Five Hyperlocal Feats of Austin Artistry

Whose Life Is It Anyway? The comedy cohort of ColdTowne Theater will tell you in unforgettable ways.

Because it's a big ol' world, to be sure, but sometimes we want to stand (or sit) in the place where we are and revel in what it, uniquely, has to offer our culture-hungry senses. Here are five things of, for, and about our marvelous and moody metropolis that will bring a lick and a half of local cred to your stash of experience throughout September.

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

An (appropriately) hysterical comedy show about destigmatizing and demystifying abortion. Because humor, they say, "can be a powerful tool for hope, healing, and hell-raising" – and this crew from ColdTowne Theater will be "doling out catharsis for a cause" and donating proceeds to the Lilith Fund. As directed by Will Cleveland, Carolyn Kelleher, and Tauri Laws-Phillips, a star-studded cast of talented locals sketches up a fierce and fact-based storm.

ACC Art Galleries: “Quotations From Daily Life”

An exhibition featuring seven studio art faculty members at Austin Community College who work in a range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, assemblage art, and sculpture. Not just locally based creation, but the expressions of those who teach others in our community how to make their own marks of aesthetic meaning.

Hyde Park Theatre: I Love HPT

A fundraiser for Hyde Park Theatre, written and performed by HPT's fierce, funny, obsessive Artistic Director Ken Webster, revealing the highs and lows of the company's long history, the ins and the outs, the day-to-day humdrum, and (until we see it we can only imagine) the truly fucking weird. Fascinating from a local perspective, even if you've never been to HPT – and as manifested by Webster, that powerhouse of professional passion, well worth seeing.

Free Night at the Eureka Room

Sure, there are sensational touring shows of "immersive art" (hello again, Van Gogh!) but this is local feller Mike Stefanik's own homegrown and downright kaleidoscopic spectacle where visitors engage in curious, delightful, and absurd programming within an intimate space that's staggered and glorious with light and sound. And, this night, it's gratis. F-R-E-E, baby!

Over the Lege, Part 6: A New Low

All rise for the return of the Lone Star version of the Capitol Steps, a political satire showcase based solely on the Texas Legislature. The fun begins with sketches that decode political headlines, behavior, and nuance into comedic relief, and ends with a legislative celebrity interview.