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. ...

[This post comes from Anna Hanks, who'll soon be joining the Austinist staff!] We admit that when it comes to being entertained, we have the attention span of a kitten. We’re happily distracted by bright shiny costumes, jingly bells, and the occasional gilded, squeaky rubber chicken, especially when said chicken is employed to excellent comedic effect. Put a capable, young, red-headed actress charmed with crazy comedic timing into a twinkly, jingly costume, and we’re smitten.......

Austinist was at The Vortex on Friday for their opening night performance of Dan Basila's wickedly surreal play, Holes Before Bedtime. The short of it is: go and see it before the three-week run ends!Produced by the talented folks of Rubber Repertory in association with the Vortex Repertory Company, Holes Before Bedtime is a riotous, hilarious sex opera that rudely tramples your traditional family values and then promptly relieves itself over the quivering heap. We......