Except as noted, listings are edited by Robert Faires (Theatre, Dance,
Comedy), Ric Williams (Litera), and Julie Weaver (Editor). DEADLINE FOR
LISTINGS: Wed, June 14, 5pm, for June 23 issue. Listings are printed on
a space-available basis. Photos which accompany listings submissions MUST have
info on the back or they WON’T be used.
THEATRE
THE DESTINY OF ME If you attend this Different Sages production,
an impression you might get is that the gay community is bitter, and for good
reason: they’re being devastated by a plague the likes of which could rival the
most infamous plagues in history, and not enough of us seem to care. The
straight community looks on homosexuality as perverse, the government cuts
funding that is desperately needed, and doctors are clueless because they’ve
never seen anything like it. Progress is not a familiar word to anyone familiar
with AIDS. There has been no progress. The dead and dying grow exponentially.
It appears the plague will never end.
This Larry Kramer play takes us into the life of a famous AIDS activist
named Ned Weeks. As Weeks receives the latest “cure” in a Washington hospital,
he looks back on his life and the events that led him to the present – the
possessive relationship he had with his mother; the abusive one he had with his
father; his confession of his homosexuality to his brother; the Freudian
psychologists who “treated” him; his eventual discovery of true love; the loss
of his one love to the plague. It’s a sweeping, tragic script that only an
audacious company like Different Stages would take on.
Unfortunately, the production is packed with inconsistencies. Director
Kevin Lechler’s staging is so busy that scenes come in shapeless masses rather
than well-defined pieces. Lechler’s seeming lack of coaching ability doesn’t
help either. This is clear in the performance given by Faye Marshall as Nurse
IIanniman, who delivers most of her lines in an angry shout, and in the flat
portrayals turned in by Ken Barr as Ned’s brother, Benjamin, and by Michael
Garcia as the doctor attempting to cure Ned. The lack of skilled guidance is
most glaring in the performance turned in by Jeremy Fischer, who plays Ned as a
teenager and a young man. Fischer is often required to sing, and his lack of
ability in this area pulls the production down. Worse, he stereotypically
minces about the stage and generally gives camp a bad name.
The production does have its successes. Susan Dillard’s multi-level
hospital room/dining room set is a bit crowded, but workable in terms of
staging, and easy enough on the eye. Lana Dieterich’s doting mother and Royce
Gehrel’s outraged father are excellent performances that would be perfectly at
home in the most successful productions. Potential is rampant, but after three
hours of conspicuous inconsistency, we more than get the point.
Performances run through July 1, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Jun 18, Sun,
7:30pm, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor Rd. Tickets are $8 Thu/Sun; $10 Fri/Sat
($1 discount w/can of food for AIDS Services Food Bank). Running time: 3 hrs.
Call 499-TIXS. A Different Stages production. Directed by Kevin Lechler. –
Barry Pineo
PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES Down home sure don’t look like it used to.
Time was the small-town “country” look was cozy and kinda cluttered, lotsa wood
and maybe a little rust, but colorful, with doodads and knickknacks everywhere.
No more, I guess. There’s a gas station and diner over on Highway 57 between
Frog Level and Smyrna, a pair of down home joints where the four Pump Boys will
rev up some country music when they aren’t working on their uncle’s Winnebago
and the two Cupp sisters will serve some sweet singing with that second cup of
java. But these places are all blocky and gray, with a gas pump that looks like
a robot and a diner counter with nary a napkin dispenser nor ketchup bottle in
sight. And the boys are decked out in flashy threads – nylon-looking running
suits in bold colors with big sections of gas company logos splashed over ’em –
and look like the pit crew for some big-deal NASCAR driver.
The production design for this Live Oak Theatre version of the original
musical revue by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John
Schimmel, and Jim Wann is constantly bumping against the nature of the
material. Gary Van der Wege’s spare, unadorned, mostly gray set suggests
Fifties industrial design, and Buffy Manners’ outfits – at least for the Pump
Boys – have a current, abstracted, corporate fashion look. Though the design
concepts are different, they share a feel that is urban and ultra-modern, and
their look against this folksy celebration of rural living and bygone ways
clangs, like a shot of an astronaut with a banjo. The effect isn’t eased by the
static staging. Director Steve Shearer keeps his performers pretty still for
the most part, with enough space around them to dis-sipate some of the energy
they share. It creates a severe, almost impersonal quality that looms over the
cast.
It’s only when you close your eyes that a genuine coziness settles upon
you. Shearer has cast the show with singers of warmth and affection, and their
voices are nicely tuned by musical director Allen Robertson (who also adds
comical charm onstage as the laconic L.M.). The songs are a little gospel,
a little rockabilly, a little country, and so on, and appropriately, Jerome
Schoolar brings back a taste of his Buddy Holly from last year and Billy Henry
delivers a dab of Clint Black. Boni Hester’s high, clear voice is like
freshly-spun county fair cotton candy and Meredith Robertson’s rounded tones
are as thick and sweet as blue-ribbon maple syrup. It’s in the sound that this
production truly supplies the feeling for a world of catfish and white
lightning and spoonbread, of reciting Scriptures in Mamaw’s house and romancing
a shopgirl at Woolworth’s. In traveling down this country road, let
your ears lead you home.
Performances run through Jun 25, Wed-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 6pm, at the State
Theatre, 719 Congress. Tickets are $15 Wed/Thu/Sun; $17 Fri/Sat ($3 discount
for seniors, students). Running time: 1 hr, 25 min. Call 472-5143. A Live Oak
Theatre production. Directed by Steve Shearer. – Robert
Faires
THE LAKOTA CREATION STORY allows us to hear medicine stories of
the Lakota people, in particular, the tale of how White Buffalo Calf Woman
brought the Lakota the sacred pipe, via a new monologue by Rodney Garza,
longtime performer with Project InterAct and founder of the new stage company
Teatro Humanidad Cansada (I Don’t Need to Show You No Stinkin’
Badges). ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY! Jun 8, Thu, 7:30pm, at the Resistencia
Bookstore, 2210-B S. First. A donation of $2 is suggested. Call Jennifer Parzer
at 416-8885 for info. Presented by Red Salmon Press.
CELEBRATE 15 YEARS OF WORD OF MOUTH WOMEN’S THEATRE with a
special art-packed anniversary party! In honor of a decade and a half of
producing theatre from the female perspective, much of it created and written
locally, and to mark the opening of their upcoming production, Journey,
the Word of Mouth Women are hosting a three-hour extravaganza. The celebration
begins at 7pm with an art show featuring work by Pilar Castrejon, Ann Marie
Gordon, Pam Jarvis, Shamaan Ochaum, and Colleen Sommers, to be followed at 8pm
by music from Diana Jones and Carye McGarity. Then Barbara Risingstar, a
founding mother of WoMWT, will perform her solo show Travelin’ Texas, after which will be a “sneak preview” performance of Journey.
