powerful and mysterious work of storytelling.

Read more and view video at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Images by Kimberley Mead: Vampyress, ethos at Vortex Repertory, October 15 - November 13

Images by Kimberley Mead:

Ethos
in association with VORTEX Repertory Company
announces the long-awaited revival of

Vampyress

an opera by Chad Salvata
directed by Bonnie Cullum

October 15 - November 13
at the Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd.

Free Parking. Bus Route. Café & Bar with beer, wine, and food.

Tickets 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.

Based on the true story of The Bloody Countess, Erzsebet Bathori, this original opera is a tale of horror, murder, and magic created by award-winning Ethos composer and designer Chad Salvata. Vampyress received accolades when it debuted at The Vortex in 2005, including winning B. Iden Payne Awards for Outstanding Original Score (Chad Salvata), Outstanding Lead Actress (Melissa Vogt-Patterson), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Betsy McCann).

Click 'to view additional images at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .