The Sam Bass Community Theatre has seats for 52 in that modest structure on Lee Street in Round Rock, north of Austin. The building once served as the Union Pacific depot in town, and one assumes that there wasn't need to serve a lot of passengers. So this theatre can entertain a maximum of just a few more than 200 persons during each week, or about 800 during the course of the usual run. That will be the equivalent of two nights' capacity at the Zach's new Topfer Theatre, or just about 2½ nights at Travis High School performing arts center, where The Mikado has been playing.
Writing recently about the current remarkable season of Shakespeare in Austin, I called the Sam Bass "the little theatre that could," echoing the children's book about the little engine that huffed and puffed and made it to the very tip top of the mountain.Frank Benge's steam punk adaptation of The Tempest ran from May 20 to June 11. It was a triumph of concept and design, bringing into focus the astonishing talent on display at this modest but long-running theatre. [image: Susan Poe Dickson as Prospera, by Kevin Scholtes]
Betrayed and cast adrift... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! The sorceress Prospera, rightful Duchess of Milan, and her daughter, Miranda, have been stranded for twelve years on a magical island after Prospera's jealous sister Antonia, aided by Alonso, the King of Naples, deposed her and set her and her daughter adrift. From this remote island Prospera plots to restore her daughter Miranda to her rightful place, using her skills as a sorceress. When she learns that her sister, Antonia, is on an airship passing close by the island, she raises a storm that runs them aground. Antonia and her companions suddenly find themselves in a place unlike anything they have experienced before. The Tempest Project, adapted from William Shakespeare's The Tempest, by Frank Benge, is a steampunk fantasy of love, betrayal and revenge.
Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd (click for map)
February 24 - March 12, Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd (click for map)
Weird City Theatre Company announces the world premiere of Alvida & The Airship Pirates: A Steampunk Adventure! written & directed by WCT Artistic Director, John F. Carroll.
When Alvida runs away from an arranged marriage, she joins forces with her notorious pirate uncle and comes to lead an airship of vicious swashbuckling steampunk pirates. Featuring the music of Seattle-based band, Abney Park, the cast includes WCT familiar faces Patti Neff-Tiven, Kevin Gouldthorpe, Robert Berry, Bethany Harbaugh, Emily Hampton, Chris Romani, Javier Smith and in her first performance with Weird City, Bridget Farias.
Performances run February 24 – March 12, 2011 at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX. Performances are Thursday through Saturday nights at 8:00PM.
Thursday Nights are “Pay What You Wish” at the door. For all other performances, 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 encourage the growth of the artist and represent the uniqueness and vitality of Austin through re-envisioned classics and original works. Keeping a child-like sense of play, we focus on the process of the actor and we are playing our part to keep Austin weird!
Weird City Theatre is a sponsored project of the Greater Austin Creative Alliance, a nonprofit performing arts service organization.
