Home Events Arts Theatre
All Events Visual Arts Theatre Comedy Books Dance Classical Music also: Arts News
OPENING
-
Arts
Theatre
Everest
This 75-minute, one-act opera, with music by Joby Talbot and libretto by Gene Scheer, is inspired by Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and tells the tale of one of the deadliest years in recorded history (1996) at Mount Everest, as climbers struggle to overcome elements in a desperate quest for survival. Some will survive; some will not; you, however, get to witness this weather-wracked spectacle from the comfort of your seat. Featuring bass-baritone Kevin Burdette, tenor Andrew Bidlack, baritone Craig Verm, and soprano Heather Johnson. (And our own Robert Faires tells you more about this production right here.)Jan. 23-26. Thu. & Sat., 7:30pm; Sun., 2:30pm. $39 and up.
CLOSING
-
Arts
Theatre
FronteraFest Short Fringe
The 27th annual theatrical smorgasbord of local productions (comedy! drama! dance! improv! performance art! multimedia! diverse shenanigans!) opens this decade with its slate of five 25-minute-long Short Fringe shows each night at Hyde Park Theatre (Jan. 14-Feb. 15), with the usually sold-out Best of the Week show each Saturday night. Coming up:Dueling Playwrights: Battle in the Grocery Aisle by Marianne Serene & James E. Burnside; Posse Power by Jomo and The Possum Posse; Please Help Me! Confessions Of A Self-Improvement Junkie by Tom Booker; St. Stephen's Pier by Heath Allyn; and The #2 Sacrifice by Sandy Maranto; Thu., Jan. 16, 8pm.99 Facts About an Immigrant by Leng Wong; A Series of Open Letters to My Teenage Son by Max Langert; Honey, I'm Home! by Jolyne Garza; I Sleep/ I Live/ I Wake by Ryley Valenti; and Three Tragedies in 25 minutes or Less by Shakespeare (with modifications by Beth Burroughs); Fri., Jan. 17, 8pm.14 Si! by PoetKen Jones; Catawampus by Cliff Miller; I Am Not The Person You Have Made Me Out to Be by Marianne Serene; Liftoff by Ben Polega; and Maid/Man by Rich Rubin; Tue., Jan. 21, 8pm.A Bird, a Dog, and a Wave by Kayur Patel; A Dance Piece by Dmo Acheka, Danielle Bogle, Maira Montes, and Philip Weaver; Dueling Playwrights: On Porn by Marianne Serene & James E. Burnside; I Knew Him Well by Trace Turner; Lightning Girl by Rita Anderson; and The Misplays by Aaron Rubin, Adrian Gwarzalez, Derek Cornelius, and Spencer Bloom; Wed., Jan. 22, 8pm.Science Fails: The Human Side of Science by Nichole Bennett; Flashmandments by CB Goodman; Flawed by Sandy Maranto; How To Say You’re Afraid of Commitment in 140 Characters Or Less by Valerie Nies; and Who Sits Next to Wilma by Janna Garza; Thu., Jan. 23, 8pm.Note: FronteraFest is a unique collaboration between two of Austin’s most venerable arts organizations – that aforementioned Hyde Park Theatre (an award-winning professional company in central Austin) and ScriptWorks (a playwright development and service organization with members in Texas and across the nation).Through Feb. 15. $18 per night.
