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THEATRE
CLAYANGELS Sibling rivalry, sibling allegiance: the relationship between brothers is the raw material for myths and legends. Clayangels, written and performed by Daniel Alexander Jones and his brother Todd Jones, brings to Frontera@Hyde Park Theatre two men's relationship that is at once unique and universal. Mixing biographic narrative with music and song, Egyptian mythology, and old-fashioned gossip, the Joneses have assembled an often entertaining primer for getting to know them. Daniel, the elder, head shaved, gently in command, guards, placates, reproves, remembers how achingly long it took to meet his newborn brother. Todd, the younger, a rapper with long dreads, strong, explosive, stalks the stage, lies down in his brother's arms, confronts and taunts. The connection between the two is deeply personal; at times, one senses contact that goes beyond simple performance. Such introversion borders on indulgence; both performers can charm, though, and moments of inward awkwardness give way to audience-friendly explorations of the mystery and the mundane of brotherly love. (Robi Polgar) FINAL WEEKEND! Through Aug 9, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd. Tickets: Pay What You Wish Thu; $10.25 ($8.25 seniors, students, ACoT) Fri & Sat. Running time: 1 hr, 15 min. 454-TIXS.
Out of Esther’s Pool and into orbit at the Planet, it’s comediennes Mary Lang and Cynthia Ethel Wood in the double bill Attack of the Two-Headed Woman, Aug 11-12 & 18-19 at Planet Theatre.
photograph by Alan PogueSEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE Bundled top to toe in overcoats, scarves, boots, gloves, and hats, the characters in George M. Cohan's melodramatic farce fend off the permeating cold as ineffectively as they orchestrate multitudinous underhanded scams and schemes. Or so it would seem. In this entertaining, shaggy dog of a production by Different Stages, everyone is up to something and novelist William Magee has the fortune - and misfortune - of trying to piece together the clues to this twisted mystery while trying to write a novel in a god-forsaken, tundra-cold outpost in the middle of upstate New York, the Baldpate Inn. Magee sets to work only to find himself caught in a swirl of small town corruption and dastardly politics, love, betrayal, and double-crosses, all in the foyer of this seemingly deserted inn. The entire ensemble clearly has a grand time putting on this play; their sense of fun bubbles just below the surface from start to finish. Director Susan Dillard keeps the pace fast and the farce sharp for most of the play. The second act languishes for a while, but the play comes back strong with a sting in its tail. In this hottest of seasons, forget about the heat with a trudge up to the tundra for this Cohan classic. (Robi Polgar) FINAL WEEKEND! Through Aug 9, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at The Acting Studio, 5411 Burnet. Tickets: Pay What You Can on Thu; $11 Fri/Sat. Running Time: 2 hrs, 10 min. 454-TIXS.
BEAUTY AND THE BEASTS mixes up a mess of storybook folk, from Little Red Riding Hood to Goldilocks and the Three Bears to the White Rabbit of Wonderland to, of course, Beauty and the Beast. Is this another trip Into the Woods? No, it's a light, kid-friendly musical patched together from the Brothers Grimm, Broadway, and Disney by Jennifer Arndt and the Austin Civic Chorus as a gift to the city's youth and their parents. It's the Chorus' 10th Summer Musical for Children, and it's totally free. FINAL WEEKEND! Aug 2-10, Sat & Sun, 2 & 4pm, at Scottish Rite Temple, 207 W. 18th (Lavaca & 18th). Admission is free. 451-TUNE.
MONSTERS! might be frightening most of the time, but not when they come from kidsActing. A few years ago, this longtime local theatre company which specializes in training budding young talents created a musical full of lovable monsters, who not only play and have fun but sing songs written by Willie Nelson, Steve Fromholz, Robert "Beto" Skiles, Jimmy LaFave, Hank Card & Conrad Diesler of the Austin Lounge Lizards. It revives it with a new cast of fine young performers. (Review on this issue's "Exhibitionism" arts review page.) FINAL WEEKEND! Through Aug 10, Thu & Fri, 7pm, Sat, 11am & 7pm, Sun, 2:30pm, at the John Henry Faulk Theatre, 204 E. Fourth. Tickets: $8 ($7 in advance). 458-KIDS.
