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Coming Out: A Queer Stand-Up Showcase
Moe Christine brings y’all top-tier queer comedy lineups every month, so take a break from all the out-of-town talent Moontower’s peddling to enjoy Austin’s own LGBTQ gems.Sat., April 19, 10pm -
Arts
Dance
Dancing with Mary Jane
Smoke ’em if you got ’em, and Bat City Bombshells Burlesque sure does have “’em.” Talented performers, that is: What did you think I meant? They’ll be showing off their smokin’ hot skills at this 4/20-themed song-and-dance.Sat., April 19, 7pm -
Arts
Theatre
Fables From the Farm: "Reviving Reverence"
On paper, Fables From the Farm started in 2023 as a combination of performance art, dinner theatre, and farm-y flamboyance – which returns this weekend, April 18-20, with a new story called “Reviving Reverence.” Yet, the real start treks back several years to when co-creator Jade Fusco still studio’d at Museum of Human Achievement – just down Springdale from debut and upcoming Fables venue, Boggy Creek Farm.: “When I would take walks I would often stop into Boggy Creek just to sit under those pecan trees and marvel at the lush, fertile grounds teeming with life and fruits and vegetables,” Fusco reminisces over email. “[It] felt like this secret oasis in the middle of the city. I always thought to myself, 'We should DO some kind of SHOW here one day. People need to experience the healing magic of this place.’”: Interested guests should know, Fusco says, that “this is a rigorous experience!” Her advice for this mobile musical – as guests walk all over Boggy Creek along with the performers – is to wear comfy shoes, bring a water bottle, and let yourself participate in the Earth-loving spirit. “The more you give yourself to the experience,” Fusco says, “the more it’ll give back.” – James ScottApril 18-20 -
Arts
Dance
Legislate THIS: 202WTF
Human rights and access to health care are increasingly under attack by legislators and politicians across the country, and especially in Texas. As a way to fight back, local treasure and burlesque performer Ginger Snaps created the “Legislate This” show in 2012 in Austin and has taken it to neighboring Texas cities and beyond to benefit Planned Parenthood wherever the show goes. All cast, crew, and the venue are donating their time so 100% of the profits can go to PP of Greater Texas, so catch some of the best entertainers in town performing aerial, burlesque, and drag routines – proving that fighting the power can also be fun. – Kat McNevinsSat., April 19
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Arts
Theatre
23 & Me & Somebody Else
More in-the-know operators caught on to Malia Moss’ one-woman show early in its April run, but ya boy has finally gotten the message: This is a great show! Not the typical monologue one imagines when a single-storyteller stageplay comes up, Moss’ deeply personal narrative has the comedian embodying different characters as she unpacks the shocking revelation that she isn’t her father’s biological kid. Grappling with further surprises uncovered by the titular DNA test – such as having both a Holocaust survivor and a former Miss Universe contestant in her family tree – Moss “explores family secrets, identity, and the miracle of human existence.” Yamina Khouane directs. – James ScottApril 19 & 26 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Art & Parks Tour
This sweet opportunity comes to us from the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Pease Park Conservancy, and Ride Bikes Austin – so we know it's a damned good thing indeed. Take the self-guided Art & Parks Tour to explore the best of what Downtown Austin art and parks have to offer through this selection of curated murals, artworks, and green spaces. You can sign up anytime, so click that URL and get ready to learn the most vibrantly visual parts of your city soon – live and in person. -
Arts
Visual Arts
Atelier Dojo: Remote Studios
