Theatre

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Everybody and his mother has seen, read, or done The Importance of Being Earnest. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Oscar Wilde's comedy is one of the bastions of modern theatre, a touchstone for everyone involved in theatre from the high school level to Broadway. As long as there is at least one company doing Earnest, all is right with the world.

The reasons for Earnest's popularity are varied and could almost be worthy of a doctoral dissertation. One possible explanation is that Earnest skewers the social machinations of late 19th century society while reminding a modern audience that the 1890s are not that far removed from the 1990s. We can still connect with the wit of Wilde's lines and the motivations of the characters. In some ways, it is a painless slice of history.

Live Oak Theatre's production of this show capitalizes on these strengths of the script and its inherent popularity. The approach is straightforward, getting from the opening minutes of act one to the company's final bows in the most efficient manner possible. Don Toner's direction highlights the narrative of the play, as we follow Algernon and John, two bachelors in pursuit of two women, Gwendolyn and Cecily.

Malcolm Callan's Algernon has a persona much like that of a child who had Tim Curry and Robert Downey, Jr. for parents. Erik Vik's buttoned-up John is the perfect foil for Callan's mischievous gleam. However, it is the women who steal the show. Sharron Bower as Gwendolyn and Boni Hester as Cecily bring energy to the stage with their vitality and verve. Bernadette Nason's Miss Prism delves into the depths of dour and emerges with an oddly interesting performance.

The sherbet-colored costumes of acts two and three only add to the light-hearted air of this production, while Laura Sandberg's lights are a subtle addition to what otherwise could be a crowded stage.

This production of Earnest takes a safe and standard approach to Wilde's classic. It simply is what it is, much like a cool glass of iced tea after a hot day in the sun. However, if you always have iced tea and never poke around in the fridge for something a little more daring now and again, that which was once welcomed can cease to be refreshing and simply become routine. (Adrienne Martini) Through Mar 3, Wed-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 6pm, at the State Theatre, 719 Congress. Tickets: $15 Wed/Thu/Sun; $17 Fri/Sat ($2 discounts seniors, students, ACoT). Running time: 2 hrs, 30 min. 472-5143.

BAROQUE AND LOVING IT is what the Opera Theatre Department at UT and the Texas Early Music Ensemble are, at least in this program of operatic works from the early and middle Baroque periods (1600-1700). They're presenting scenes from operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Phillipe Rameau, Francesco Cavelli, and Henry Purcell, each fully staged, to give the audience a complete feel for the era and the context of the selection. Directing the production is doctoral directing student Tim Campbell. TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY! Feb 23 & 24, Fri & Sat, 8pm, in the McCullough Theatre, UT campus. Tickets: $10 ($8 w/UT ID). 471-1444.

IMAGEWRIGHTERS PRESENTS: ASCENSION, a new drama by Adam Wilhite and Kristine Jacquin in which a mysterious drifter challenges two educated women's notions of love and personal responsibility. The reading is part of Capitol City Playhouse's ongoing series of readings of new works. A discussion will be held after the reading. ONE READING ONLY! Feb 24, Sat, 3pm, at Capitol City Playhouse, 214 W. Fourth. Admission free, donations accepted. 472-1855.

SHEAR MADNESS Shear Madness is a mystery/comedy set in Austin with more twisty turns than a sidewinder in a sandbox. It`s as well-crafted as a Disneyland amusement and even more entertaining for the two-hour ride. The Shear Madness Salon settles into the business of owner Tony (Boyd Vance) trying to fit his short, black self to every unsuspecting male customer. Beautician Barbara (Holly Hepp), not to be outdone, shakes her body like she means it. Enter a sleazy male counterpart to the sleazette, a tall, handsome construction worker, and a West Austin matron. The crazy pianist upstairs is murdered, and suddenly, the invisible wall between audience and actors is dissolved. We become part of the police investigation and are called upon to bear witness to what we've seen. Every night is different, and only the audience knows for sure whodunit. While the show is way over the top, the performance is in capable hands. (Rick Meyers) FINAL WEEKEND! Through Feb 24, Thu & Fri, 8pm, Sat, 6 & 9pm, at ZSTC Whisenhunt Arena Stage, 1510 Toomey. Tickets: $17-19. 476-0541.