Congratulations, WoMWT, and here’s to 15 more! ONE NIGHT ONLY! Jun 10, Sat,
7-10pm, at ArtSpace, 403 Baylor. A donation of $5 is suggested. Call 837-9806
for info.
DOWN THE ROAD Human life means nothing to Bill Reach, a serial
killer who decapitates his young victims and does other unspeakable things to
them. In Lee Blessing’s play, newlywed journalists have the job of recording
Reach’s story, and as they do, they see Reach treat each life as though he owns
it. The script prompts thought about hotbed issues – the First Amendment, the
legal system, the media, the American penchant for a heady brew of sex and
violence, and Michael Stuart – director, set designer, and lighting designer,
creates an appro-priate look for the show. But the story doesn’t gel, mostly
due to the performance of Les Martin as Reach. Martin’s Reach is a killer
clich�: all superior attitude and no real substance, a petulant,
grimac-ing, giggling, insanely laughing, naughty man-child. Blessing seems to
be attempting to show what is most human about Reach, but there is little that
is believably human in Martin’s performance. Other performances are more
effective: Barbara George-Reiss and Paul Wright as the journalists, and
Bernadette Nason in a nice cameo. But while there’s a lot to enjoy here, the
killer himself almost manages to obscure it.
FINAL WEEKEND! Performances run through Jun 10, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at Hyde Park
Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St. Tickets are $10. Running time: 1 hr, 20 min. Call
452-6688 or 444-3743 for info. Produced by Fat Lady Sings Productions. Directed
by Michael Stuart (Orphans). – Barry Pineo
THE JOURNEY OF THE SINGERS takes us inside the Missouri Pacific
Lines box car in which 18 Mexican nationals lost their lives on June 1, 1987.
Hugo Salcedo’s award-winning script also takes us inside the dreams of these
workers who sought a better life on foreign soil and inside the workings of a
society which cruelly exploits such dreams. Teatro Communitario en
Espa�ol revives their hit show from 1994. FINAL WEEKEND! Performances
run through Jun 10, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at MexicArte Museum, Fifth & Congress.
Tickets are $5 ($3 seniors, students). Call 480-9373 for info. A TCE
production. Directed by Francisco Jacobi D.
ROJA GRANDE Click! On.
Getoutofbedgotothekitchenputoncoffeefryupthe-baconserveupbreakfasttodaughterfindusband’s-shoes-vacuumcleanthetoiletsvacuumfixdinner-vacuumvacuumvacuum…
Such is the life of Claudia, wife of Geoffrey, mother of Jennifer, homemaker
supreme, in Julia Edwards’ twisted domestic comedy. Once she’s up, her every
action is devoted to serving home and family, cooking and cleaning in a
neverending blur. It’s so manic, so automatic an existence that Claudia is
almost another appliance, like the vacuum cleaner she’s perpetually pushing
about the house, sucking up dust and sucking up dust and sucking up dust until
she’s clicked off. Claudia might be doomed to this life of a driven, demented
Donna Reed were it not for a sympathetic agent of some mysterious revolution
who has been observing Claudia from his post in her hallway closet (!) and
seeks to recruit her for his cause.
Edwards’ look at the lot of the modern house-wife is spiked with more than
a jigger of absurdity. Characters throw tantrums over the crispiness of
cooked bacon, spies lurk in a closet that’s invisible to people who live in
the house, a man is able to masquerade as another man’s wife without him
noticing the difference. Most of this is tossed in lightly, casually, bringing
the spirit of the piece closer to a TV comedy than a theatrical precursor such
as Ionesco. It’s like a fragmented sitcom, broken and re-stitched to include
guest stars from a secret agent series.
The performance style is about as fragmented as the script. Although there
are only five players, all offer different levels of style, energy, and
polish, from Charlotte Keith’s low-key, almost na�ve por-trayal of Claudia
to Ed Carter’s hypercomic, rubber-faced turn as Geoffrey. Everyone has his or
her moments, but through the course of the piece, most dip and soar in their
attempt to create a cohesive character that we can follow and compre-hend. Bill
Wise as Louis, the faux postal carrier who longs to tap Claudia’s full
potential, strikes the most even balance of the show – not as broadly comic as
Carter, not as subdued and natural as Keith. He has an archness that provokes
laughs but is grounded enough in a kind of realism that we can feel his
attraction to Claudia.
Of course, it isn’t very clear if we’re supposed to feel much. Because of
the disjointed nature of both script and production, it isn’t always easy to
get a handle on where either Edwards or director Jason Neulander want us to
be. Much of the action is silly, but there are flashes of lyricism, even in the
boorish Geoffrey, and you feel they’re meant to be taken somewhat seriously.
The ending, in particular, is rather sweet, with Edwards offering a slice of
heartfelt wisdom and Keith radiating a genuine serenity. The production as it
stands, however, is so diffuse that the heart of the piece is nearly lost.
Roja Grande is off-kilter fun but, like its heroine, there’s more to it
than we really get a chance to know.
FINAL WEEKEND! Performances run through Jun 10, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at the
Electric Lounge, 302 Bowie. Tickets are $5 ($4 ACOT). Thursdays are Pay What
You CAN: Admission is $3 or a can of food. Running time: 1 hr, 25 min. Call
476-FUSE for info. A Salvage Vanguard Theater production. Directed by Jason
Neulander. – Robert Faires
DO RE AND THE RATGOBLINS is the whimsical tale of a quarrelsome
“human-like” couple who learn the value of love and cooperation through an
adven-ture of mistaken identity. Penned by Southwestern University professor
David Olson, this youthful tale kicks off SU’s Summer Stage season of theatre
for young audiences. Performances run through Jun 17, Mon-Sat, 1pm, at the Alma
Jones Theatre on the SU campus, Georgetown. Tickets are $3.75. Call
512/863-1378 for info. An SU Summer Stage production. Directed by Christina J.
Moore.
THE FIRST CAUSE offers a look at a student who gets some special
help with his homework: from God. The Creator of All Things steps down from on
high to help Alex one night when the philosophy student has a lot on his mind.
It’s a comedy on a cosmic scale from UT playwright Eric Geyer, whose Life
Ends at 25 was staged earlier this spring on the UT campus. This show takes
him to Chicago House, where he hosts the music open mike on Mondays.
Performances run through Jun 17, Thu-Sat, 8pm, at Chicago House, 607 Trinity.
Tickets are $7 ($5 students, ACOT members). Call 473-2542 for reservations,
478-9767 for info.
PLAYFEST ’95 is back with another round of sterling theatre for
young people in Austin. A lineup of four shows, ranging from a puppet show to
a melodrama, ensures plenty to delight the kids of all tastes. First up is
Rumpelstiltskin, as spun, if you will, by the Hand to Mouth
Puppet Theatre. It’s a humorous retelling of the familiar fairy tale. Running
time: 40 min. Recommended for ages 3 and older. Performances run Jun 13-17,
Tue-Fri, 10am, Sat, 3pm, at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs.
Tickets are $4. Call 499-TIXS for info.