The local powerhouse of figurative painting, the art school that's the smart school for artists of all kinds, they've got a painting-along-at-home series going to help you keep your skills honed in these socially restrictive times, featuring live costumed models posing on camera and a thriving community of creatives rendering that lovely human biotecture from their separate studios. "Join us for a three-hour costumed-model drawing session. Use any supplies you wish, listen to music, share your work, chat with others. It’s a great way to stay connected with your art community!"Tuesdays, 1:30-4:30pm; Fridays, 6:30-9:30pm; Saturdays, 9:30-12:30pm. $5. -
Arts
Visual Arts
“Brave New Textiles”
Indeed a reference to Aldous Huxley’s renowned 1931 dystopian novel, Bolm Arts’ latest multi-artist exhibit tackles the ever-evolving questions of naturalism, commercialism, and personal and national identity reflected in the contemporary fiber world. Curated by textile artist Amanda Fay and painter Stephanie Mervine, this Eastside gallery showcases 10 Central Texas creatives, including sustainable yarn worker Bitter Hag, upcycled fashion and visual/performance Renaissance person Corinne Loperfido, and interdisciplinary artist Jonas Criscoe. Loperfido hosts a separate pop-up shop during Thursday’s opening reception, while author Nicole Josephine Kline presents an open mic poetry night the following day. Carys AndersonApirl 17-May 3Bolm Arts Gallery, 5305 Bolm Rd. Bay 9 -
Arts
Visual Arts
“Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy, 1924-2024”
Across politics and pop culture, depictions of queer Black life most often emphasize pain, if not patronization. “Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy,” a multimedia exhibition presented by UT-Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies, flips the script, offering a century’s worth of works that focus instead on Black joy. Organized around seven themes – Portraiture, Beyond Figuration, Dance and Movement, Spirituality, Sex and Sensuality, Black Queer Futures, and Altered States – the works of over four dozen artists remind us that even in the face of adversity, we can achieve transcendence. – Carys AndersonThrough May 9Christian-Green Gallery, 201 E. 21st St. & Idea Lab, 210 W. 24th St. -
Arts
Dance
Ballet Austin: Classes
Learn your way to physical grace with a dance class at Ballet Austin. There are so many varieties to choose among – ballet, barre, contemporary dance, hip-hop, tap, cardio dance fitness, Pilates, and more – and all taught by professional instructors. See website for details.$3-7 per class. -
Arts
Comedy
Cap City Comedy Club
That's right: Cap City Comedy Club, the longtime cornerstone of Austin's comedy scene for nearly four decades is at a new venue in the Domain. And here's Valerie Lopez with a closer look at what's in store for the scene via the venue. Click for details! -
Arts
Classical Music
Classical Music for the World’s “East in the West: Sounds, Minds, and Dharma”
Classical Music for the World’s spring festival commences with CMFW artistic adviser and cellist Francesco Mastromatteo performing a Bach-heavy program under the theme “Under the Cross” – a good fit for Good Friday. Other opening weekend entertainments (all entirely free, by the way) include classical guitarist Noemi Passiatore on Saturday and then a pairing of Mastromatteo and Passiatore on Sunday for a bill that spans Enrique Granados’ Goyescas to Ennio Morricone’s film scores. In total, the festival boasts seven nights of (again, entirely free!) music across three weeks, culminating in a May 4’s Love Concert: “Celebrating Oneness” at Fo Guang Shan Xiang Yun Temple, presenting sponsor. – Kimberley JonesApril 18 - May 4Multiple locations -
Arts
Comedy
ColdTowne Theater
ColdTowne's new brick-and-mortar place is totally open, and who knows what they'll shake this city with next? But one truth remains: ColdTowne is a designated den of gold, baby, sweet comedy gold. -
Arts
Comedy
Come @ Me: Improv Comedy Inspired by Your Instagram
Why are there so many different social media apps you have to be on? And where are my slippers? Are you my grandson? I’m joking about being old, which is something they might make fun of me for when they do the improv comedy inspired by my Instagram. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you won’t make it far in this world! So come be the butt of the joke at this weekly show created by Isaac Garza, Amy Knop, and Kyle Irion, and starring Natalie O’Sullivan Hamilton, Juese Cutler, Sunny Huang, Xander Noland, Lisa Jackson, Colton Matocha, Jenn Rosario, Kevin Anderson, Jamie Meeks, and special guests, who will all endeavor to finally use social media for something good. – Kat McNevinsSaturdays -
