Fielding Lecht Gallery, which specializes in the contemporary art of Vietnam, closes on the the 22nd of this month. It's unfortunate for Austin, but, as gallery co-owner Pam Fielding explains, the art scene in Vietnam is currently such hot hotness that, "the inventory we have here is needed back in Hanoi." Ergo, if you had hoped to visit the show Five Changing Identities: Vietnamese Women of Today, you best run your badonkadonk over to Congress Avenue post haste.

Though before you do...there's not only a wonderful Statesman gallery overview available, but also background material on Vietnam to prep with; you can glance at a New York Times article on Hanoi's modern bustle, or spend a few minutes with Fielding Lecht's own Vietnam slide show (which should quicken the pulse of anyone with wanderlust).

Please note that after the 22nd, the gallery wont shut down completely. It will host a fundraiser for the Nobelity project, offer numerous free screenings of Turk Pipkin's movie, and exhibit Nobelity film stills (a link to our interview with Pipkin is below). From the press release:

The opening night reception, Wednesday, June 27th, 6-9pm, with Turk Pipkin, Vance Holmes and Katie Pipkin is also free of charge. Donations are requested to The Nobelity Project. The exhibit will run 4 days only from the opening reception Wednesday evening through Saturday. Screenings [of Nobelity] on Thursday and Friday will begin at 10am, 2pm and 4pm. Saturday's screenings will begin at Noon and 2pm.

[Austinist Interviews Turk Pipkin, Director of Nobelity]

Vietnamese Women of Today
Fielding Lecht Gallery (thru June 22)
708 Congress Avenue
Tue, Wed, Fri 10-5; Thu 10-8; Sat 12-4, & by appointment

Work by Dinh Thi Tham Poong courtesy of Fielding Lecht

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.