TRIPPING TO NOWHERE provides a lesson in the destructive power of drugs as a teenage boy dreams about street drugs coming to life. The comedy by Bernice Snelson Riley is performed by Austin youth (Natasha Burton, Andrea Early, Elizabeth Garcia, Chris Hill, Abron Mack, Spencer Rich, Zakiya Rowland, Dwayne Samuel, Sunday Samuel, and Karma Stewart), directed by Cynthia Taylor-Edwards (Aunt Rose), choreographed by Amanda Gier. From First Stage Productions. A sponsored project of ACoT. FINAL WEEKEND! Through Feb 24, Fri & Sat, 8pm, at Kealing Community Theatre, 1607 Pennsylvania Ave. Tickets: $7 ($4 seniors, students, Tribes, ACoT). 499-TIXS.

VANITIES covers the lives of three Texas women from high school through the pursuit of their careers. Jeanne Wilson directs this Lockhart Community Theatre production. FINAL WEEKEND! Through Feb 24, Fri & Sat, 8pm, at Lockhart Community Theatre in the Presbyterian Life Center, Walnut & Commerce, in Lockhart. Tickets: $7 ($5 seniors, students). 512/398-3812.

PLAYFEST '96 offers a range of great theatre for young people, from tales of magic in exotic lands to sagas of survival in the everyday world, from live-action adventures to puppet performances. Each week provides a different experience for a different audience from a different company. What stays the same is the quality of wonder. This week: Babi's Tales, the interactive adventure of a girl who hunts a crocodile against her mother's wishes. Produced by Jill in the Box Productions. Recommended for ages 5-older. Running time: 45 min. Through Feb 25, Thu & Fri, 10am, Sat & Sun, 3pm. Beginning Wednesday is The Santa Chronicles: Reindeer, Elves, and Dragons, Oh My!, in which the man we trust to know the most about St. Nick - gifted storyteller and Santa lookalike Carl Anderson - shares tales of life at the North Pole as the jolly old elf himself. Recommended for ages 3-older. Running time: 50 min. Wed-Fri, 10am, Sat & Sun, 3pm. All shows at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs. Tickets: $4. 499-TIXS.

THE BLACK BLOOD is back for a second run, following the sell-out premiere presentation of this cybernetic opera by VORTEX Repertory Company. The work, featuring a pulsing techno-trance score by Ethos, summons up a dark, fairy-tale world, the Goldground, in which human and machine are synthesized into one, and where a struggle for control and the infection of a sinister poison lead to epic tragedy. Bonnie Cullum directs. Warning: Nudity. Through Mar 2, Thu-Sun, 8pm, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor. Tickets: $11 ($7 seniors, students, ACoT). 478-LAVA.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST pits Mr. Non-conformity - Randle P. McMurphy - against the Queen of Authority - Nurse Ratched - with the souls of a psychiatric ward hanging in the balance. Ken Kesey's landmark Sixties saga is given dramatic life by Sam Bass Community Theatre, directed by Jim Prior. With Jim Grisham, Jeff Sughrue, B. J. Machalicek, Frank Benge, Ron Seybold, Skip Bandy, Jimmy Toungate, Phil Robinson, and Mark Brauner. Through Mar 2, Wed-Sat, 8pm, Feb 25, Sun matinee, at the Old Depot Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., in Round Rock. Tickets: $6 Wed/Thu/Sun; $7.50 Fri/Sat. 244-0440.