Arts
Visual Arts
Creekside Studio
Creekside Studio is a women-owned printmaking studio and gallery, located in Canopy on the Eastside, specializing in fine art prints pulled by hand using archival materials and matrices: engravings, photogravure etchings, monotypes, woodcuts, copperplate etchings, and linocut.Saturdays, noon-1pm916 Springdale, Bldg 2 #103B -
Arts
Theatre
Dial M for Murder
Film buffs know the Hitchcock version of Dial M for Murder, a delicate cocktail of a mystery movie with adultery, blackmail, and the blessed screen presence of Grace Kelly. Jarrott Productions has mixed up their own version of the timeless thriller. It’s got the signature intrigue, with a delectable twist courtesy of playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s more modern adaptation. Still set in the stylish 1950s, Jarrott’s serving up suspense with heavy dashes of queer romance, women’s liberation, and the fragile male ego. There’s more than money on the line with this production of surreptitious schemes gone awry. – Cat McCarreyThrough April 27 -
Arts
Theatre
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
In this, the doldrums of spring … is it just me, or are even the wildflowers less vibrant than usual? We could all use an escape. An evening in the French Riviera could fit the bill, especially while watching the exploits of two conflicting con men. First introduced in film by Michael Caine and Steve Martin, the titular Dirty Rotten Scoundrels of Austin Playhouse’s musical mayhem will perform literal tap dances around each other as they try to score big time. It’s almost, almost too wonderful to be true. Who will get the girl? Who will get the cash? Who will leave entertained (could it be you)? Shows start this Friday, April 11. – Cat McCarreyApril 11 - May 11 -
Arts
Theatre
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!
Beep beep! Make way for this vehicular bird, who springs from author Mo Willem’s Pigeon picture books onto the Zach stage for this family-friendly musical. Originally commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the production is suitable for kids 3 years old and up – so a perfect pick if you’ve got antsy toddlers yearning to dance and sing during stageplays. Plotwise, this isn’t a challenging piece: When a bus driver disembarks from their seat, a mischievous fowl takes the wheel to expectedly chaotic results. Feathers will fly, I’m told. – James ScottThrough May 18 -
Arts
Comedy
East Austin Comedy Club
Founded by comedians Raza Jafri and Andre Ricks, this club that operates out of Tiger Den on the Eastside is the city's only BIPOC-owned comedy venue. -
Arts
Comedy
Fallout Comedy
This hotbed of local performance is carrying on even more than usual, with an eclectic mix of live, mind-rocking comedy from some of Austin's best, all week long. Hey! The place is our cover story, as reported by Valerie Lopez! And, srsly, who would ever disagree with the sentiment of Monday night's Fuck This Week show? Check the website for details. -
Arts
Theatre
Filigree Theatre Presents: The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye
“Masks and Mirrors” is the guiding theme behind Filigree Theatre’s sixth season, which closes out with a bang (or a shatter) in The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye. World-class psychiatrist Rye sets out to prove that all existence is a masked mirror, a quirk of the mind. Like all great men, he tries to prove his theory through a woman. Only once he’s beguiled a woman into his experience does Rye begin to wonder who, exactly, is controlling whom. Twisty, turny, and with multiple layers of play-within-a-play storytelling, Edward Rye uses actual illusions – never tricks – to make characters and audience alike question their reality. – Cat McCarreyApril 18 - May 4 -
Arts
Comedy
Hysteria!
