Off Like a Prom Dress: This Week in Theatre!
Off like a prom dress indeed. This summer, theatre in the A-burg is gonna get all raucous on yah ass. The newbies, the small, feisty, ain’t-takin’-no-shit-from-the-man performance companies du resistance are all comin’ outta the woodwork to rock your sweet casbah.
With that in mind, our Austinist pick of the week is Minus Tide. It’s a co-produced effort from Bayou Radio Productions (which isn’t too dissimilar from the dirigo group) and Austin fringe heroes, the Rude Mechs – presented as part of the Mechanicals’ 2nd Stage series. From the preview on this piece in today’s Chronicle, we learned that Kimberly Burke, the playwright, just got back from a year-long residency at the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis – not too shabby. She worked the crap outta this piece while she was up there (we wonder if this will make the play seem colder, with more odd Scandinavian references…probably not), and now it’s directed by Ellie McBride – last seen directing Kirk Lynn’s The Jinn. Sounds like it’ll be well worth your time. Tickets info, and all that at the Rude Mechs website. Onto everything else that’s surfacing this weekend…
CATASTROPHE THEORY/TALENT SHOW 1989
Though, as far as we can tell, these two productions have nothing to do with each other, they’re being co-presented at the play! Theatre, opening this weekend. Catastrophe comes from Austin notable Stephen Pruitt – he actually made Best of Fest with this piece in 2005, if any of you can remember a short fringe piece from that long ago. We do, and, while it looked a little under-rehearsed at the time, we can only imagine the last year and half have done good things for tightening the piece up some. We’re pumped to see this new, extended version.
Talent Show comes from the Get Along Gang. This group is very new in town, but Zenobia Taylor – director of Talent Show – has already turned a few heads (including ours) with her choreography at 10min MAX and at Frontera Fest’s Long Fringe. Plus, it’s set in the 80s, plus it’s about a middle school talent show. Score. Info on both shows can be found at the play! Theatre website. We’ll be checking it out this weekend, so check back next week for our thoughts!
And yes, there’s way more after la jump.
UN MAL DIA
Speaking of mal, he’s a little mea culpa for ya. We somehow completely missed this show’s opening last weekend. Don’t hate on us, Austin, don’t hate. Proyecto Teatro produces this Argentinean comedy about Juan, a movie he’s making, and his little friend Pepito who’s apparently light in the loafers (or, at least, that's what's heavily suggested). Pepito dresses up like a priest to try and trick Juan into casting him as the priest character in the aforementioned movie. We feel this is totally, completely implausible. How could Juan ever believe that a priest could be gay/even appear the slightest bit gay, or would ever knowingly deceive others for personal gain? That just doesn’t happen. That goes against God’s law. He would never…ok…that’s enough, Austinist, that’s enough. We’ll stop rambling nonsense that has next to nothing to do with this fine production. It’s gonna be funny. This show is in Spanish, and closes this weekend. Check the website for details.
YOU'RE NO ONE'S NOTHING SPECIAL and LONELY
Two shows for the price of one! Ok, they’re short shows, but still. They’re both about love, and written by Ann Marie Healey. She’s the one who wrote HPT's Something Someone Someplace Else, for any of you that were in Austin back in 2003. If you’ve happened on the poster for this show, you’ve seen two young, half-naked actors on it. Has anyone else noticed that this has become quite the trend around Austin recently? Tell us, especially all of you who don’t go see theatre, are you more likely to go see a play if it looks like someone’s gettin’ nekked? (Note to all, the nakedness on the posters has rarely led to nakedness on stage…FYI.) Both shows are directed by Ken Webster and feature Heather Huggins, Noah Neal, Marisa Pisano, Kelli Bland and Michelle Keffe. More info at Hyde Park’s website.
BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS
Shut up and see it. It’s a classic. It’s won Tony awards, for chrissake! Besides, those folk over at the Austin Playhouse sure do know how to rub yer funny bone juuuuuuuuust right. We also happen to know that a miss Jacqui Cross (among other Austin notables) is performing in said production, which will undoubtedly make it all the more watchable. Check it out. Tickets and info at the Austin Playhouse website.
And then, of course, there's shows still running from last week.
THE 24th DAY
Naughty Austin at Arts on Real.
4:48 PSYCHOSIS
Read our review. Vortex Repertory Company and Renaissance Austin Theatre Co at The VORTEX. Through May 28th. Tickets and info at the Vortex website or by calling 478-LAVA.
THE MISFIT
Alex Garza and Starlex Theatre at The VORTEX. Call 478-LAVA, or join visit with those Vortexians online style for tickets and info galore.
BAD DATES, presented by Zach Scott Theatre. Tickets and info. Held over through June 28th! -- featuring the now uninjured Helen Merino!
Photo by Jan Sundstedt at Stock Exchange.