GREATER TUNA was supposed to be set to rest by its co-authors and
original stars Jaston Williams and Joe Sears last year, but we suspected those
boys couldn’t really send the original show about Texas’ third smallest town on
the long hayride. Their introduction to Vera Carp, Bertha Bumiller, Aunt Pearl,
Petey Fisk, and all the rest of Tuna’s loopy citizenry is too doggone good and
they’re too good in it. Seeing Tuna last year confirmed it: Williams and
Sears are better than ever in it. The characters are richer, the jokes are
funnier, and the audiences laugh louder. ONE WEEK ONLY! Jun 13-18, Tue-Sun,
8pm, Sat & Sun, 2pm, at the Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress. Tickets are
$14-$29. Call 472-5411 for info. A Charles H. Duggan production. Directed by Ed
Howard.
WHODUNNIT is the question on everyone’s lips in this sly send-up
of old-fashioned murder mysteries by master of the form Anthony Shaffer
(Sleuth). All the clich�s of the genre come to life – even
larger-than-life – amidst dizzying plot twists and plenty of jokes. Jim
Fritzler (Falsettos) presides over a cast of sporting St. Edward’s
University students and scene-stealing community vets, including Susan
Loughran, Michael Harlan, Doug Taylor, and Gary Payne. Part One of St. Ed’s
Summerstock Season. Performances run through Jun 18, Tue-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 2pm, at
the Mary Moody Northen Theatre on the SEU campus. Tickets are $10 ($8 seniors,
faculty/$5 students). Call 448-8484 for info. An MMNT at SEU production.
Directed by Jim Fritzler.
FOREVER PLAID The guys in plaid continue their comeback from the
Hereafter. This tribute to four-part harmony, as sung by those pasteurized pop
quartets of the Fifties, concerns one group that met an untimely end in an auto
accident but gets a celestial reprieve to do a last show. Stuart Ross’ script
is a no-brainer; it coasts on an easy kind of low humor: stereotypes, silly
jokes, slapstick. And while the performers – Kevin Farr, Steven Michael Miller,
Paul Parkinson, and Grady Basler – deliver it effusively, they never make it
anything more than it is. What they do with the music is another story. Few
songs here qualify as pop masterpieces, though most are sweet enough, in a
caramely kind of way. But these Plaids, under the tight musical direction of
Allen Robertson, sing them so smoothly, their voices blending in such tight
harmony, that the melodies pour toward us in one creamy stream and make the
songs sound better than they are. With Dave Steakley’s snappy staging, Michael
Raiford’s kitchsy set, and Don Day’s dreamy lights, the show has the frothy
appeal of a fresh malted.
HELD OVER! Performances run through Jun 25, Fri & Sat, 8pm, Sun,
2:15pm, at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center Whisenhunt Arena Stage, 1510
Toomey. Tickets are $17-$19. Running time: 1 hr, 25 min. Call 476-0541 for
info. A ZSTC production. Directed by Dave Steakley. – Robert
Faires
IN THE JUNGLE is where the lion sleeps tonight, and it’s also
where Carla Nickerson-Adams (Ellen Foster) and Michael Watson
(Dreamgirls) will take willing adventurers in this June offering from
the Children of Light Players. The two performers spin tales of Africa with
beasts wild and wise. Recom-mended for children 3-6 and their families. Seating
is limited; reservations are urged. Performances run through Jun 29, Tue &
Thu, 9:30am (no shows on Jun 13 & 15), and Jun 17, Sat, 3pm, at Hyde Park
Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St. Tickets are $4 kids ($5 adults). Call 444-7090 for
info. A Children of Light Players production.
BEIRUT burns again, as Vortex revives its steamy hit as a
fundraiser in a run of midnight shows. Set in the plague years of the
not-too-distant future, Alan Bowne’s edgy romance details the struggle of Torch
and Blue as they confront life and love in a society under martial law. Of the
production last fall, the Chronicle‘s Barry Pineo wrote: “Beirut is… an affirmation of life in the face of death. Truth we must see every day.
And a good story well told.” Allison Roy and Matthew Patterson star again.
Warning: Nudity and adult themes. FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY! Jun 10-Jul 1, Sat,
midnight, and Sun, Jun 11, 9pm, at Planet Theatre, 2307 Manor. Tickets are $11
($7 w/discount). Call 499-TIXS for info. A Vortex Repertory Company production.
Directed by Bonnie Cullum (Faustus).
DREAMGIRLS Based on the saga of the Supremes, this musical about
three women who make it big as an R&B trio only to find how hard it can be
when dreams come true is an archetypal show business tragedy. And director Dave
Steakley delivers it with style in this Zachary Scott Theatre Center
produc-tion. His command of the pop music vocabulary – with elegant design work
from Michael Raiford and vivid lighting by Don Day – creates a credible Sixties
atmosphere, in which he sets performers who send the theatre walls tumblin’
down. Ameerah Tatum, Judy Arnold, and Jacqui Cross are dynamos, and their sound
as a team is seamless – tribute to the wizardry of top musical director Allen
Robertson. Supporting them is a fine ensemble, with Clinton Sam making James
Thunder Early a sweatin’, grin-nin’ approximation of James Brown. Steakley uses
Raiford’s spare set pieces minimally and effectively, letting the performers
take the focus and tell the story. It’s a winning fusion of his entertaining
choreographic style and narrative direction. It makes a Dreamgirls that
is a dazzling dream.
HELD OVER! Performances run through Jul 2, Thu-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 2:15pm,
at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center Kleberg Stage, 1421 W. Riverside Dr.
Tickets are $17-$19. Call 476-0541 for info. A ZSTC production. Directed by
Dave Steakley (Rock & Roll Christmas Party). –
Robert Faires
AND BABY MAKES SEVEN ain’t your average expectant parent comedy.
Paula Vogel, author of The Baltimore Waltz, gives us two women, Anna and
Ruth, as the pair awaiting the bundle of joy (They had help from their pal
Peter.). But getting a real baby means offing their three imaginary kids, and
these figments don’t want to be killed. It’s a screwball comedy by way of Roman
Polanski, with Annie Suite, Jason Phelps, and Roxy Becker, dir-ected by this
year’s master of stage comedy Mark Ramont (Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning
Juliet, Jeffrey). Performances run Jun 14-Jul 8, Wed-Sat, 8pm, at Hyde Park
Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St. Tickets are $10 ($6 seniors, students, ACOT members).
A Frontera/Hyde Park Theatre production. Call 499-TIXS for info. Directed by
Mark Ramont.
A DEVELOPING MURDER spins a funny whodunit around the conflict
between environmentalists and developers in River City, with you not only
involved in solving the comical crime but relishing a three- course dinner in
the process. Performances are ongoing, Saturdays, 8pm, at Cafe Veranda in the
Marriott at the Capitol, 701 E. 11th. Tickets are $39 (includes the dinner,
tax, and gratuity). Call 404-9123 for reservations. A Capital City Mystery
Players production.