STATED INSANE is how some folks might classify the women in this work by UT playwriting student Lisabeth Sewell, but don't you decide for yourself until after you've heard them. Sewell's play consists of six pieces, each named for the Texas town in which it is set, and in them, we see women wrestling with strained relationships and confronting obsessions that range from time to cigarettes to Larry Hagman to the Doublemint Twins. Is madness in the eye of the beholder? Feb 23-Mar 2, Tue-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 2pm, in the Theatre Room of the Winship Drama Building, UT campus. Tickets: $9 ($7 w/UT ID). 471-1444.

TALLEY'S FOLLY Fireworks enjoyed from a distance are a different affair than fireworks enjoyed close. When you're in their midst - the flashes of light and color filling the sky, sometimes more than your eyes can take in, their explosions slamming into your ears like linebackers - they can inspire joy, wonder, awe, even fear. From a remove, they retain the play of light and sound, but the light is the twinkle of Christmas bulbs, the sound the wet pop of a paper bag being burst. The scale is manageable, the sensations reduced to plain pleasures: the agreeable, the cozy, the comforting.

In this two-character play, Lanford Wilson moves us across the river to view the fireworks of romance. Not all love affairs are the glorious, vast, often terrifying stuff of Shakespearean tragedy, he shows us. Some are smaller in scale: the size of an accountant's ledger or a hospital bed or a ramshackle little boathouse on a farm near Lebanon, Missouri. This last is Wilson's setting, where gregarious Matt Friedman corners the apple of his eye, Sally Talley, to make his final case for love and to pop that ultimate question. As Sally insists she harbors no desires for him, Matt must cajole, tease, needle, and woo her into confessing the love he knows is in her heart. Wilson offers ample fodder for conflict - religion, economic and social standing, Matt and Sally's troubled pasts - but the outcome is never really in doubt, and we see the fireworks, with genuine illumination, only they are of the size that pleases, amuses, comforts.

At least, that's how it seems in this first offering from G-Ray Productions. The mood is mellow, ambling. Despite the outgoing nature of Gary Payne's Matt, cracking wise to the audience, and the revelations of deep pain in the characters' histories, the rhythm never strays far from an easy sway, the lull of a rowboat on a lazy river. Director Jerry Marco appears mostly after an air of affability, and he gets it: We like this duo. Payne's Matt is still something of a suit bought off the rack: his Jewish accent, while not obtrusive, occasionally hangs a bit awkwardly on him; the same is true of his patter, which at times has the feel of a lightweight Catskills comic's. But the actor perseveres, and in Matt's more reflective scenes, he conveys an honest melancholy and sincere love for Sally. Constance Campbell's assured performance (reminding me how much rich work she contributed to Austin theatre in the Eighties) strikes equal notes of withdrawal and attraction, interest and alarm, grave maturity and playful girlishness. We ken that her Sally has reasons for reticence, but she seems so deserving of a real love. Seeing her get one is satisfying.

The romance of Talley's Folly, particularly in this staging, doesn't strike us dumb with the wonder of fireworks up close. But, you know, fireworks are fireworks, and the things we love about them reach us even across a river. (Robert Faires) Through Mar 2, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Feb 25, Sun, 3pm, at The Acting Studio, 5811 Burnet. Tickets: $10 ($8 seniors, students, ACoT); Thu/Sun: 2-for-1. Running time: 1 hr, 30 min. 499-TIXS.

WALLPAPER PSALM One of Salvage Vanguard Theater's goals, according to their manifesto printed in the back of the program for Wallpaper Psalm, is "Theater of Infiltration." Theater of Infiltration "takes the things you are comfortable with, sets them on fire, and throws them in your face." Wallpaper Psalm is a shining example of this concept and is, perhaps, the stuff of which nightmares are made. This is not a happy little play with happy little images and a nice shiny message presented to the audience and wrapped with a big red bow. Then again, that was never the production's intent.

