Articulations

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New York Bound

The New York theatre scene can't seem to get enough of the dramatic fare cooked up in Austin. Two local theatre companies have just confirmed Big Apple engagements for a couple of Austin-generated hits in the spring of 2001. First up is Despair's Book of Dreams and the Sometimes Radio, the original musical by Kirk Smith, which will have a two-week run at HERE, the arts center at 145 Avenue of the Americas, in early March. Then Lipstick Traces, the Rude Mechanicals' adaptation of the Greil Marcus book, will run for six weeks at the Ohio Theatre starting May 16.

The tour to HERE continues the string of good fortune and recognition for Despair's. In addition to positive reviews for the show's premiere in January, the VORTEX Repertory Company production netted two nominations for Austin Theatre Critics Table Awards, eight nominations for B. Iden Payne Awards, of which it took home five, including Outstanding Director of Musical for Bonnie Cullum and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for author-star Smith, a meeting with New York Theatre Workshop about producing the musical, and a successful remount in October. To help fund the New York production, VORTEX is holding two gourmet dinners as fundraisers. Despair's sound designer Ken Burchenal and Gina Burchenal will host the events on Dec. 8 and 9. Cost is $40 per person. Call 796-3825 for reservations.

For the similarly lauded Lipstick Traces (seven Critics Table nominations and four awards, including Outstanding Comedy; two Payne Award nominations and the Outstanding Director of a Comedy award for Shawn Sides), the upcoming New York run will actually be the show's second time in the big city. The Rude Mechs premiered the show -- or an abbreviated version of it, at least -- in New York at the Ice Factory festival in 1999, just prior to its original Austin run. In an odd coincidence, this New York staging will take place in the same venue as the Ice Factory gig.

What will be distinctly different about the 2001 run is that the Rude Mechs won't be producing. That's right, this production will be mounted by a New York's Foundry Theatre. Foundry is an off-Broadway company with an impressive string of productions, including Race of the Ark Tattoo and Deviant Craft by playwright David Hancock, whose name is familiar to local theatregoers, thanks to Frontera@ Hyde Park Theatre's productions of those plays, as well as F@HPT Artistic Director Vicky Boone's ongoing collaborations with the playwright. It was Hancock who first made Foundry Artistic Director Melanie Joseph aware of Lipstick Traces. She then came to Austin to see the remounted production in September and on the basis of that wanted to bring the show to her town. Foundry will have Shawn Sides direct the New York production, but financial constraints prevent the company from reviving the Austin version with the entire cast. Only Lana Lesley and Jason Liebrecht will reprise their roles from the original. The rest of the roles will be cast from New York. (If you're wondering how the rest of the original cast feels about this, well, they're disappointed about missing out on this opportunity, but they are reportedly understanding about it and support the Foundry production.)

If all goes well, this won't be the only time Lipstick Traces hits the road. The Rudes have offers from several prestigious contemporary art presenters -- the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, and DiverseWorks in Houston -- to bring the show in, and are considering a tour for 2002.