Previously under the moniker “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” this comedy variety show skewers the Lone Star State’s backwards movement on reproductive rights. Carolyn Kelleher and Caroline Penca play hosts/producers/directors to a cast of comedic talent that includes such luminaries as Becca Andrews, Ricky Corragio, Rainny Daze, Kim Egner, Sandra Fountain, Judy Lee, Chelsee Lopez, Shannon Mullery, Martha Neil, and Kat Williams. Be there this Saturday, or be an aborted little cell clump! – James ScottSaturdays -
Arts
Visual Arts
Jiab Prachakul: Sweet Solitude
Whoever says Austin isn’t a fine art town can get the hell out of here. We continually break artistic ground with innovative and international taste. The Contemporary once again adds to that rep by hosting artist Jiab Prachakul’s first solo museum show. Born in Thailand, living in France, and with a solid film background behind her, Prachakul’s work has a bold style and clear point of view. Heavy graphic lines and soul-stirring colors fill her art. Each moment could be a film still, each stroke staking her claim on a far-too-Western art world. Widely accessible but intensely intimate, Prachakul’s scenes beg for close inspection. Join the Contemporary, and the artist herself, in examining her offerings during Friday’s opening night festivities or in conversation on Saturday, Feb. 1. – Cat McCarreyThrough August 3 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Laguna Gloria
This local treasure of a venue, run by those Contemporary Austin folks who also bring us the Jones Center shows Downtown, is all about the outdoors – which is perfect for these trickily navigated times of ours, n'est-ce pas? Recommended: Stop by and breathe in the air, enjoy the lawns and gardens and the many examples of world-class sculpture arrayed across the property, and (as Frankie used to say) r-e-l-a-x.Thu.-Fri., 9am-noon; Sat.-Sun., 9am-3pm -
Arts
Visual Arts
Landmarks: Self-Guided Walking Tour
Use your smartphone to access self-guided tours of the outdoor public art sited by UT's award-winning Landmarks program any time you feel like it. BONUS: There's also a free, docent-led tour starting at Marc Quinn's "Spiral of the Galaxy" (1501 Red River) on Sun., Jan. 8, 11am. -
Arts
Theatre
Lipstick
Theatre and queer people have been entangled since the very first wigs were powdered, so it’s no surprise Austin Rainbow Theatre sashayed onto the Central Texas scene in 2021. This Friday, April 11, they kick off new show Lipstick – a farce featuring typical goof-ups of the LGBTQ variety. This includes: the is-this-a-date question, everyone crashing in on a private moment, and norms being – oh my gosh! – challenged. Written by Lane Michael Stanley and world-premiered in Florida, this comical yet heartfelt play provides queer joy in our own long-suffering conservative state. – James ScottFridays - Sundays, April 11-26 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Martha's Contemporary: Hokey Pokey + What You See Is What You Get
Here's a two-person exhibition that features painting, installation, videography, and sculpture by Moll Brau and Wes Thompson. It's a deep dive into a pool of loneliness, triumph, and rebirth. It's a forest of mazes where fireflies provide the light. It's a show of creations from a pair of terrific, hardworking local artists and you don't want to miss it. -
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Visual Arts
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Arts
Visual Arts
Mauricio Alejo: “The Unexpected Product of Labor (Two Hammers Without a Sickle)”
Though International Workers’ Day remains a week or so away, recent statements and retractions from our unfortunate president have brought labor front of mind. What is our labor worth, and how do we extract that while also saving ourselves? Mexico City/New York City-based artist Mauricio Alejo explores labor’s delicate balance through this exhibition and presents what Co-Lab calls a “metaphorical story about labor as an unstable equation between forces – wind and gravity – that produces movement within their own dialectic process of searching for equilibrium.” Opening reception is this Saturday, April 19, with an earlier preview available for Co-Lab members and VIPs. Don’t sweat it if you miss the big kickoff, as the exhibition will be on view Saturdays, noon-6pm, until the end of May. – James ScottSaturdays through May 31 -
Arts
Comedy
Moontower Comedy Festival