KGSR 107.1 GIVES YOU THE THEATRE NEWS EVERY WEEK on the morning
show with Cecilia Nasti and Ed Mayberry. Thursday at 8:05am, yours truly,
Chronicle theatre guy Robert Faires, hits the airwaves with Ed and
Cecilia to discuss what’s going on this week in theatre and offer the best bets
for live performance. Listen up, Austin!
AN IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP FOR ACTORS AND NON-ACTORS is being
offered by Tim Simek, actor and improv instructor. Designed to build
confidence and enhance focus, concentration, and sensory skills, nurture
creativity, and provide relief from stress, the workshop includes exercises in
focus/observation and improv, games, and scenes. The workshop will be held Jun
25, Sunday, 10am-6pm. Cost is $60. Call 251-2610 for info.
THE LIVE OAK THEATRE SCHOOL OF ACTING has summer classes
underway. Among those available are: Summer Camp for Kids Production
Workshop (ages 8-12, Mon-Fri, 9am-noon, Jun 12-23); Kids Create
(ages 5-7, Sat, 10-11am, Jun 17-Jul 22); and Scene Study (Sun,
6-8:30pm, Jun 18-Jul 23). Classes are held at both the State Theatre, 719
Congress, and the studio space, 200 Colorado. Call 472-7134 for
info.
HALF-PRICE TICKETS are available to most stage productions in
town through AusTix, the half-price outlet for the performing arts. Save up to
$12 a ticket by getting tickets the day of performance through one of AusTix’s
locations: the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd, or the Austin
Visitors Center, 201 E. Second. The DAC office is open 11:30am-6:30pm Wed-Fri,
11am-2pm Sat; the Visitors Center is open 11:30am-1:30pm, Thu-Sat. Call
397-1450 for info.
THE BOX OFFICE is a service of AusTix that allows theatregoers to
order full-price tickets by phone, just by calling 499-TIXS. The Box
Office is open 11:30am-6:30pm Wed-Fri & 11am-2pm Sat (but business can be
conducted by phone to 6:30pm), at the Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton
Springs.
AUDITIONS
AUDITIONS FOR THE LOVE DOCTOR, a segment of the TV show
Study Breaks, will be held Jun 8-16. The show is a cable program
televised monthly. A woman, age 21-35, is needed to play The Love Doctor, a
character who gives humorous advice in response to questions about love,
romance, and relationships. Call 477-3141 for info.
AUDITIONS FOR ANARCHY IN THE OKLAHOMA KINGDOM (AOK), a
play by Erik Ehn, are being held. Needed are performers, musicians, and crew.
The production is being directed by Skyler Hampton and will run for two weeks
in August. Performers must be available to rehearse during the day. Scripts are
available at the ACOT office. Call 416-0545 for info.
KING TOMATO PRODUCTIONS NEEDS A LEAD ACTRESS for a low-budget
production shooting in Austin in July. The production company is looking for a
bilingual Latina, 5’7″ or taller. Interested actresses should send a headshot
photo to: King Tomato Productions, 1818 Vance Circle, Austin, TX 78701. No
phone calls.
COMEDY
BOB SMITH has been Out There and lived to tell about it,
that being the title of Comedy Central‘s first special to feature gay
and lesbian comedians. Actually, “out” is no place new to Smith, who was the
first gay comic to appear on The Tonight Show and to have his own HBO
Comedy Half-Hour. He hits our town for an evening of laughs and will no
doubt be crowing over his new book, Growing Up Gay, fresh in the
bookstores as of June 8. ONE SHOW ONLY! Jun 12, Mon, 8pm, at The Laff Stop,
8120 Research. Tickets are $10. Call 467-2333.
COMEDY GYM is a stand-up comedy workshop open to anyone
interested in stand-up, the only one of its kind in Texas. The Gym meets
Sundays, 7-10pm, at Comedy Defensive Driving, 2700 W. Anderson Ln, Suite 227.
Call 467-0886 for info.
COMEDYSPORTZ presents its fast-paced improv comedy every Saturday
night at 8:05pm in the lounge at The Laff Stop, 8120 Research Blvd. For more
than 1,200 shows, ComedySportz has been tickling Austin audiences with its
teams of comics creating scenes and characters instantly, with a referee
calling fouls and live music punctuating the excitement. Tickets are $7. Call
477-6088.
ESTHER’S FOLLIES, 525 E. Sixth, 320-0553. Talk about your
extended engagements! Those fabulous fools at Austin’s favorite Sixth Street
pool have just passed the 5,000 mark, in terms of number of performances! You
read that right: five-oh-oh-and-oh! Now that’s entertainment! As you
might expect, Shannon Sedwick, Michael Shelton, and the rest of the Follies
family are proud as can be of the milestone, and they’re using the occasion to
highlight the best of Esther’s from 1977 to the present! Enjoy their summer
salute to bugs, “Pest-i-Side Story,” the lampoon of our love for pistols and
such in Tommy Gun!, the battle of the sexes to Orff’s “Carmina Burana,”
plus the News Medley and more. As summer approaches, keep the Follies in mind
for keeping you cool. As Chronicle critic Barry Pineo noted in a recent
review: “Take a quick dip in Esther’s Pool; you’ll come out feeling fresher
than when you dove in.”
This week, magician Ray Anderson is the special guest. Performances run
Thursday, 8pm ($10), Friday & Saturday, 8 & 10pm ($12 Fri/$14 Sat).
HUMOR AT THE HILTON, 6000 Middle Fiskville Rd., 451-5757.
Austin comics joke it up at the Hilton the first and third Fridays every
month. No cover and no drink minimum. Randy Taylor hosts. Interested comics
should call Taylor at 345-7588.
THE LAFF STOP, 8120 Research Blvd, 467-2333. Is it
the magic or the comedy that makes Michael Finney funny? Who cares as
long as you laugh? (And you will.) Joining Phoenix’s mirthful mage is feature
comic Ron Brown, through Sunday, Jun 11. Saturday, Jun 10, 8:05pm, it’s
ComedySportz in the Laff Stop Lounge. See listing above. Monday, Jun 12,
Bob Smith appears. See listing above.
All shows Tue-Sun begin at 8pm, second shows Fri & Sat, 10:30pm.
Tickets are $3.50 Tue; $7 Wed/Thu/Sun; $9 Fri/Sat. Wednesday, bring pet food,
get in for half price. Thursday, the Stop is smoke-free. Sunday, wear a Laff
Stop T-shirt, get in free!
THE MARGO LEE SHOW resurfaces again at D.J.’s and magically
transforms the Red River club into “the Stardust Room of the Galaxy Bowling
Center and Lounge!” The show is the same schmaltzy, schmoozy, slightly sleazy
send-up of black velvet Vegas entertainment, circa 1966, with Margo, that
showbiz chanteuse who’s been to hell and back (and she’s still wearing the same
eye shadow) still ruling the roost and pompadoured consort Guy Lawrence
be-bopping by her side. ONE SHOW ONLY! Jun 14, Wednesday, 10pm, at D.J.’s, 611
Red River. Call 476-3611 for info.
