Some nights at the theatre are somber, made for tackling the greatest ills in society. Others? Others are just a chance to dress up and hit the town, turn off your brain and enjoy something, for once in your miserable life.
Austin Rainbow Theatre’s Lipstick is definitely the latter.
Written by UT alum Lane Michael Stanley, Lipstick takes cues from its namesake. As a frolicking farce, it’s bright-colored and temporary. Depicting one crazy night in New York, it tracks Anna’s (Claire Shelton) dinner with her new gal pal Kelly (Cheyenne Gibbs), where she attempts to suss out whether she is sadly straight or gamely gay. Rounding out the apartment antics are Anna’s best friend Mal (Dane Parker), who has set her address as the meetup point for every would-be hookup (Bruce Gutierrez in an array of clever costuming). Oh, and her landlord Hank (Frank Rivera), who figured that now’s the best time to fix a leaky tub. And don’t forget the marvelously messy ex Cara (Bonnie Lambert), who’s fled her wedding to woo her lost love.
Director Trace Turner, who has spearheaded some invigoratingly innovative stage work before, continues to make bold strokes with their boisterous blocking. Again, this is all happening in the space of a single apartment living room. The characters flit around each other, disappearing through doors and narrowly missing collisions, with cheeky grace. They navigate around couches and stairs, wildly gesticulating behind the backs of others, acting out broad movements that scream out hijinks from miles away.
Director Trace Turner, who has spearheaded some invigoratingly innovative stage work before, continues to make bold strokes.
Speaking of screaming, this is a LOUD production. Yes, in set dressing and onstage style, with googly-eye cacti and colored doors and a conspicuous “Jesus” swear jar (complete with a holy chorus who appear every time a quarter drops into it). Set designer Katie Birks-Kilman went to town creating an apartment with visual interest in every corner. That includes some secret nooks and crannies for little – well, let’s call them sexy Easter eggs – throughout the show. But it’s also just loud volumewise. There are shrieks. Squeals. Full-on yelps. Often from more than one person at a time. The easily startled best beware.
Even with all the audiovisual bells and whistles, the entire production would melt into a globby mess of wax without the performers’ sheer enthusiasm. Parker’s energetic Mal is a straight shot of adrenaline, an athletic performance that would be exhausting to know but is exciting to watch. It makes even more sense after the show introduces his high-stepping mother Dorthy (Gina Houston), a similarly amped-up tourist determined to see all of NYC in 24 hours. Those two together could power cities with their freneticism. As Cara, Lambert is clearly relishing the chance to play the villain, snarking and sneering with her entire soul. Gibbs adds a special bit of squirrely mania to the potentially queerbaiting Kelly, wide-eyed and lost in a whirlwind of possible sexual orientation. But it’s Bruce Gutierrez who absolutely delights with every appearance as the rotating door of Mal’s wannabe suitors. It’s not even that he’s massively changing his disposition between characters. It’s more that his role is so absurd, so nimble and so singular, that it inspires giggles each time.
However, in the end, this is Lipstick … not a lip stain, not something long-lasting. It will probably wear off by the end of the night. Stanley’s story stays about as long. It’s a quick but good time, not leaving much of an impression tomorrow. But for a sprightly run on the town? It’s a joyous jaunt.
Austin Rainbow Theatre’s Lipstick
Ground Floor Theatre
Through April 26
This article appears in April 25 • 2025.