GUYS AND DOLLS Criticizing an Austin institution is next to impossible. Too many people have too many memories wrapped up in 39 years' worth of Zilker Summer Musicals; the production itself has become irrelevant. It's the community's spirit that is the true measure of the production's success. So I guess that makes me a bit of a heretic to say that some of the life has been sucked out of this year's Summer Musical, whether by the summer's heat or a grueling rehearsal process. The actors gives it their best shot. Dan Sullivan's Sky Masterson is masterful; Sullivan knows how to play an audience as well as his character knows how to roll dice. Kara Bliss' Adelaide is a joy to watch, due to the actor's confident voice and strong characterization. And in the traditional show-stoppers, such as "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," the cast feels comfortable enough to really let it rip. But Christopher Boyd's static direction and Timothy Harling's awkward choreography don't help the situation. The show is not the most important part of this experience. But it would be wonderful if it could be. (Adrienne Martini) Through Aug 16, Thu-Sun, 8:30pm, at the Hillside Theatre, outdoors, Zilker Park. Bring seating. Free; parking $2. Running time: 2 hrs, 30 min. 479-9491.
DREAMGIRLS swings us back to the soulful Sixties to relate the tale of a black female singing group and their rise from the Apollo Theatre to Caesar's Palace. This Tom Eyen & Henry Krieger musical takes the saga of the Supremes and creates a fable of show biz triumph and tragedy. Two years ago, director Dave Steakley tackled this material at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center and crafted a dazzling dream of a production, with rich visual style and dynamic performances. Now, he reconceives it for the Paramount stage, with a mix of returning artists - musical director Allen Robertson, designer Michael Raiford, actors Judy Arnold, Felicia Dinwiddie, and award winner Jacqui Cross - and newcomers, such as Dallas actor Yolanda Williams and former Austin artist T. Mychael Rambo. (Review on this issue's "Exhibitionism" arts review page.) Through Aug 17, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 3pm, at the Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress. Tickets: $12-$35. 472-5411.
SHAKESPEARE AT WINEDALE opens its 27th year in the "great Globe" of Fayette County, the Theatre Barn of the Winedale Historical Center near Round Top. Once again, Dr. James Ayres has taken students to this rural retreat in Central Texas to study Shakespeare's work by performing it. The students take roles in three plays, rehearse them, make their own costumes and props, then present the plays to the public. Their efforts can be rough, but they always pulse with passion. This year's plays are The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Winter's Tale, and, for the first time ever at Winedale, The Tragedy of King Richard II. The barn is not air-conditioned, but Ayres says a new evaporative cooling system has been installed in it, making the shows cooler than ever. Through Aug 17, Thu-Sun, in the Theatre Barn, Winedale Historical Center, Winedale. This week: Winter's, Thu, 7:30pm; Two Gents, Fri, 7:30pm; Richard, Sat, 2pm; Winter's, Sat, 7:30pm; Two Gents, Sun, 2pm; Richard, Sun, 7:30pm. Tickets: $5 (reservations urged); Saturdays, Hunters Stew served ($5). 409/278-3530.
ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED WOMAN provides double the pleasure, double the fun of the regular solo performance piece. That's because it's really two solo performance pieces by a pair of Austin's most entertaining and energetic comic actors: Mary Lang and Cynthia Wood, best known for their antic appearances with Esther's Follies. Wood presents Saints, Martyrs, and a Donkey Angel; Lang presents Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop. FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY! Aug 11-19, Mon & Tue, 8pm, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor. Tickets: $8 singles; $10 couples; $12 people in pajamas. 453-2046.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE has been rolling down the tracks of the American theatre for a full half-century, and First Stone Theatre pays tribute to Tennessee Williams' durable drama via a new staging that blends live action and video. Payne Award winner Margaret Hoard plays the quintessential fading flower Blanche DuBois, with Lynda Parker as sister Stella, Michael Miller as Stanley, and Daniel Potts as "Mitch" Mitchell. Whitney Milam directs. The performance on Sun, Aug 17 benefits AIDS Services of Austin. Aug 7-23, Wed-Sat, 8:10pm, Sun, 7pm, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor Rd. Tickets: $12. 454-TIXS.