MONKS’ NIGHT OUT invites you to sample their weekly offering of
sketches, improv, monologues, and music. New skits are created weekly and
in-spired audience suggestions ensure that you’ll never see the same show
twice. The Monks step out of the cloister every Thursday, 9pm, at The Velveeta
Room, 521 E. Sixth. Tickets are $4.
And it’s Monks’ Night Out all weekend long June 8-10. The merry-making
begins with the usual Thursday show, then continues with two shows, 9:30 &
11:30pm, on Friday & Saturday. Bring your friends, your suggestions, and
your Frequent Friar Passes for divine laughter. Call 453-MONK for
info.
OPEN MIKE AT CAFE SOLAIRE provides a new spot for wild-card
comedy in the heart of town. Rachel Arieff hosts the weekly comedy free-for-all
every Friday, 10pm, in the cafe at 717 Congress.
THE VELVEETA ROOM, 521 E. Sixth, 469-9116, 320-0553. Thursdays, it’s Monks’ Night Out, a program of sketches and
improv, at 9pm. Tickets are $4. Open Mike follows at 10pm. Friday and Saturday
at 9:30 & 11:30pm, this week only, the monks take over the asylum! It’s
sketch comedy, improv, music, and more with Monks’ Night Out!
DANCE
TONI BRAVO AND KINESIS DANCE-THEATRE present Structure:
Solution or Pollution?, a piece exploring our ambivalence toward
structure: Some of us can’t take it; some of us can’t live without it. We get
sick of it, and then we crave it. Bravo and company delve into the issue in a
special outdoor presentation, in the wilds of Waterloo Park, with an exhibition
of art by Ambray. THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY! Jun 8-10, Thu-Sat, 7:30pm, in
Waterloo Park, Red River and 12th St. Donations suggested. Call 345-0370 or
476-9052 for info.
COME DRUM AND DANCE in a special evening of percussion and
undulation at the Wild Basin Lodge. The group drumdancedrum has been
sponsoring these ecstatic sessions of wild trance drumming and dance monthly
all spring. Making a special appearance for the June event will be Boaz Martin
and Out of Chaos, performing traditional African polyrhythms starting at 10pm,
to be followed by Martin leading the drum circle. ONE NIGHT ONLY! June 10,
Saturday, 8pm, at the Wild Basin Lodge, on Loop 360 (one mile north of Bee Cave
Rd. or three miles south of the bridge). A donation of $3 person/$5 couple is
requested. Call 301-2593.
JEAN FOGEL ZEE celebrates motion in landscapes in her newest
performance, Wood Over Water. Inspired by the music of Johann
Sebastian Bach, the piece is a thematic voyage which explores the role of the
individual in creating community and the richness of experience that yields. In
addition to music by Bach, Wood Over Water features compo-sitions by
James McCartney and Pauline Oliveros. Joining Zee onstage will be Grace Mi-He
Lee, Kirshe Dickson, and Mary Ganzon, and sculptures by Paul Pappas. THREE
PERFORMANCES ONLY! Jun 9-11, Fri-Sun, 8pm, at Synergy Studio, 1501 W. Fifth St.
Call 322-0610 for info.
THE JOSE GRECO SPANISH DANCE COMPANY returns to its summer home
for the fifth time, and you can count on the legendary troupe to provide the
blazing blend of flamenco, folk, and classical dance that has delighted
audiences for decades and caused the company’s local appearances to sell out
every year. But look for some new twists this time through, as the company
arrives with a new artistic director. Jos� Greco, Sr., is still
travel-ing with the company that he founded in 1949, but he has relinquished
the stage and the company’s artistic reins to dancer and choreographer Antonio
del Castillo, who has choreographed an all-new show, one which includes himself
and Pilar Serrano in El Duende del Flamenco. It’s always a sell-out, and
the crowds may be even larger this year as this is the company’s only Texas
stop. Don’t wait! Per-formances run through Jul 8, Tue-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 3pm, at
Capitol City Playhouse, 214 W. Fourth St. Tickets are $15 Tue; $18 Wed/Thu/Sun;
$21 Fri/Sat. Free buffet Wed/Thu, 7:15pm. Call 472-2966.
CLUB TIKI is a new cabaret with a South Seas atti-tude, being
served up by Keito St. James and his Tropical Productions crew. Different and
exotic variety acts, including wild and savage fire dances, are featured each
week, with Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Caribbean dance by the Tropical Productions
dancers and drummers. The “Jungle Show” runs through July, Thursdays, 10pm, at
Joe’s Volcano, N. Lamar & Rundberg. Call 445-HULA for info.
DANCELINE can tell you what’s moving in Austin! This free call-in
service provides information on dance performances, classes, and workshops in
Austin; it even includes suggestions regarding best performances for families,
for dates, and for non-dancers. Call 474-1766. Sponsored by Movin’ Easy and the
Performing Arts Center.
A DOUBLE TWO-STEP WORKSHOP will be held Fri, Jun 9, 7-9pm, at the
Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 4001 Speedway. The workshop focuses on this
style of dance involving “in between” rhythms (between Two-Step and Polka).
Valerie Ryan, QuickSilver Dancers, is the instructor. Cost is $25 couple/$15
single. QuickSilver also offers classes in C&W Swing, Western
Waltz, and Jitterbug. Call 302-4324 for info.
THE COPERNICUS DANCE COMPANY is up and running. This
multi-faceted group is looking for both disabled and able-bodied dancers. No
experience necessary. Sessions are held every Wednesday, 7-9pm, in the Aerobics
Room, Park St. David building, Red River & E. 30th St. Sponsored by St.
David’s Hospital. Call Rita B. Gartland at 458-6874 for info.
MARY GANZON AND GRACE MI-HE LEE teach Fluent Dancing, a
class which integrates deep strengthening, release techniques, and partnering
skills to address the complex needs of contemporary performers. The work
emphasizes individual development and increased articulation for all levels of
dancers. The class meets Jun 12-Jul 21, Mon/Wed, 5:30-7:30pm, AND Tue/Thu,
11am-1pm, at The Candy Factory, 1513 Manor Rd. Cost is $10/class ($112 series).
Call 442-0507 or 472-5560 for info. Lee is also teaching Making Dances the
Easy Way, a workshop to aid both veteran choreo-graphers stuck in a rut and
new choreographers who don’t know where to start. Using an unconventional
process, Lee encourages approaching formal composition methods with personal,
non-dance sources of inspiration. Each participant will work on one piece, to
be presented in a performance at the end of seven weeks. The workshop will meet
Jun 17-Jul 29, Saturdays, 1-4pm, at The Candy Factory. Enrollment limited. Cost
is $75. Call 472-5560.
SWEAT YOUR PRAYERS is an ecstatic dance group inspired by the
work of Gabrielle Roth. Participants evoke, experience, and explore five basic
rhythms: Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness. All ages and levels of
dance orientation welcome. The class meets Sundays, 10:30am, and Wednesdays,
7:45pm, at Synergy Studio, 1501 W. Fifth. Cost is $7/class. Call 473-8212 or
473-8388 for info.
