FronteraFest 2003

Are you ready for the Eastern European heavy metal fans? The bickering couple and the talking cow? The virtual world of interior design and geekish attention to furniture arrangement? Are you prepared for the multidisciplinary, spoken-word, neo-soul/funk musical? Can you handle the "Interview With U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Translated Into English"? If so, hie thee to Hyde Park Theatre, where performers of all stripes are already defying death (and sometimes good sense) presenting the above spectacles and more in the 10th anniversary edition of FronteraFest! Yes, it's time again for that annual performance jamboree and time to mark its first decade of presenting Austin with adventuresome new theatre, comedy, dance, and more by anyone with the courage or folly to take a stage.

This year's Short Fringe -- the traditional showcase of short pieces of 25 minutes or less -- is being presented five nights a week, Jan. 14 to Feb. 15, at Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd. As always, it will include a "Best of the Week" program each Saturday night, culled from outstanding works presented the preceding Tuesday through Friday, and the fifth week will feature pieces deemed "Best of the Fest." And this year, each Wednesday will feature a piece commissioned by Austin Script Works: One Hundred Haiku, by Hank Schwemmer (Jan. 15); Fireweed, by Kimberly Burke, directed by Ellie McBride (Jan. 22); The Anatomy of Language, by Zell Miller, III (Jan. 29); and Rhapsody, written and performed by David Gunderson (Feb. 5).

The Long Fringe -- which this year features 11 full-length productions from such dynamic creative forces as Monika Bustamante, realmdanceproject, Emily and Rick Fordyce, Hans Frank, and Hyde Park Theatre Artistic Director Ken Webster -- will run Jan. 21 to Feb. 2 at the Blue Theater, 916 Springdale. The Long Fringe Bring Your Own Venue returns, with Don't Try This at Home!, comedy and juggling by Jon O'Connor and James Speer with Matt Jones and Lewis Pillsworth, at 5309 Woodrow, Jan. 24 to Feb. 2. Plus, there's Mi Casa Es Su Teatro, a host of original pieces performed in homes throughout Austin on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tickets are $3 per performance and will be sold at the door on a cash-only, first-come, first-served basis. For information call 479-PLAY, the FronteraFest hotline at 236-7511, or visit www.hydeparktheatre.org.

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Thursday, Jan. 16

Samurai Dance, by Bridget Slate. Ten-minute play with postmodern fighting.

Rubbish, by Alan Acosta. Ten minutes of British farce.

Paper Moon, by Jeff Goldberg. Play for man, woman, and talking cow.

Jews Among the Indians, by Aaron Tucker. A play with clowns.

Progress, by Cristina Jesurun. Modern dance performance.

Scaping the Goat, by Timothy Thomas. Comedy about two Eastern European heavy metal fans.

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Friday, Jan. 17

Through Lines: A Work Unfinished, by Mary E. Hill.

For This I Went to Art School?, by Joy Klein, directed by Ellie McBride.

Oral Hyjinx: Redux, from Rm. 120 Productions.

Vanity Fairest, by Shard Live Performance Collective.

SubversaStation, by Andy Pickard. One-man show asking "Where are our prophets?"

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Saturday, Jan. 18

"Best of the Week" for Jan. 14-17. Bill announced after the Friday, Jan. 17 performance. Call 236-7511 or visit www.hydeparktheatre.org.

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Tuesday, Jan. 21

Elegy, by Kent de Spain. Dance/theatre work, much of it in slow motion.

Confessions of a Song Shark, by Phil Ayliffe. Play about scams in the music business.

Beauty and the Blunt, by Matthew Emilio Garcia.

Bar Fight, by Mike Henry. A spoken-word performance.

Leave it to Beverly, by Kirk German. A Fifties sitcom gone wrong.

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Wednesday, Jan. 22

Actual Lives. Autobiographical writing by people with disabilities.

Fireweed, by Kimberly Burke, directed by Ellie McBride (ASW Commission).

Lost, Found & In-Between, by Brad McEntire. Four works exploring confusion, misunderstanding, and revelation.

TBA, by Tapestry Dance Company. Dances exploring human relationships.

The Main Event - An Evening With Rory, by Ryan Wilsey. One-man show with music and monologues.

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Thursday, Jan. 23

Margaret Sanger Is My Hero, by Jennifer Hardy.

MINOR whITeY major: OTHER, by Angela Kariotis. Excerpt from Reminiscence of the Ghetto & Other Things that RaiZed Me.

This Vivid Life Cannot Be Used, by Cynthia Allison and Cari Kerkhoff. Excerpts from part two of a dance trilogy on aging.

Switch Hitters, by Neil LaRubbio from a story by Nick Mundy. Postmodern satire of baseball coaches in the 1950s.

Mommy, How Can We Move This Big Rock?, by Viva La Vulva - San Antonio. Play exploring individuals' uniqueness and understanding of the world.

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Friday, Jan. 24

Heat Wave, by Rebecca Schwarz. Play about two characters dealing with a heat wave.

TBA, by Eric Geyer.

Mister Z Loves Company, by Josh Meyer/Matt Hislope.

Poet on Watch, It's 6am, by P.O.W. Multidisciplinary, spoken-word, neo-soul/funk musical featuring P.O.W. and Firesong.

The Best of Tina Youthers, by Punch Drunk Comedy. Sketch revue exploring the brutality of love and relationships.

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Saturday, Jan. 25

"Best of the Week" for Jan. 21-24. Bill announced after the Friday, Jan. 24 performance. Call 236-7511 or visit www.hydeparktheatre.org.