LOVE, JANIS is how Janis Joplin signed the letters that she wrote home to Port Arthur, Texas. Now her letters are the basis of a musical. Two actresses play the Texas singer: one the stage Janis; the other her private self. Denver Center Theatre's Randal Myler wrote and directs this Zachary Scott Theatre Center production, starring Aimee McCormick and acclaimed Janis channeler Andra Mitrovich. Through Aug 31, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 6pm, at Zachary Scott Theatre Center, Kleberg Stage, 1421 W. Riverside. Tickets: $21-$25. 476-0541.
CURST & SHREWD: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW UNHINGED shreds Shakespeare's comedy of courtship to create, according to the PR, "a candid, impertinent, and downright feminazi look at marriage and mating at the end of the millennium." Fresh from their success with 30 Neo-Futurist Plays from Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, the Rude Mechanicals brow-beat the Bard in what promises to be a fun take on his Taming. Aug 14-Sep 6, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Aug 25, Mon, 8pm, at Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd. Tickets: Pay What You Wish on Thu; $10 ($8 seniors, students, ACoT) Fri & Sat. 474-8660.
A DEVELOPING MURDER pits a fed-up developer, Jim Bob Profit, against the environmentalists who are, uh, dead-set on stopping him. Can murder be in the cards? When the producers are the Capital City Mystery Players, it has to be. This comedy whodunit serves a four-course dinner along with a kooky crime that you help solve. Ongoing, Sat, 7pm, at the Driskill Hotel, 604 Brazos. Tickets: $45. 474-5911, x5219.
LATER AT LIVE OAK CABARET offers uptown musical entertainment in the lobby of the State, courtesy of Live Oak Theatre. A rotating roster of artists provide jazz, standards, and show tunes. Boni Hester hosts. Sat, 10:30pm, at the State Theatre, 719 Congress. Tickets: $5. 472-5143.
Z CABARET is Zachary Scott Theatre Center's addition to the hot field of local cabaret, offering standards, show tunes, and more by different artists weekly. Fri & Sat, 8pm, Sun, 6pm, at ZSTC, Whisenhunt Arena Stage, 1510 Toomey. Tickets: $10 Fri/Sun; $12 Sat. 476-0541.
Theatre Classes, Etc.KGSR 107.1 Weekly Theatre Update is on every Thursday morning with Kevin Connor. At 8am, Chronicle editor Robert Faires discusses what's happening in the week in Austin theatre.
Playfest '98 is accepting proposals for its 10-week season of theatre productions for family audiences. Each selected company presents one week of shows during either the spring (Feb 4-Mar 15) or summer (Jun 2-27). Deadline: Sat, Aug 30. Contact: Austin Circle of Theatres, 823 Congress, #5, Austin, TX, 78701. 499-8388.
Patricia Pearcy offers private acting lessons. A member of Equity and SAG, Pearcy has worked on All My Children and One Life to Live and at the Alley and Long Wharf Theatres. 328-2475.
Half-Price Tickets to many area performing arts events are available through AusTix, a half-price ticket service. Just drop by the big AusTix booth in BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar (11:30am-6:30pm, Wed-Sat) on the day of performance to see which shows have half-price tix for sale. 454-HALF.
The Box Office provides one-stop shopping for tickets to many area music, dance, and theatre productions. Just drop by the AusTix booth in BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar (11:30am-6:30pm, Wed-Sat) to purchase tickets or call 454-TIXS.
AuditionsJuno and the Paycock, a play by Sean O'Casey: Aug 17 & 18, Sun, 4-7pm, Mon, 7-10pm, at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. Roles available: four females, 25-50; 14 males, 20-60. Actors should read the script before auditions (scripts available at the ACoT office). The production is being directed by Karen Carver and runs Nov 7-Dec 6. Produced by Different Stages. By appointment. 453-7943.
King Stag, an adaptation of the fairy tale by Susan Dillard: Aug 19 & 20, Tue & Wed, 7-9pm. Actors should prepare a comic monologue (2 min), wear comfortable clothes, and be prepared to move. Resumé & headshot are requested. The production is being directed by Susan Dillard and runs Oct 23-Nov 9, at the Dougherty Arts Center. Produced by Second Youth Repertory Family Theatre. By appointment. 251-8549.