AUSTIN BALLROOM DANCERS is pleased to have Richard Fowler, coach
of the award-winning UT Ballroom Dancers, join its teaching staff. Beginning
Jun 9, Fri, he will teach five-week classes in Samba I (7:30-8:30pm) and
West Coast Swing II (8:45-9:45pm). Beginning Jun 8, Thu, Don McCollum
will teach five-week classes in Tango I (7:30-8:30pm) and Cha Cha
II (8:45-9:45pm). No partner necessary. All lessons are held at the Hancock
Recreation Center, 811 E. 41st St. Cost is $25/five weeks. Call the ABD
Hotline, 459-1789, for info.
MOVE AND HEAL IN THE PRESENT MOMENT via a new class this summer.
The class encourages participants to give themselves permission to play and
stresses that the adventure lies in the present moment. All limitations are
honored; all gifts cele-brated. No previous dance experience necessary. The
class meets June 5-26 and Jul 10 & 17, Mon, 5:30-7pm, at Park Place
Holistic Center. Call Renee Morris Larson at 478-3126 for info.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY is a four-session workshop series which
provides experiential training in utilizing dance/movement, visual arts, and
creative writing/drama in the healing process. Kalila Homann, MA, LPC, ADTR,
has more than 15 years experience as an arts therapist. Early registration
recommended. Homann also leads a Women’s Movement Therapy Group, a
weekly group that provides a safe space for women to explore personal issues
through expressive arts therapy, and Dance Your Heart Out, an ongoing
physical conditioning and creative dance class, Saturdays, 9-10:15am, at the
Austin Recreation Center, 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd., and Wednesdays, noon-1pm, at
Synergy Studio, 1501 W. Fifth St. Call 473-3827.
DANCE OF THE SACRED SELF provides participants an opportunity to
connect with the primordial source of life energy, to tap into their inner
movement and dance, to heal themselves, enjoy themselves, dance their dreams
into being, and anchor magic in their bodies. It is a solstice weekend workshop
that will include drumming, guided journeys, ecstatic dance, and trance dance,
within the format of Wiccan ritual and within a safe, supportive, sacred space.
Laura Wyrd of the Reclaiming Collective of San Francisco leads the workshop,
which will be held Jun 16-18, Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, at Belle
Springs, a 60-acre facility 45 minutes southwest of Austin. Cost is $130. Call
Carol, 478-8104, for more information.
LUCILA DANCE STUDIO offers ongoing classes in bellydancing. All
levels of instruction are available, in day and evening classes, in group
setting or private sessions. Classes in salsa, merengue, and flamenco are also
available. The studio is located at 210 W. 38th St. Call 450-1050 for info.
SYLVIANA DANCE ACADEMY, home of Estampa Espa�ola, offers
classes for both children and adults in Spanish Classical Ballet (escuela
bolera), Spanish Folklore, and Flamenco. Classes are held at the Academy
Studio, 1109 S. Congress Ave. Call 467-7200 or 445-5252 for info.
BELLYDANCING AND WOMEN’S SPIRITUALITY explores the sacred and
sensual nature of bellydance technique and practice as a spiritual pathway.
Cost is $7 class. The class meets Fridays, 5:45-7:45pm, at Casa de Luz, 1701
Toomey. Call Mia at 458-6494 for info.
TAPESTRY DANCE COMPANY began its summer classes June 5. The
company offers Beginning through Professional classes for adults in ballet,
tap, jazz, and street dance, with weekday and weekend classes for children ages
6-10 in tap, jazz, and ballet. Summer faculty includes Deirdre Strand, Acia
Gray, Sheri Wright, Ann Cole, Emily Shapiro, Libby Lovejoy, Melanie Huskey,
Susanna Morrow, and Stacey Grooms. Also, the Tapestry Summer Workshop,
for low intermediate/advanced students, ages 10-16, will be held Jun 12-30 and
Jul 10-28. The workshop offers instruction in jazz, ballet, pointe, turns,
rhythm tap, tap improvisation, choreography, musical theatre, and more, with
guest teachers. Classes are held at the Tapestry studio, 2521 Rutland, Suite
450. Call 837-8909.
CLASSICAL
THE SOCIETY FOR INDIA MUSIC will present an evening of Sarangi
and Tabla, featuring Ramesh Misra and Aloke Dutta, on Thu, June 8, 8pm, in the
UT Art Auditorium, San Jacinto & 23rd St. Misra has toured, performed, and
recorded all over the globe with legendary artists such as Pandit Ravi Shankar
and Smt. Girija Devi; Dutta is an Austin resident and well-known performer and
instructor on tabla. Tickets are $10 general, $6 students, and free for Society
members. Call 452-5970.
THE ST. CECILIA MUSIC SERIES will feature Contralto Julia Lacy
Armstory and pianist David Mead, on Fri, June 9, 8pm, at First Presbyterian
Church, 8001 Mesa Dr. Call 345-8866.
TRIO MUSIC by Bartok, Ives, Milhaud, and Khachaturian, will be
presented by Joanna Drimatis, violin; Shannon Thompson, clarinet; and Martha
McCarroll, piano, on Sun, June 11, 3pm, in Jessen Auditorium on the UT campus.
Free and open to the public. Call 478-8287.
THE AMERICAN FESTIVAL FOR THE ARTS, a performing and educating
ensemble of 13 graduates and present students from the Juilliard School of
Music and The Eastman School of Music, will present a special concert in Austin
on Sun, June 11, 7pm, at Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth St.
Entitled “Music of Our Times,” the concert will include the premiere of six new
works by American composers. Admission is $5. Call 472-2445 for details.
THE AUSTIN CHAMBER MUSIC CENTER presents a Visiting Artists
Concert by Nicholas Jones, cellist with Musicfest from London, and
pianist Felicity Coltman, on Mon, June 12, 3pm, at First Unitarian Church, 4700
Grover. Program includes music by Bach, Brahms, and Prokofieff. Tickets are $10
general, $8 students. Call 454-7562.
TEXAS STAR CHORUS of Sweet Adelines, International, meets every
Tuesday evening, 7pm, in the choir room at Memorial United Methodist Church,
6100 Berkman Dr. All women ages 18 and older who like to sing are invited to
join. Call 454-6388 for details.
C’MON BLOW YOUR HORN! That’s what the Austin Community College
Band wants you to do, Wednesday nights! Call 836-8746 or 832-4806.
THE NOONDAY CONCERT SERIES is held every Thursday at the Central
Presbyterian Church, Eighth & Brazos. Lunch is served after the
performances (12:30pm) at a cost of $2.50. Concerts are free and open to the
public. Call 472-2445.
June 15: Sparks and Friends, “Music on the Lighter Side.”
LITERA
RED SALMON PRESS presents “The Lakota Creation Story,” a
monologue by local actor Rodney Garza. According to Lakota (Sioux) medicine
stories, White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the sacred pipe to their people.