When Moontower lights up Downtown from April 9-19, it’ll be with more than just marquee names and standing ovations. The 11-day comedy festival returns with a blend of national stars and local standouts – mixing the seasoned with the emerging, the personal with the absurd. – Lucciana ChoueiryApril 9-19Downtown Austin -
Arts
Theatre
MotherTree
Looking to branch out in your live performance viewing? Leaf it to the Vortex Theatre – purveyors of “urgent, unashamed art to create action in a shifting age” – to provide a production unlike any other. Planted by producing Artistic Director Bonnie Cullum with music direction by Anderson Dear, stagecraft meets climate science in this exploration of the human connection to trees. In keeping with the theatre’s goal to promote active praxis through performance, themes of beauty, magic, and grief are woven together by ensemble members Gabriel Maldonado, Caili Crow, Nicole Boyd, Alaithia Velez, Benjamin Cervantes, Blaise Ricin, Sigh, Pablo Munoz-Evers, Katrina Saporsantos, Tyaga Welch, Laura D’Eramo, and Logan Lasiter. It’s not going out on a limb to say the current climate crisis affects us all, so join the Vortex as “we travel through the mycorrhizal network to learn from the Trees.” – James ScottThrough April 20 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Museum of Illusions
Enter the fascinating world of illusions in this new venue that boasts a stunning array of intriguing visual, sensory, and educational experiences among new, unexplored optical wonderments.$20-24.11010 Domain #100 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Old Bakery Gallery: Fantastical Flora
This multimedia exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract, featuring the work of local artist Francine Funke.Opening reception: Sat., Jan. 20, 1-4pm. Free. -
Arts
Visual Arts
Ranran Fan: “Inhale the Interruption 动弹”
Described in their about-the-artist as a “device-maker,” current new media art assistant professor at University of North Texas Ranran Fan digs into time-telling with their latest exhibition. Opening Saturday, March 22, this three-part installation features an ongoing incense burning – recalling the Chinese cultural association of incense with time measurement and memory. Exhibition attendees are invited to share their response to the scents and sensations to a chatbot trained on Fan’s personal writings, which will speak out its own replies. Also on display will be automated time-tracking sculptures, interactive video projections, and an outdoor sundial sculpture – all of which Women & Their Work says “explores the passage of time and the potential for healing.” – James ScottThrough May 8 -
Arts
Visual Arts
Sara Jane Parsons: “Project Pollination”
Tales of dwindling bee populations are guaranteed to send me into an existential panic. Which is why I fully embrace any reminder of pollinators’ goodness, purity, and beauty – especially when those reminders are as lovely as Sara Jane Parsons’ watercolor works. For her latest exhibit, “Project Pollination,” Parsons pairs portraits of her food and their pollinator pals. Luscious fruits and vegetables hang near moths and bees on the wing. The figures glow with life, becoming all the more impressive when you learn Parsons mouthpaints, as she’s paralyzed from the neck down. It’s a process of persistence and environmental preservation. The paintings are viewable for the next month, but get a more personal view at the Wednesday, March 19, opening. – Cat McCarreyThrough April 19; opening reception on March 19 -
Arts
Comedy
South Austin Comedy Club
South Austin’s first dedicated comedy venue is spearheaded by local comics Martin Henn, Andre Ricks, and Raza Jafri, and brings top-notch acts to South Austin every Wednesday through Saturday. Note: The upcoming comics – including nationally touring acts, local sweethearts, and everyone in between – will be listed on Instagram each night.Wed.-Sat., 7:30pm -
Arts
Visual Arts
Stephen L. Clark Gallery: Kate Breakey
This exhibition of new work by Kate Breakey showcases hand-colored photography of the natural world, particularly of Texan and Australian landscapes, animals, and insects. -
Arts
Books
Story Circle Network
Nonprofit organization for women, offering monthly reading and writing circles and more, in North, Central, and South Austin. -
Arts
Visual Arts
Sydney Guzman: “Under the Moon’s Eye”
