This Week in Theatre: Scandalous!

There're a few shows running in Austin right now that are a tad on the scandalous side. Since we like scandal done with finesse, we're bringing them to your attention.

The Vortex has remounted one of its first big hits, Alan Bowne's Beirut. The original production put Vortex on the map as the place to go for cutting-edge, indeed bleeding-edge, work. With a script that's a tad dated but still meaty, the show explores the political, social, and emotional fallout of the AIDS crisis. It includes full nudity and sexually explicit material, all done to serve a story that's weighty and intense. Thu-Sun, 8pm, through 1/26. [Reservations: 478-5282]

On the lighter side, though only slightly, is a staged reading of Ayn Rand's The Night of January 16th, brought to you by Austin Shakespeare Fest and the Ayn Rand Institute, and staged in Ballet Austin's new Butler Dance Education Center, downtown. Loosely based on the life and death of Ivar Kreuger, this play caused something of a ripple when it was first published. A courtroom drama, it puts the verdict in the hands of the audience, with different endings based on how the votes tally. This weekend only, Wed/Sat at 7:30pm and Sun at 3pm. [Tickets]

For a complete listing of this week's offerings, check the Ist List.