Garza, of Teatro Humanidad Cansada, a local theater company, has also toured
with Project Interact for five years. The reading is June 8 at 7:30pm in
Resistencia Bookstore, 2210-B South First. $2 suggested donation. Event made
possible in part by the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts
Commission and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Contact Jennifer Parzer at
416-8885.
PATRICK MCKINNON, poet, editor of Poetry Motel, author of
Cherry Ferris Wheels, will read from his work at the Electric Lounge on
June 9 at 8pm or thereabouts. Plus Albert Huffstickler and W. Joe Hoppe. Hosted
by Mike Henry. Highly recommended. Do fill the joint with your presence.
CARY HAZLEGROVE, photographer and author of Nantucket: Seasons
on the Island, will sign copies of her book on Sun, June 11, 2-4pm, at
Bookstop Central Park, 4001 N. Lamar. Call 452-9541.
POESIA Y CALLE presents “A Night of Iranian Poetry” with guest
poet Esmail Khoi visiting from London and Iranian poet Maliheh Tirehgol with
English translations read by Sue Littleton. Open reading follows. All poets
welcome. June 12, 7:30pm at Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress. Supported by the
Arts Commission of the City of Austin under the auspices of Mexic-Arte
Museum.
INCONGRUOUS ON CONGRESS, The Poets and Poetry of Cafe
Solaire is a planned new anthology of same. If you have read at Cafe
Solaire, 717 Congress, then Neil Meili and Thom the World Poet are seeking your
contributions for this anthology. All profits will go to the International
Poetry Festival. Bring a poem, picture (of the poet), and a short biography,
all of which must fit on a 8-1/2×11 page, to Cafe Solaire on a Monday Night in
June. The open mike begins there at 6:30pm. Poems must be suitable for children
of all ages, so take care with language and images. Call 416-7435 with
questions for Thom.
AUSTIN WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FOR CHILDREN will host an exhibit
of children’s illustrations at the University Hills Library, 4721 Loyola Lane,
June 15-July 31. Exhibition hours are 10am-9pm Mon-Thur, 10am-6pm Fri, and
10am-5pm Sat. In other AWIC news: June 24, UT kiddie lit professor and Round
Rock elementary school librarian Shirley Luckenbill will share her insights
about the children’s book market, 2-3pm, at the North Loop library.Free and new
members welcome.
GLOSSO BABEL front man John Cutaia has arranged for a huge
drumming and word event to be held at Cafe Solaire on July 10. Scheduled
performers are Kairos! Company, Thom the World Poet, Dr. Marvin Kempo, Floyd
Freeman, and other special guests with open drumming/readings to follow.
Percussive instruments of all kinds welcome. Start rehearsing now. Very
powerful drums and words. Ancient, sacred connection here. 7pm to midnight. Be
there.
BOOKSTOP LINCOLN VILLAGE has ongoing events for writers and
readers with a book discussion group meeting on June 14 at 7:30pm to analyze
Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Register to win a $50 shopping spree for
Father’s Day on June 18, all day. Fathers can sign up to win anytime Sunday
with the drawing held on Monday morning. Contact Yvonne Lavender at 453-7297
about the creative writing discussion group. Free and open to the
public.
SUNSET VALLEY BOOKSTOP Book Discussion Group meets on the second
Tuesday of every month at 7pm. Suggestions or hostings to: CMHopper@aol.com or
892-1580 and ask for Christine. Their book for June is Michael Dorris’
Working Men.Bookstop at 5400 Brodie Lane, Suite 1000. And there’s a
children’s storytime every Saturday afternoon at 1pm.
CAFEZINO is looking for a poet/writer/interested party to host
and organize Wednesday night poetry readings and open mike. Call Linda at
444-7530.
BAD NEWS BINGO seeks submissions on education and/or rock &
roll. Topics could be: what is education; what is r&r; why education; why
r&r; help or hindrance; have you experimented with either; is rebellion
necessary; can education be saved and why bother. Poetry stories photos
drawings comics collages etc. Materials will not be returned. Do not send more
than two 8-1/2×11 pieces. You will receive one free copy of completed issue.
Deadline July 31. Send to: BNB, 1200 W. 49 1/2, Austin, TX 78756.
AUSTIN WRITERS’ LEAGUE AGENTS! AGENTS! Conference is July 28-30.
Wow. Too many to men-tion so register today. $135 for AWL members; $180 for
nonmembers, but for $175 you get a membership and this conference. A deal.
499-8914.
CHRISTOPHER MAIER will lead a writers’ roundtable for young
writers who are in grades 6-8 on July 17 from 9am-1pm at 1501 W. 5th St, Suite
E-2. $10 fee includes lunch. 499-8914.
OTHER SUMMER INFORMAL classes from AWL are: Freelance Writing:
The Basics taught by Suzy Spencer; romance novels from setting to selling by
Patricia Wynn Ricks; self-publishing by Michael Morgan of Morgan Printing;
Writing the Mystery: From Arsenic-Laced Soup to Poisonous Nuts by Susan Rogers
Cooper. Classes meet 7-9pm at Book People, 603 North Lamar. Call 499-8914.
LAURIE DRUMMOND will conduct an AWL workshop on fiction and essay
at St. Edward’s. 499-8914.
FLIPNOTICS COFFEESPACE, 1601 Barton Springs Rd., now has three
new hosts for the Open Spoken Spew: Spot (1st Wed), David Space (2nd & 3rd
Wed), and ? (4th Wed). 8:30-11pm. Sign-up & call-ins 322-9750 @ 8pm. Come
one come all & spew yer poetry amateurs beginners pros cons & metas.
POET/PUBLISHER SUSAN BRIGHT and Plain View Press announces a call
for entries for their 8th publishing lab, an eight-month workshop for serious
writers who want to produce a first book. 441-2452.
COFFEEHAUS, the weekly poetry performance program on 91.7 KVRX
hosted by Brett Holloway-Reeves et al., features poets on a weekly basis and as
I heard the other day, yer basic boho music cuts. Lately they’re hawking their
anthol (see below) so I guess you’ll have to excuse the cocky self-promotion.
Shows air Mondays 7-7:30pm. Their schedule for June is: 12th, Alli Aweusi;
19th, Marlys West; 26th, Ruby Turner. Haven’t had time to listen to all their
tape, that’s the Word in the Haus project, but I did catch Winik’s “On
the Road and Off” from Telling, her version of what fun can be had in a
car, and that alone is worth the price of admission. I mean if you’ve never
been spotlighted by a rent-a-cop at a drive-in because of the rhythmic movement
of your should-be-stationary car, well, such an event doesn’t readily leave
your consciousness. Send submissions to: Coffeehaus, c/o 91.7 KVRX, PO Box D,
Austin, TX 78713.