ONGOING
-
Arts
Theatre
All's Well That Ends Well
Past is Prologue Productions, the company that brought us Shakespeare in the Dark: Macbeth last Halloween at the Driskill Hotel, returns with an ensemble cast of local actors to blend live theatre with dance film for a unique approach to this Shakespeare comedy. Jennifer Sturley directs.Through Jan. 26. Thu.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 3 & 8pm. $15 and up. -
Arts
Theatre
Art
Here is Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning comedy about the lives of three old friends, the meaning of art and life, and how far we go to protect those we care about. Featuring Scott Poppaw, Marc Balester, and J. Kevin Smith, as directed by Andy Berkovsky for City Theatre. And here's our review of the show.Through Feb. 2. Thu.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 3pm. $10-30. -
Arts
Theatre
BedPost Confessions: The Sweet Spot
"Stories told at BedPost Confessions explore themes of sexuality, gender identity, dating, marriage, masturbation, break-ups, health, and more. Whether the performers are funny, informative, fictional, thoughtful, embarrassing, raunchy, heart-warming, political, or completely personal, the audience receives their stories with love and returns the favor by sharing their own." Featuring readers Cynna Rae, Manuel Duran, Spike Gillespie, and Dr. Kim TallBear. With a burlesque performance by Chola Magnolia, music by DJ Chorizo Funk, and the whole sexy evening hosted by Miranda Wylie and Sadie Smythe.Wed.-Fri., Jan. 22-24, 8pm. $20-255. -
Arts
Theatre
Click
A techno-thriller that begins when a young woman is raped at a fraternity and ends in a future where corporations promise a new body with the swipe of a screen, this new Jacqueline Goldfinger play follows a hacktivist who turns industrial espionage into high art. Directed by Rudy Ramirez for the Vortex, it's "a cyberpunk drama for the #metoo era."Through Feb. 8. Thu.-Sun., 8pm -
Arts
Theatre
FronteraFest Long Fringe
Here are the longer productions of this year's 27th annual FronteraFest (as opposed to the nightly smorgasbord of the Short Fringe), with performers and companies taking the stage at Ground Floor Theatre to offer a variety of new shows on a diversity of subjects. This is what's coming up:: Possibilities: Storytelling with Poetry, Improv, and Song (90 mins.) Jennifer Bloom shares poetry, songs, and stories to weave a tapestry of connection on her exploration of what it means to be human. In Our Prime Improv (Paul Normandin, Ryan Hill, and Gloria Rabil Bankler) embody characters from Bloom’s poetry and audience input. "Each show offers a new possibility … and a hug for your soul." Wed., Jan. 29, 8:45pm; Fri., Jan. 31, 7pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 5:30pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 3pm. $15.: Stand-Up Jesus (60 mins.) Making his first appearance in more than 2000 years, Jesus of Nazareth returns with razor-sharp satire for sinners. Let anyone who is without sin cast the first heckle! "It’s a second coming blessed with punchlines where god is the god of funny. Come battle the hypocrisy of false prophets and praise the truth that hurts!" Written and performed by Robert Dubac for Moment-to-Moment Productions. Wed., Jan. 29, 7pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 3:45pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 1:15 & 7:30pm. $20.: Straitjacket: Variations on a Theme of Horror (90 mins.) This is a monodrama – produced, written, directed, and performed by Charles P. Stites – in which a prisoner, tortured by a sadistic warden, is locked away in solitary confinement and sealed in a straitjacket for days at a time. In order to escape the horror of his reality, he astral projects out of his body to relive his past lives. It's "a riveting story of madness, escape, and the terror of eternity," adapted from The Star-Rover by Jack London. Thu., Jan. 30, 8:30pm; Sat., Feb. 1, noon & 9:15pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 5:15pm. $10.: Transhumance (45 mins.) In this "playful, heartfelt exploration of gender," NYC-based theatre artist Ania Upstill dives into the absurd in a surreal journey across the landscape of gender in search of a place to call home. Thu., Jan. 30, 7pm; Fri., Jan. 31, 9:15pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 2:15 & 7:45pm. $15.Jan. 22-Feb. 2. Prices vary. -
Arts
Theatre
FronteraFest Short Fringe
