Well is less a play, and more of a staging of well-shaken brain. A shabby living room has been transplanted to the Vortex into a void where Ann Kron, the playwright's mother, will watch as her daughter attempts to dramatically stage their lives (sort of like filming a documentary to show your Grandfather at his birthday). All the while, she steps in and out of the void as a way of conversing with Mom without having to actually talk to Mom. It's a perfect play for the holiday season, and the tension of too much family time. more ›

The wonderfully surly, oft-suicidal Miss Witherspoon herself is played by Jennifer Underwood, who never fails to disappoint. When Miss Witherspoon finds herself (as a result of offing herself) in an unexpected afterlife, she must negotiate the realm of reincarnation with the help of Suzanne Balling's pleasantly annoying South Asian spiritual guide Maryamma and a diverse cast of earthly families and friends played by Camille Latour, Patricia Robinson and Derek Jones, all of whom handle their multitude of roles with ease. more ›

The Casket of Passing Fancy is not a play, and it’s not, in any conventional sense, improv. It’s a hyper-participatory extravaganza of perpetual surprise, culminating in a theatrical experience that, like a psychedelic Choose Your Own Adventure story, tailors to each individual audience member’s taste, curiosity, or hunger. more ›

Playwright Martin McDonagh loves making fun of America’s fascination with Ireland, and people in Austin love producing and attending his plays about Ireland—wherein he makes fun of America’s fascination with Ireland. O, the irony. But this city’s latest production of McDonagh’s work, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, staged by Renaissance Austin Theatre and the VORTEX Repertory Company, isn’t likely to end this vicious cycle. more ›