• Don’t forget: Free Night of Theater is under way this week. The national program from Theatre Communications Group allows folks to give live theatre a try or sample work by different companies at no charge. The Austin Circle of Theaters, which helped launch the program last year, notes that free seats for most performances this year have already been reserved, but not all. Find out what’s still available by visiting www.freenightoftheater.net.
• Speaking of the Austin Circle of Theaters, the longtime stage support organization has selected Oscar G. Brockett to receive its Special Recognition Award for 2006. Every year the ACoT board honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the theatre community, and this year it’s the eminent historian and author of classic textbook The History of the Theatre. Brockett, currently the Z.T. Scott Family Chair Emeritus in Drama at the UT Department of Theatre & Dance, will be honored during the 32nd B. Iden Payne Awards ceremony, to be held Monday, Oct. 30, 7pm, at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center Kleberg Stage, 1421 W. Riverside. Tickets are available at AusTIX and www.texasperforms.com. For more information, call 454-TIXS.
• Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back is doing more than recounting the story of New Orleanians surviving last year’s devastating disaster. The UT Department of Theatre & Dance production is connecting with them in several ways. Outside the Brockett Theatre is a display of survivor stories from Alive in Truth’s New Orleans’ Disaster and Oral History Project. Through the Texas Interagency/Interfaith Disaster Response, survivors can see the show for free and participate in talk-backs. And some of the proceeds from the performances, plus all of the proceeds from two matinees for Austin middle and high school students, are being donated to TIDR’s unmet needs fund, which serves Katrina and Rita survivors in the Austin area. A review of the show, which runs through Sunday, Oct. 22, may be found in the Arts Listings, p.86. For more information about the production, call 477-6060 or visit www.utpac.org.
• Belated congratulations to Salvage Vanguard Theater Artistic Director Jason Neulander and SVT board Chair Sarah André on the birth of baby girl Scarlett Amanda Neulander, who somehow managed to make her way into the world on Sept. 29 between touring performances of The Intergalactic Nemesis, the SVT Labor Party fundraiser, and last week’s opening of the first show in Salvage’s new home at 2803 Manor Rd. The world premiere of Thrush, written by Fugitive Pieces author Caridad Svich and directed by company member Jenny Larson, runs there through Nov. 11. For more information, visit www.salvagevanguard.org.
• Don Toner was honored this month by Actors’ Equity Association, who presented him with the 2006 Lucy Jordan Award at its Oct. 6 meeting in Los Angeles. The award is given annually to an Equity member in the Western Region who shows a lifetime commitment to the theatre and to helping other theatre artists. Toner is coming up on 19 years on the Austin theatre scene, during which time he has headed Live Oak Theatre, the State Theater Company, and now Austin Playhouse, which he founded six years ago. This is the second year in a row that the award has gone to an Austin Playhouse artist: The 2005 recipient was actor Dirk van Allen. Toner’s latest project is a new staging of Larry L. King’s The Night Hank Williams Died, which he directed the world premiere of at Live Oak in 1989. The show runs through Nov. 19 at Austin Playhouse, 3601 S. Congress. For more information, visit www.austinplayhouse.com.
This article appears in October 20 • 2006.