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This Week in Theatre: Mud and The Pillowman
My how this city has grown. Austin used to be the kind of town where the summertime theatre offerings were slim pickings. Not so...not anymore. The joints are jumping, and this week is no exception. It's darn near impossible to offer a Pick of the Week, so this week we're suggesting not one but two productions we think you'll enjoy.
First, however, we need to report on some awards show shenanigans that went down earlier this week. Every summer the Austin Critics Table tips its hat to the most outstanding people and productions of the season. From theatre and dance to art and classical music, the honorees represent the best and brightest in Austin's arts community. The Austinist Theatre Desk took in the event on Monday night and even handed out a few awards. Robert Faires and Michael Barnes, masters of ceremony, kept things going at a zippy clip, making for a very fun evening. Oh, and the theatre monkeys got plenty drunnnk, and that's always a good time. Winners listed after the jump.
As to the present and what you can find in the footlights, there're two sure-fire winners opening this week. In exciting news for the entire theatre community, Salvage Vanguard Theater opens its first show in its officially completed, shiny new space. Jason Neulander and company are offering a boatload of programming including music on Tuesdays, film on Wednesdays, comedy late-nights on Saturdays, and play readings on Sundays. Most exciting of all, this Friday night they're opening Maria Irene Fornes' Mud, starring the always-excellent Jenny Larson, Jeffery Mills, and Robert Pierson. The story centers on Mae "an ironing spitfire" who lives with Lloyd, "a desperate simpleton suffering from an undiagnosed illness." Things get interesting when "a barely literate Henry enters their lives." With graphic sexual situations and language, we expect this to be a rather stark, bleak drama. Neulander himself directs, Graham Reynolds has whipped up an original score, and so much more. We have very high expectations for this production.
For lighter fare...or perhaps not...the recently lauded Ken Webster is helming Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman over at his hangout, Hyde Park Theatre. With an all-star cast that includes Webster and another one of our HPT faves, Kenneth Wayne Bradley, this "very dark comedy" is about "a short story writer (Jude Hickey) who must answer to the police when his horrifying--and unpublished--fictions begin to come true." When the cops begin to "question the writer's mentally impaired brother (Mark Pickell)," the screw is turned a few more times. Hyde Park does dark comedy exceedingly well, and we suspect this will be one you won't want to miss.
But oh, there's even more to be had in the big bad world of theatre this summer. The Vortex is producing Rob Nash's latest one-man show. Nash is an amazing performer and every show in his Holy Cross quadrilogy is a blast. The naughty folks over at Arts on Real are in the midst of The Full Monty. Zach Scott has a bilingual version of Jesus Christ Superstar up and running. It's a great time to be catching live theatre. Check the Ist Lists for details.
Mud
Thu-Sat, June 7-29 at 8pm
Salvage Vanguard Theater [map]
[tickets]
The Pillowman
Thu-Sat, June 7-30 at 8pm
Hyde Park Theatre [map]
Call 479-PLAY for reservations.
