FronteraFest might have reached the big 3-0, but it’s not slowing down. There are no weary joints in this theatre fest – just lean, mean, 80+ shows on the scene. Three decades on from its 1993 debut (2021 and 2022 were COVID casualties), Frontera is a safety net for performance art. Due to an unjuried selection process – they take the first 80 submissions, and that’s it – there are really no limits to what could happen onstage. It’s a place where fledgling artists can first spread their wings, and where established thespians can take wild leaps into the unknown.
Artistic director of Hyde Park Theatre and basically the Godfather of the Austin scene Ken Webster has been at Frontera since its inception. He and ScriptWorks Executive Artistic Director Christina J. Moore began running the fest in 2002. Last weekend, during a break from tech rehearsals, I asked him what makes Frontera special. His quick response? “It’s a great arts incubator.” Webster sees it as “the best chance for a lot of people to see your show.” With a low overhead – it’s only 50 bucks to submit a piece – there’s no limit to what artists can bring to the stage.
Over the next month, Frontera gives audiences three distinct ways to partake in that unpredictability. Mi Casa Es Su Teatro, a day of shocking, site-specific shows, happens on Feb. 8. Audiences can experience Ed Hamell’s musings on music and parenting from Jan. 24 through Feb. 2, when the punk legend takes over the Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV) shows at Captain Quack’s South with his one-man show Driving All Night: How to Raise a Kid and Survive as a Broke-Ass Musician.
And then there’s Short Fringe, the main and almost overwhelming component of FronteraFest, which started on Jan. 14. This is the part where truly anything could happen in a night. Birthday parties for Drew Barrymore play beside explorations into gender and sexuality. Elaborate dance pieces sit alongside comedy improvisers. Stoner takes on Mr. Rogers are followed by one-man explorations into meaning and identity. From Tuesday through Friday over the next four weeks, Hyde Park Theatre hosts these artistic amalgamations with five short plays per night. Each night the audience and a panel of three local artistic folks will vote for their favorites, which then move on to a Saturday showcase. From Feb. 11-15, those winners, plus five Wild Card shows picked by Frontera staff, will be produced one last time as the Best of the Fest. Tickets for that week move fast, so get on it while you still can.
This year guarantees a perfect combination of legacy acts and stage debuts. Returning artists among the hundreds of participants include folks like Zac Carr, Alex Garza, and Rebecca Maag. Contributor Lilly Percifield has been behind the theatre scenes for years, crafting some of the most memorable sets around (and occasionally performing last minute), but she’s intentionally stepping to the front with collaborator CB Goodman for a wry take on Evangelical purity culture with THE Talk: A Pep Rally Purity Play. The legendary Zell Miller III, who appeared at the first Frontera as a new playwright, has two pieces this year. Sound Bombing!, a ScriptWorks commission with fellow veteran Jeffery “DaShade Moonbeam” Johnson, explores rhythm and rhyme. With Daughter and Dada, which tackles the dynamics of an artistic family, Miller also inducts his daughter Marley into the Frontera tradition.
There’s no better way to witness the foundational players and the future stars of the Austin theatre scene than FronteraFest. It’s been 30 years of wild experimentation; here’s to 30 more.
FronteraFest 2025
Through February 15, multiple locations
www.hydeparktheatre.org/nowplaying
This article appears in January 24 • 2025.