Austin-based and McAllen-born artist Sydney Guzman says her upcoming sculpture & painting exhibition began from a conversation – not with a person, but the universe. “In moments of uncertainty, I pose a silent question,” says Guzman. “And the world responds, not with words, but through intuitive signs: an animal crossing my path, an object pulling my attention, a subtle shift in energy.” These questions and their answering signs brighten the Ivester walls this Saturday, April 19, with Guzman’s bold colors and “gestural brushstrokes,” as the gallery describes, bringing to viewers’ minds questions of transition, form, and self. Don’t be surprised if after you leave the gallery, you, too, will see the world responding to your unspoken inquiries; just be open to the visions. – James ScottOpening reception, April 19; runs through May 24 -
Arts
Comedy
The Creek and the Cave
This snazzy spot for local and national stand-up acts has shows almost every night of the week. -
Arts
Comedy
The Hideout
The diverse lineup of hilarious, always surprising improv shows continues, with Pgraph and Maestro and the Big Bash and more, for the most unexpected delights of in-person entertainment.$10 and up. -
Arts
Visual Arts
UT 2024 MFA Studio Art Thesis Exhibition: “Acceleration Without Arrival”
I’ve said it before, and even if I risk sounding repetitive I’ll say it again: AUSTIN HAS A GREAT ART SCENE. But it’s not necessarily in museums or vaulted halls: It’s emerging from the embryonic chrysalis of our punk underground and yes, even our academic towers. UT’s MFA students have already made waves on the local gallery circuit, whether through Britt Moseley’s video soundscapes at MASS Gallery or through Katherine Vaughn’s work at shedshows. But they’re just one-seventh of the talent presenting at “Acceleration Without Arrival.” Experience all the up and coming glory in one place through the next few weeks. Celebrate with the department at April 18’s opening night, or take a guided tour with the artists the following day. These creators mix subject matter and artistic medium in ways that blow past the edges of what can be. Enter the future with their new works. – Cat McCarreyApril 18 - May 10 -
Arts
Comedy
Velveeta Room
The legend of Ronnie Velveeta lives on at this storied 'stablishment of a stand-up stage, where some of the country's hottest comics come to make the floorboards quake with laughter every weekend on Dirty Sixth. Brandie Posey: Sat., May 20, 8 & 10pm. Jake Flores: Sat., May 27, 8 & 10pm.$10. -
Arts
Theatre
What the Constitution Means to Me
Director Jenny Lavery’s work has often had a political tinge, but her most recent productions have been unrelenting in how they push the audience to engage with the forces that endanger and shape society. After her long-delayed and critically lauded production of abortion drama Roe, now she takes on the Pulitzer-winning political conversation between one woman at two points in her life. Best known to non-theatre audiences as the overly loyal June Thompson for Boardwalk Empire, Nisi Sturges dons the signature yellow jacket of Obie-winning playwright Heidi Schreck as she contends with the potential and the limitations of one of America’s most important documents. – Richard WhittakerThrough May 11 -
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Visual Arts
Words and Wonder: Rediscovering Children’s Literature
One of the pleasures of having a first-rate research center and archive in town is how the Harry Ransom Center will regularly comb through its own vast holdings and hand-pick gems to present in a new context. Hence the HRC’s latest exhibit, “Words and Wonder: Rediscovering Children’s Literature,” which pulls from its manuscript, art, photography, film, and performing arts holdings to spotlight early 20th-century authors and illustrators catering to a young readership. The exhibit includes magic lantern slides from Aesop’s Fables, John Tenniel’s illustrations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Ernest H. Shepard’s indelible images from the Hundred Acre Wood, among other treats. Runs through August 17. – Kimberley JonesThrough August 17 -
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Visual Arts
Wyld Gallery
This is Ray Donley's gallery of art by Native Americans, located in that company of artistic glory called Canopy and resplendent with creations from the original people of our struggling country.Call for appointment -
Arts
Visual Arts
Yard Dog: Paul Rodriguez
Yard Dog presents the vibrant works of Paul Rodriguez, a printmaker from San Miguel de Allende. "And some very cool new paintings by Harry Underwood."Opening reception: Fri., Jan. 19, 7-9pm