Austin Critics' Table Awards, 2006-2007
THEATRE
Production, Drama In On It, dirigo group
Production, Comedy The Assumption, Refraction Arts
Production, Musical Parade, Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Direction Marcus McQuirter, Funnyhouse of a Negro, Dave Steakley, I Am My Own Wife/Present
Laughter/Take Me Out
Acting in a Leading Role Jill Blackwood, As You Like It Breanna Stogner, I Love My Dead Gay Son/Psycho Beach Party Ken Webster, St. Nicholas/Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Acting in a Supporting Role Ron Berry, The Assumption, Quincy Kuykendall, Parade
Ensemble Performance Red Cans, RubberRepertory Company
David Mark Cohen New Play Award My Child, My Child, My Alien Child, Zell Miller III
Musical Direction Michael McKelvey, The Music Man/Seven Brides for Seven Brothers/Parade/Big River
Movement Robin Lewis, The Music Man/Seven Brides for Seven Brothers/Big River
Touring Show, Theatre Hamlet, Actors from the London Stage
DESIGN
Scenic Design Cliff Simon, Present Laughter, Chase Staggs, The Assumption/Macbeth
Costume Design Susan Branch, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers/Present Laughter Sarah Mosher, The Way of the World
Lighting Design Jason Amato, Requiem/I Am My Own Wife/The Souls of Our Feet/Take Me Out
Sound Design William Meadows, Requiem
Video Design K. Eliot Haynes, The Assumption
DANCE
Dance Concert Requiem, Blue Lapis Light, The Souls of Our Feet, Tapestry Dance Company
Short Work Room, Fuse Box Festival, Deborah Hay, Linda Austin, Tahni Holt
Choreographer Sharon Marroquin, Creative Process: Weekday 6:00AM, Hot September Flurries/Upstream, Suite...Peggy Lee/Prayer 1-4, Dance Carousel 2007
Dancer Theresa Hardy, Requiem, Aara Krumpe, Serenade/Golden Section, Nicole Whiteside, Requiem
Ensemble The Souls of Our Feet, Tapestry Dance Company
Touring Show, Dance The Bends of Life, Wideman/Davis Dance, Dance Umbrella
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Symphonic Performance Shostakovich: Symphony no. 13 Babi Yar, Nikita Storojev with Austin Symphony Orchestra
Chamber Performance Two to Tango: Nuevo Tangos of Astor Piazzolla, Austin Chamber Music Center
Choral Concert Crossing the Divide, Closing Gala Concert, Conspirare, et al.
Opera Waiting for the Barbarians, Austin Lyric Opera
Singer Phillip Hill, Plump Jack/Fall of the House of Usher, Richard Salter, Waiting for the Barbarians
Original Composition/Score DSCH & Symphony No. 5, Graham Reynolds
Instrumentalist Marianne Gedigian, flute, Liebermann: Flute Concerto, UT Symphony
Classical Ensemble Tosca String Quartet, Dialogues 2006/Dialogues 2007
Body of Work/Season Austin Chamber Music Center
ART
Museum Exhibition The Geometry of Hope, Blanton Museum of Art, Gabriel Perez-Barreiro curator
Solo Gallery Exhibition Michael Seiben: Smile Forever, Art Palace
Group Gallery Exhibition Celebrated Skin, Butridge Gallery, DAC, Christina Heitt, curator Take Me to Bed Or Lose Me Forever, Volitant Gallery, Leona Scull-Hons curator
Independent Project The "I" of Texas, Luke Savisky (First Night Austin), Texas Biennial 2007, Butridge Gallery, Okay Mountain, Site 1808, Bolm Studios
Work of Art Outside In installation, Elaine Bradford (Okay Mountain)
Gallery, Body of Work Okay Mountain
Artist Candace Briceno
Touring Show, Art e-Flux Video Rental, Arthouse
SPECIAL CITATIONS
John Bustin Award for Conspicuous Versatility Bernadette Nason
W.H. “Deacon” Crain Award for Outstanding Student Work Feliz Dia McDonald, Austin Community College, Daniel Adams, St. Edward's University, Corey Atkins, UT Theatre & Dance, Corey Jones, UT Theatre & Dance
Addition of Note Award Ed Kliman, for his musical participation in As You Like It, The Glass Menagerie, Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back and Big River
Good Us Award All of Austin for its involvement in the 365 Days/365 Plays project
Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time Award Ron Berry and Refraction Arts for the newly expanded Fuse Box Festival
All Hands on Deck Award Susan Threadgill and Vince Herrod, for calling Waiting for the Barbarians
Nothing Up My Sleeve Award Austin Lyric Opera for The Barber of Seville
UN Award for Achievement in Cooperative Musicmaking St. Cecilia Music series for the Bach Christmas Oratorio
Takin' It to the Streets Award Meredith Powell and the Austin Fine Arts Festival