The plot of the show, written and directed by Ruth Margraff, hovers around the central image of Chaucia, a wealthy widow living in a pre-war high-rise, and her wounded mouth. The hallucinations induced by the trauma of her injury are backed by electric noise and haunting vocals. Other characters whirl through her haze, sing and move with aplomb, and add pieces to the growing mystery behind Chaucia's bruised and bleeding mouth.

Phyllis Ann Slattery's Chaucia is alternately endearing and unnerving in her age and mental state. Almost every gesture has been examined by the actor and embedded in her characterization. The work of the supporting cast matches Slattery's intense focus, and Fairy Stain, the band providing the soundtrack for Chaucia's delirium, almost becomes a fifth cast member fully integrated into the action of this piece.

Stark and disturbing images are the backbone of Wallpaper Psalm. Christopher T. W. Cayce lights them with power and force while Jic Clubb's set design provides strong visual clues. Indeed, almost everything about this production is finely crafted and, during the moments when it all seems to gel, almost transcendent.

Because of this, some of the images seep into your mind and begin to tap your subconscious for days after your initial viewing, making you wonder if what you thought happened was what actually happened. There is so much information here that it would take three or four trips to the Electric Lounge to delve into all that this script holds. But you have to decide if you are willing to brave the mental assault and infiltration just to get another glance. (Adrienne Martini) Through Mar 2, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at Electric Lounge, 302 Bowie. Tickets: $5. Running time: 1 hr. 912-0331.

THE GOOD TIMES ARE KILLING ME tells the struggle of life in an interracial neighborhood in the Sixties through the friendship of two 12-year-olds, Edna and Bonna. Though their families disapprove of the girls' alliance, the pair preserve their loyalty to each other and manage to learn some hot new dance steps in the bargain. Austin Theatre for Youth brings Lynda Barry's funny, sensitive coming-of-age play to town. Directed by Rod Caspers. Recommended for ages 13-older. Feb 24-Mar 3, Sat, 10am, 2 & 7:30pm; Sun, 2 & 5pm, at McCallum Fine Arts Academy Theatre, 5600 Sunshine Dr. Tickets: $7.50 ($5 youth/$6.50 seniors, students, ACoT). 459-2289.

LADIES OF THE MOP spotlights the dreams of stardom belonging to a quartet of cleaning women who share the night shift at a theatre. Pro Arts Collective revives Aurand Harris' delightful comedy for children of all ages, with Virginia Aldredge, Maria Fulgham, Ernestina Martinez, Sharlene Irving, and Trina Walker. Directed by Boyd Vance (Merry Christmas, Baby). Recommended for all ages. Mar 2 & 3, Sat, 10 & 11am, Sun, 3pm, at the Kovac Theatre/Victory Grill, 11th & Waller. 474-4494, 447-9353.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW gets its second airing of the season as the Mary Moody Northen Theatre tackles the tale of a wily guy teaching humility to a tart-tongued gal. As a vehicle for added comedy and a comment on modern takes on classic texts, director Susan Loughran (Hair) is adding a play-without-the-play to the staging: The actors arrive on the scene expecting to do a different show and have to cobble together a quick version of Shrew. Through Mar 3, Tue-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 2pm, at the MMNT, St. Edward's University campus, 3001 S. Congress. Tickets: $10
($8 seniors, faculty/$5 students). 448-8483.

WOLFIE & ME AT THE FOUL LINE is a saga of Wolfie, the 1969 New York Knicks, the mob, and mentholated cigarettes. They tie together in this new work from Chicago playwright Beau O`Reilly (Let the Dolly Do the Work). Mark Hanks performs and co-directs with Scott Anenberg (FYT). The Fourth Wall Theatre Company production has not only been extended, but a companion piece has been added to it for the rest of the run: Invisible Sympathies, five pieces by Chicago playwright Bryan Magnus. HELD OVER! Through Mar 17, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at Voodoo Lounge, Third & Trinity. Tickets: $6 ($5 seniors, students, ACoT). 499-TIXS.

