A Winter Formal, a Yellow Brick Ball, and More Recommended Events

Arts and culture happenings for the weekend

"...probably the most fun you can have in an arena, and I stand by that. It’s theatrical, operatic, with..."

Jan. 24, 2025 Arts Feature by James Scott

Headlines / Quote of the Week

"...And Beyond the Border: Abortion law isn’t the only arena in which Texas is testing the limits of its..."

Feb. 16, 2024 News Feature

Recommended Austin Events

Highlights for your week in music, arts, community, and more

"...of The Diviners features the unique experience of professional actors cast alongside high schoolers, thus allowing for students to..."

Jan. 26, 2024 Column

From the Archives: Linklater on Linklater

Our 1991 self-interview by the Slacker filmmaker

"...the movie is its large cast of mostly non-professional actors. Where did you find such poorly dressed people?..."

July 24, 2020 Screens Feature by Richard Linklater

VHYes

Bizarro tribute to camcorder culture is silly and profound

"...otherwise chaotic and scattershot in-camera anti-editing. Kudos to child actors McNulty and Braslaw, who give pitch perfect performances as..."

Jan. 17, 2020 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Hidden Room Theatre's The Duchess of Malfi

In staging John Webster's revenge tragedy, the company strikes a delightful balance between historical authenticity and genuine emotion

"...Presented in the arena-style, ballroom setting of the York Rite Masonic Hall, Hidden..."

Oct. 11, 2019 Arts Review by Trey Gutierrez

Zach Theatre's Notes From the Field

This production of Anna Deavere Smith's provocative docudrama calls out America's criminal justice system

"...Leading the charge in this arena is playwright/actor Anna Deavere Smith. Her critically acclaimed reality-based..."

March 15, 2019 Arts Review by Bob Abelman

Bullet Head

A cracking good Tarantino-esgue heist film

"...film’s wonderful monologues, which must have lured these sterling actors to the project like catnip. It’s dogs, however, that..."

Dec. 8, 2017 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Wayne Alan Brenner's Top 10 Arts-Related Program Activities of 2016

Uncommon combinations – dance with horses, music with robots, drama with a Tesla coil – made the year unforgettable

"...1) JENNIFER SHERBURN IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY ARENA A sudden marvel on the dance scene this year,..."

Dec. 30, 2016 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

DVDanger: Gridlocked

It's all about timing for Trish Stratus

"...Most actors would worry about going headfirst into the floor. So..."

June 14, 2016 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Lisa Scheps' Ground Floor Theatre

The tireless advocate for the underserved has built a home for their stories

"...to her résumé and started working in the political arena. After moving to Austin in 2002, her empathy as..."

Dec. 18, 2015 Arts Feature by Jenn Lewis

Under the Skin

Psychological thriller Felt slices into rape culture

"...It's a manifestation of that in a very public arena, and it's very toxic, but it re-enforces that it's..."

July 17, 2015 Screens Feature by Richard Whittaker

Someone’s Got a Soul Grudge and It’s Gonna Hurt Like Whoa

Blue High Machine Mid-Southern Wrestling Coalition brings the pain

"...in the squared circle of physical combat, the artful arena of maximum mayhem and magisterial mishegoss?..."

May 26, 2015 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

All Over Creation: Identity Crisis

Two concurrent stage productions show what happens when we define ourselves too narrowly

"...Then two actors stepped inside the circle and, through their movements, indicated..."

Oct. 24, 2014 Arts Column by Robert Faires

Merrily We Roll Along

You wouldn't know this Sondheim musical was a legendary flop from the impressive staging at St. Ed's

"...the association with its original 1981 Broadway outing, whose actors in their teens and 20s often lacked credibility playing..."

April 11, 2014 Arts Review by Russell M. Dembin

SXSW Film Releases Full Feature Lineup

Slate includes everyone from Wes Anderson to the Zellners

"...had to make a bingo card for all the actors in two, three, four, five, and six films; we..."

Jan. 30, 2014 Screens Post by Monica Riese

Playback: Brian Beattie's Wizard of Oz

A peak inside indie Austin's new illustrated CD musical

"...was totally gifted because I'm an amateur at directing actors," says Beattie about his lead. London steals the show,..."

Jan. 10, 2014 Music Column by Kevin Curtin

Sayles Talk

More on the making of 'Go for Sisters' from John Sayles

"...say: about his writing process, how he works with actors, and – spoiler alert! – the film's ending...."

Dec. 7, 2013 Screens Post by Robert Faires

Othello

In jeans and T-shirts, five British actors summoned Othello's pride and Iago's envy with relentless ferocity

"...John Simon writes, "No matter what they do, American actors will never equal British ones in Shakespeare, at the..."

Nov. 15, 2013 Arts Review by Stacy Alexander Evans

Inside the Actors Arena

Terry Kiser does it for the kids

"...first youth class at his newly formed studio, the Actors Arena. Evidently, the first round went quite well...."

Sept. 3, 2013 Screens Post by Chase Hoffberger

Weekdays at Bernie's

Film's best-known dead guy is alive and kicking in Austin

"...Kiser, Al, and me onstage were two athletic-looking young actors both there to pick up my eventual corpse – today's..."

June 28, 2013 Screens Feature by Chase Hoffberger

A Decade of Aggression at the House of Torment

Austin's top-rated Halloween haunt looks back on 10 years of scares

"...A skeleton crew worked training his handful of volunteer actors. "Sometimes, I look back at that and think that..."

Oct. 31, 2012 Arts Post by Richard Whittaker

Wheels of a Dream

With the long-awaited Topfer Theatre, Zach races full-throttle into the future

"...tall proscenium sides, expansive enough to hold four dozen actors, comfortably spread out, to ooh and aah over the..."

Oct. 5, 2012 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Making History, Part Two

Director Bill Rauch on bringing LBJ to the stage in 'All the Way'

"...in this country new work is two to four actors in a play. It's a small story. So to..."

Aug. 17, 2012 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Making History, Part One

Playwright Robert Schenkkan on bringing LBJ to the stage in 'All the Way'

"...grew up in Austin. I grew up in this arena, and that Hill Country vernacular and the colorful storytelling..."

Aug. 17, 2012 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

The Aliens

This fierce work of theatre feels like unrehearsed life at its most casual and intense

"...The play, the script, the direction, the actors, all of it. Even the relative newcomer to the..."

April 6, 2012 Arts Review by Wayne Alan Brenner

Second Life

For her new play's sophomore production, Suzan-Lori Parks turns director

"...author anyway. Having seen in that initial production how actors shaped the text, how the play's actions cohered into..."

June 17, 2011 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

First Generation

The 2011 class of the Austin Arts Hall of Fame

"...for who took part in them. Newsman Walter Cronkite, actors Eli Wallach and Pat Hingle, the musical team of..."

June 3, 2011 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

sxswm: Foo Fighters, Sound and Vision

Grohl's gang hit Paramount and Stubbs

"...packed Paramount, and then they joined the list of arena bands to have played totally unsecret secret SXSW shows..."

March 16, 2011 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Dramatic Turn

Actress Meredith McCall is about much more than musicals

"...I've never worked with either of the other two actors [Robert Gomes and Sydney Andrews]. I've never worked with..."

Feb. 11, 2011 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

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