The 27th annual theatrical smorgasbord of local productions (comedy! drama! dance! improv! performance art! multimedia! diverse shenanigans!) continues with its slate of five 25-minute-long Short Fringe shows each night at Hyde Park Theatre (through Feb. 15), with the usually sold-out Best of the Week show each Saturday night. Coming up:Science Fails: The Human Side of Science by Nichole Bennett; Flashmandments by CB Goodman; Flawed by Sandy Maranto; How To Say You’re Afraid of Commitment in 140 Characters Or Less by Valerie Nies; and Who Sits Next to Wilma by Janna Garza; Thu., Jan. 23, 8pm.A Child’s Guide to Schopenhauer by Marla Porter; Battle by Cry Havoc Action Choreography; Choice by Addy Lugo, Gloria C. Adams, and Teresa Johnson; Me-usical: The Musical by Ragan Fox; and Purdy Mischief's Playtime by Lindsey Greer Sikes; Fri., Jan. 24, 8pm.At Death We Know Everything by The United Güey(s); Dueling Playwrights: Battle of the Bathroom by Marianne Serene & James E. Burnside; Miss Winnie by Marla Porter; Mom’s First Job (And What Not To Talk About At The Dinner Table) by Rhonda Roe; and Persnickety by Alex Garza; Tue., Jan. 28, 8pm.Airbnb by Heather Thiel; An Evening, and Possible Morning, with Carl Sagan by Pete Parsons; Bad Neighbors by Ava Love Hanna; Fidelity by Raymond V. Whelan; and The Heart and How It Heals by Helyn Rain Messenger; Wed., Jan. 29, 8pm.All Aglow by Christine Darling; Thing with Feathers by Kylah Torre; A Character Challenge by Lee Eddy; This Show Will Go On by Brian Bonnet, Thaddeus Grant Fenton, and Olivia Wise; and What a World by Laura Freeman and Kris Frederiksen; Thu., Jan. 30, 8pm.+caraway+ by Cris Edwards; Still Life by Matt Sandbank; Ma & Pa Gothic Save Texas! by Tom Booker & Janet Maykus; Side B by Daniel Berkowitz; and Thumb War by Kathryn Sterling; Fri., Jan. 31, 8pm.1.5 Korean by Pamela Paek and Arthur Stanley Chong; Enlightened by Tristan Young Mercado; Our Good Friend by Sabeen Noorani and Trinity Joan Adams; What Water is There for Us to Clean Ourselves by James E. Burnside; and Words Fail Me by Hank Schwemmer; Tue., Feb. 4, 8pm.Bad Thoughts by Aransas Haley; I'm Still Leaving by Molly Fonseca and Anikka Lekven; Please Do Not Touch the Art by Sally Seitz; H.P. Lovecraft's Sweet Ermengarde, or The Heart Of A Country Girl by Percy Simple; and Unconditional Therapy by Sandy Maranto; Wed., Feb. 5, 8pm.How To Belong by Maggie Gallant; Paramount Story Wranglers by 3rd Graders; Sunday Slugg'rz by Max Langert; When You … by Chuy Zarate; and Whippet Good by Jo DePrang;Thu., Feb. 6, 8pm.Note: FronteraFest is a unique collaboration between two of Austin’s most venerable arts organizations – that aforementioned Hyde Park Theatre (an award-winning professional company in central Austin) and ScriptWorks (a playwright development and service organization with members in Texas and across the nation).$18 per night. -
Arts
Theatre
Hello, Dolly!
You realize, of course, that this is "the universally acclaimed smash that NPR calls 'the best show of the year," right? And that director Jerry Zaks' "gorgeous” new production" is "making people crazy happy," yes? And Paul Beutel wrote this about it in the Austin Chronicle. That's why you're clicking to get tickets now, n'est-ce pas?Through Jan. 26. Thu.-Fri., 8pm; Sat., 2 & 8pm; Sun., 1 & 7pm. $30 and up. -
Arts
Theatre
The Niceties
Eleanor Burgess’ incendiary new drama is an explosive discussion of race, history, privilege, and social justice. Starring Jacqui Calloway and Francesca Christian, directed by Jeremy Rashad Brown for Jarrott Productions. Well, okay, but what does the Chronicle's Robert Faires think of the show? Find out here.Through Feb. 2. Thu.-Sat., 7:30pm; Sun., 2:30pm. $23 and up. -
Arts
Theatre
Tiny Beautiful Things
This luminous drama, based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos, is about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions which have no answers. One hell of a fine cast – Barbara Chisholm, Crystal Bird Caviel, John Christopher, and Lowell Bartholomee – is directed by Rosalind Faires for Austin Playhouse.Through Feb. 2. Thu.-Fri., 8pm; Sat., 2 & 8pm; Sun., 5pm. $34-38. -
Arts
Theatre
Trade with Klan
Inspired by true events, this Donald E. Baker play from Southwest Theatre Productions reflects on the collapse of the Indiana Klan, the largest Ku Klux Klan organization in the nation in 1925. "Daniel Lenhart returns to his hometown after seminary college to find the Klan rooted in his community and his brother putting a Trade With Klan sign in the window of the family business." And here's our review of the show.Through Feb. 2. Thu.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 4pm. $18-25.