Theatre Classes, Etc.

World's Largest Improvisational Comedy Festival seeks volunteers now to work phones, stuff envelopes, do PR work, assist in production, meet, greet, chauffeur, usher, do technical work, and more. Call 453-MONK for more info.

Monks' Night Out Offers Beginners Workshops in improvisational theatre and comedy, taught members of the improv and sketch comedy troupe. Every Sunday. 453-MONK.

Improvisation Workshop with Tim Simek offers actors and non-actors ways to build confidence and enhance focus, concentration, and sensory skills, and nurture creativity. Feb 25, Sun, 10am-6pm. $60. 251-2610.

Character Acting and Writing Classes with C. K. McFarland (In the West, Cow Pattys) explores both the metaphysics and craft of performance to help artists enter new creative territory and to strengthen their artistic esteem. Mar 5-Apr 9, Tue, 7-10pm. $120. 441-3738.

The Actors Place is a studio for professional, intermediate, and beginning actors. Actors Who Write and Introduction to Acting classes taught by Sheila Gordon. 2810 S. First. 490-7138.

Half-Price Tickets can be had through AusTix, the half-price outlet for the arts. Locations: the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. (11:30am-6:30pm Wed-Fri/11am-2pm Sat); the Austin Visitors Center, 201 E. Second (11:30am-1:30pm, Thu-Sat); and Book People. 397-1450.

The Box Office lets you order full-price tickets to Austin performing arts events by telephone. Hours: 11:30am-6:30pm, Wed-Fri & 11am-2pm, Sat (Phone hrs to 6:30pm), Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. 499-TIXS.

Auditions

Guitar Boy, a play about cowgirls: Feb 29, Thu, 7-9pm, at Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. Needed: 14 women, all ages, sizes, shapes, and colors; honky-tonk musicians. The production is directed by Judy Thomas (Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe) and will run Apr 11-27 at the DAC. Produced by Word of Mouth Women's Theatre. 837-9806.

Beckett Fest, a program of short texts by Samuel Beckett: Mar 1 & 2, Fri & Sat, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor. Actors should prepare a contemporary monologue (1 min.). Resumé requested; photo optional. The production will run April 10-14 at Planet Theatre. Produced by VORTEX Repertory Company. By appointment. 478-LAVA.

Hedda Gabler, a play by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Rick Davis & Brian Johnston: Mar 2, Sat, 1:30-6:30pm, at Synergy Studio, 1501 W. Fifth St. All roles available except Hedda. Actors should send headshot/resumé in advance to: Ann Ciccolella, 3710-A Meredith, 78703. At auditions, actors may bring a prepared piece or read from the script. The production is being directed by Ann Ciccolella and will run May 4-25 at the Dougherty Arts Center. Produced by Critical Mass. By appointment. No calls before Feb 25. 320-0811.

The Hardy Boys in The Mystery of the Haunted House, a play by Jon Klein: Sun,
Mar 3, 1-5pm; Mon, Mar 4, 6-10pm, at 5555 N. Lamar, Ste. C-125. Roles available: six males (two, 15-19; four, 25-50); two females (one 15-19; one, 35-40). Actors should prepare two contrasting monologues (1 min. ea). Resumé/photo requested. The production is being directed by Rick Schiller and will run May 4-12 at McCallum Fine Arts Academy Theatre. By appointment. Produced by Austin Theatre for Youth. 459-7144.

Esther's Follies, the comedy troupe: Mar 4-6, Mon-Wed, at Esther`s Pool, 525 E. Sixth St. Needed: performers, writers, and interns. Black, Hispanic, ethnic artists encouraged to audition. Performers: prepare a monologue highlighting a variety of characters (5 min.); a song; other funny material. Writers: bring writing samples (skits preferred). Interns: bring names/phone numbers of three references. Resumé/photo requested
(all auditioners). By appointment. 320-0198.

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