Amidst all the stage combat, mugging, and music in Guest by Courtesy, the writing steals the show. Often in pieces born of movement and stage pictures, words take a back seat, but Hannah Kenah's script is polished and nuanced, with a Wildean attention to style amidst so much wild stage action. The zingers are precise, the lines have rhythm, and Jason Hays delivers a monologue about ponies that is both political and hilarious. more ›

It's a meditation on competing visions of the Wild West. It's a love story to Austin. It's about two dachshunds, a mountain lion, and the people they're tied to (sometimes literally). The Rude Mechs have managed to pack all of those things into I've Never Been So Happy, a video-enhanced, dance-spattered musical that lives up to the promise of its title. The Rude Mechs have made their name with original, collectively created theater, and their latest offering is no different. From the seed of an idea sparked five years ago, Kirk Lynn and Peter Stopschinski have built a bouncy, sweet, utterly delightful love story that's family friendly, save a few curse words more ›

In This House (Everything Is You) is collaborative creation, not a ghost story, but in fact a memory story ranging across the years, a touching narrative in non-linear time. Mind you, there is a ghost - Jamie Rhodes as that silent young woman in black who follows the action around. But except for the wild stories of the young brother and sister, we never really get around to her story. more ›

Salvage Vanguard Theater has announced its new season! // Rubber Repertory has started airing their dirty laundry in a new, recurring series called From the Dumpster, in which they confess to madcap ideas they seriously considered staging. // There's more than music to SXSW. more ›

Thru 2/23, St Idiots Collective's You Are Pretty is about sex workers' struggles to find love within the harsh environs of a legal brothel. The yap about YAP is the megawatt heft behind it—the production is chock full of local luminaries. [tickets] // Thru 2/17, roving new kids NxNW Theatre are staging "wickedly funny" Five Women Wearing the Same Dress downtown at the Hideout. The titular characters do a little cussin' here, a little pot smokin' there, and cover topics with plenty of chops (religion, sexuality, AIDS). [tickets] more ›

Image from www.loadedguntheory.comThe holidays are a busy time for theatre in Austin, with too many seasonal shows to choose from. As the glut looms, several fine shows are closing. Get to these while the gettin's good! Much-lauded director Karen Jambon helms Loaded Gun Theory's Little Murders. You can't judge a show by its artwork, but we think theirs is the best we've seen all year. This dark comedy about an overbearing daughter—played by the always-delightful... more ›

For the sixth year in a row, though this time in a spankin' new space, Salvage Vanguard Theater is hosting their big ol' Labor Party, this Saturday at 7:07pm. They'll have tunes spun up by DJ Manateemann, a "Presentation Fantasmical" at 7:27pm, and a Silent Auction with all sorts of goodies to bid on. The purpose of the Labor Party is to raise funds for SVT's Resident Company Member program, which pays an annual stipend... more ›

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... more ›

First off, we'll get right to the point: Salvage Vanguard Theater has knocked another one out of the park. Everything about Caridad Svich's Thrush: A Play with Songs is spot on. Set design, lighting design, direction, acting, music...all of the elements are executed in top form. In short, Thrush is about a naive refugee, Minerva (Elizabeth Wakehouse), who stumbles through a barren, war-torn countryside. Along the way she encounters other refugees and soldiers who... more ›

Theatre fans aren’t hurtin’ for stuff to do this week. So let the good times roll, people. Let ‘em roll theatre-style. Put your hands together for our Austinist Pick of the Week, Free Night of Theatre! Not just one, but like a bazillion completely free shows in Austin, and across the nation. (That’s right, jetsetter – even if you’re out of town, it’s no worries, because the metro area you’re closest to is probably... more ›

As if the folks at Salvage Vanguard Theater didn't have enough going on.... In the midst of touring The Intergalactic Nemesis, winning a Best of Austin award, and birthin' babies, the intrepid SVTers are also producing the world premiere of Caridad Svich's Thrush: A Play with Songs, opening tonight at 8pm. Earlier this week, our own Matt Wright snapped a few photos of rehearsals.... more ›

As happens this time every year, the last few months have been pretty slow at Austinist Theatre Central. The 2005-2006 season wrapped by late August or so, including the shorter, simpler summer productions and workshops that seem to be mainstays of so many local theatre companies. Finally the '06-'07 season is well planned and underway, and while we're looking forward to some exciting upcoming productions, we're also in the mood to look back at... more ›

And they're off.... The nominations for this year's B. Iden Payne Awards have been announced. We received 'em this morning, straight from the offices of the Austin Circle of Theatres. If you want to get in on the action, ballots will be available starting this Thursday, September 21, at ACoT (701 Tillery Street) & AusTIX (kiosk at the Austin Visitors Center, 209 E. 6th Street). You must be an ACoT member to vote, but... more ›

In honor of the big bi-lingual show that’s opening in town this week, we thought to ourselves, hey – why not write this post in both English and Spanish? But we don’t speak Spanish, so we used an online translator. El ir al teatro hará que las mujeres tienen sexo con usted. And now, on with our ¡Selección de Austinist de la semana! It’s a very close call between Petra’s Cuento, the aforementioned bi-lingual... more ›

It’s pretty hard not to like Salvage Vanguard’s Intergalactic Nemesis trilogy (of which we saw Episode II: The Return of the Intergalactic Nemesis this past Friday). As the lights come up, an incredibly dry and playfully sarcastic LB Deyo introduces the show like a late night personality doing his opening bit. The audience warms, then laughs – almost as if Deyo is their new buddy, with whom they’re merely shootin’ the shit. By the... more ›

Yep, you can get access to the spooky, retro basement of the Bank of America building, downtown Austin, for free this coming Friday only. The ever-clever folks over at Salvage Vanguard are kicking off a series of readings with Caridad Svich's Thrush (A Play With Slaughter Songs). The piece has been in workshop for the last two weeks with the playwright, director Jenny Larson, composer Adam Sultan, dramaturge Colin Denby Swanson, and actors Kathy... more ›

We are soaked, soaked we tell you, in Frontera. This week, we've attended Best of Fest Bill A (to be repeated tomorrow night, and highly recommended), and the first Wild Card bill -- which won't be repeated, but we definitely suggest you take a stab at the second Wild Card bill, 2pm Saturday. It happens to be the only remaining Frontera show that's not sold out. Yikes! (A tip: If you want to try... more ›