Articulations

Still dreaming about one of those hours-are-long-and-the-pay-is-meager-but-hey-it’s-a-job-in-the-arts positions? This may be a prime time to make your dream into a reality. The last couple of months has seen several of Austin’s theatre workers leave their professional posts, and a few of their positions have yet to be filled. At the Austin Circle of Theatres, associate director Mary Alice Carnes has resigned to become assistant to Marcia Kinsey, dean of the College of Humanities at St. Edward’s University. Over at the Austin Gilbert & Sullivan Society, longtime executive director Robert Mellin has taken his final bow in that position. At Frontera@Hyde Park Theatre, Bill McMillin opted out of his position as business manager, preferring to do his bit for the company from a position on the board of directors. (Frontera is currently seeking a Resident Producer; see the arts listings this issue for more info.) And Katie Pearl, formerly the Frontera development associate, has bounced over to Salvage Vanguard Theater to be its new marketing and communications director, where she’s already churning out press releases like crazy (see item below). Anyone interested in any of the vacated positions noted above would do well to get them your resum�s ASAP. Arts jobs like those will only remain open so long. Become one of the proud, the few, the arts-employed.

Getting Seen

Speaking of those Salvage Vanguard rascals (in case you didn’t know, they’re the sly dogs behind the “I Hate Theater” bumper stickers proudly displayed on the rear ends of subcompacts all over town), I’m informed by a press release from that selfsame Katie Pearl that the company’s resident playwright, David Bucci, and artistic director, Jason Neulander, were in Los Angeles the last week of January for a staged reading of Bucci’s play Altamont Now. The reading was produced by L.A. stage company Bottom’s Dream, which has developed ties to SVT through the RAT movement of small companies producing big, cheap theatre. One result of it is that the script is now being considered for publication by independent publishing house Sun and Moon Press. Both Neulander and Bucci are upbeat about the reading, with Bucci commenting in typically understated style, and I quote, “Everything about the reading was great, but I can’t wait to get this show back to Texas because L.A. is such a punk-ass pussy town.” (You know, that’s just the kind of promotional remark you can’t buy. Quick, somebody call the Chamber of Commerce!) SVT stages the world premiere of Altamont Now in an as-yet unidentified warehouse space in Austin this August. For more info, call 474-SVT6.

Off the Desk

Austin Access Arts is sponsoring another of its popular Audio Described Performances for a production this weekend. AAA trained volunteers will be broadcasting descriptions of the stage setting and action to patrons wearing headsets at the matinee performance of The Phantom of the Opera on Saturday, February 14, 2pm, at Bass Concert Hall. Call 454-9912.

This article appears in February 13 • 1998 and February 13 • 1998 (Cover).