Before West Side Story, before Beverly Hills 90210, before Sex and the City, before so much of the drama—high and low brow—we have turned to for entertainment over the past several hundred years…before all that, there was Shakespeare. Master of Play Beth Burns takes her best shot at Shakespeare with a production of the comedy Twelfth Night at the Scottish Rite Theater. The production is perfectly cast. These actors are all so clearly smitten with the bard’s work that you can feel the love as they deliver, and deliver they do. more ›

Because the Scottish Rite Theatre knows you don't have enough daring swordplay, forbidden romance and robust fun in your life, they've given Austinist a pair of tickets to their new production of The Twelfth Night to pass along to our dear readers. Should you win, you'll enjoy one of the bad-assest female lead characters in the history of theatre, Viola, and her madcap attempts at impersonating her long-lost brother. All goes awry when people start falling in love with other people—regardless of what gender they’re supposed to be. The Scottish Rite production is directed by Los Angeles transplant Beth Burns, who’s also a part of the city’s famous Groundlings improv troupe. more ›

If you aren't going to the launch party tonight, you can watch the first episode of Downtown's third season tomorrow night from the comfort of your own home. For those unfamiliar with the show, KLRU's award-winning series focuses on, well, the downtown area. Topics covered in past seasons have been: Waller Creek, First Night Austin, bicycle messengers, Austin's hip-hop scene, the Austin Farmer's Market, urban density, and more. Each thirty-minute episode is made up of... more ›

As always, let us know about any corrections or suggestions! MONDAY [3] [music] ICP Orchestra at Scottish Rite Theatre (link) [art] Gabriel Perez-Barreiro, Curator of Latin American Art, discusses "Art is Connection: America/Americas" at Blanton Museum of Art (Free, 6-8pm) (link) [books] Michael Gordon presents Cobra II at BookPeople (7pm) (link) [books] AAIM, Austin Area Interreligious BookGroup will discuss Peace is the Way by Deepak Chopra. Lori Seremetis will be the Special Guest at BookPeople... more ›