CHILDRENS’ STORYTIMES AT OTHER BOOKSTOP LOCATIONS are:
Crossroads, Tues 6:30pm; Lincoln Village, Sat 1pm; Barnes & Noble, Wed
10:30am, Fri 7pm, Sat 11am; Central Park Sat 11am-12noon.
RUTA MAYA COFFEEHOUSE is sponsoring a quarterly prose
reading/audio literary magazine. Submit tapes to Ruta Maya, 218 W. 4th, Austin,
TX 78701 Attn: Scott. FoMoInfo 472-9637.
KOOP RADIO NEEDS YER original short plays, fiction, poetry,
satire, rants, etc. for possible production & airplay. Obviously visuals
have no place on radio so a rewrite may be necessary before you dust off some
of yer older bits. 10 minute maximum, but later maybe they’ll go longer. Send
to: Charlotte Keith, editing committee, 810 W. Annie, Austin, TX 78704. Include
phone number and address.
CAFEZINO, a coffee bar and bistro located at 5414 Parkcrest (off
Northland, west of MoPac), continues its series, Do the Write Thing, EVERY
WEDNESDAY night. June 14 Open Mike; June 21 Catfish Poets Society members read
their stories and poems; June 28 San Antonio Poets with host Rod Striker,
editor of Poetic Time. Open mike reading to follow programs. 453-2233. All
programs start at 7:30. No cover.
Wammo is hosting a slam at the Electric Lounge on Tuesday nights
at 9pm. Cash prizes. Winners will eventually form the Austin Team for the
National Poetry Slam in Ann Arbor, MI.
BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSTORE, 10000 Research at the Arboretum
offers free poetry the first & third Thursdays of the month in the
mezzanine & hosted alternately by John Berry and Herman Nelson of the
Auricles of Delphi. June 15 is David Oliphant and Kathrin Gann. A poetry
workshop hosted by Jill Timmons will be held same place, same time on the 4th
Thursday each month with the next being June 22. Poetry Workshop from
7:30-10pm. Bring 6-8 copies of any one page original poem. Please note
italicized change from previous announcement. All events sponsored by B&N,
Austin Writers’ League, and the Texas Commission for the Arts. Call 928-0619 or
837-8693 for readings; 335-7078 for workshop.
RED SALMON PRESS continues its ongoing “poetic action” series
with canto libre/open mike sessions and featured readings held on the 2nd and
4th Thursdays of each month. Resistencia Bookstore, 2210-B South First. 7:30pm.
482-8793 for info or Resistencia Bookstore @ 416-8885.
POET OF THE NIGHT will also become Poet of the Week when chosen
by the audience at Cafe Solaire, 717 Congress, on Monday nights at 7. There are
featured readers and open mike. Open readers have 5 minutes, featured readers
have 15 minutes. June 12, Garland Thompson, Jr., and friends; June 19, Richard
Loranger, Ken Hunt, and friends; June 26, Sharla Clos, Fran Carris, and
friends; July 3, Alli Aweusi and friends; July 10, John Cutaia with Glosso
Babel and friends; July 17, Meera Sundram and friends; July 24, Jenny Pronechen
and friends; July 31, Jeff Parker Knight and friends; Aug 7, Thom the World
Poet returns from UK summer tour. The audience decides poet of the night. To be
a featured reader call 416-7435. Free. Refreshments available.
THE ELECTRIC LOUNGE hosts spoken word thangs every Friday at 8:30
with the schedule being thus: 1st Frid is Blue Plates (Pasha, Tammy Gomez, W.
Joe Hoppe, Marlys West, Mike Henry, and Robert S), 2nd Frid is hosted by Robert
S., 3rd is Nashville Bill and Como, and 4th is Speakeasy with cutting edge
poetry hosted by Mike Henry. All events are $2 with open mike readers in for
free. Sign up at 8pm. Remember Wammo on Tuesdays with a slam for cash at 9pm.
CHICAGO HOUSE OPEN MIKE continues Tuesdays at 8pm with the
following hosts: 1st Tuesday is Phillip T. Stephens, 2nd Tuesday is Herman
Nelson, 3rd is Darla McBryde, 4th is Robert S, 5th is Mike Henry. Call at 7pm
the night of the show for a 10-minute slot. Call 473-2542.
More poetry! Remember the myth of Eros and Psyche where Psyche sees the god
of love as dragon until her courage reveals his angelic form? Dragon Angel.
Both reality. Perception does the magic. Life, love, work. A dragon, an angel.
How do you perceive? Do not be deceived into believing one aspect is more real
than the other. They are both true. Have the courage to work through the
dragonish aspects. Have the grace to recognize the angel. It can be too easy in
this cynical age to see the dragons – it is always easy to be cynical – but we
must know that the angel lies skin deep. Nor must we be Pollyannish for beneath
the angel lurks the dragon. Be compassionate, be courageous, o, you mighty
angels and graceful dragons. Vaya con Dios.
POEM OF THE ISSUE
well, for a start-
the heart that is parked can never start again
to move to a groove so loose and so tight when
it believes to conceive will be another foolish move
and grieves when it sees that time makes us all a fool
– Thom the World Poet, “untitled”, excerpt 1
ART
2 X 4 ART GALAXY, (in Flipnotics) 1603 Barton Springs Rd, 322-9011.
A collection of paintings by artists Doug Byrd and Joey Marez is on view
through June 29.
A LEAP OF ART, 2700 W. Anderson Ln, Suite 315, 452-5327.
Currently on display are the works of Dominique Boisjoli, as well as her
students Marjorie Ospovat and Tom Higgins. Additionally, works by Canadian
artists are featured. Included are original works, lithographs, serigraphs, and
monotypes. All reproductions are of very limited editions of 10 or less.
ALTERNATE CURRENT ART SPACE, 2209 S. First, 443-9674. A
five-man show of paintings, mixed media, steel sculpture, and light sculpture
is on view through June 23. Artists include John Shimon, David H. Elliott,
Steve Johnson, Paul Pappas, and Frank Fox.
AMDUR GALLERY, 307 E. Fifth, 476-8960. Wildlife paintings
and illustrations by outstanding Austin artists are currently on display. Also
featured are unique wood furniture and constructions created by gallery
craftsmen.
ARTWORKS, 1214 W. Sixth, 472-1550. Artworks just moved to
their new location, next to Whit Hanks and TravelFest. A full service gallery,
the shop featured fine art as well as object art.
AUSTIN MUSEUM OF ART, 3809 W. 35th, 458-8191. “Mexico: A
Landscape Revisited/Mexico: Una vision de su paisaje,” an exhibition of
50 paintings spanning more than 200 years in the history of landscape painting
in Mexico, is currently on view. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition Service in association with the Mexican Cultural Institute
in Washington, D.C. (as well as others), the show is the first exhibition to
travel in North America that focuses specially on the tradition of landscape
painting in Mexican art.
AVENUE GALLERY, 1510 1/2 S. Congress, 442-3600.
The gallery features artwork, jewelry, and cards by local and national
artists, including works by John Cobb, Hugh Daly, Todd Winters, Laura Krause,
and James Fitzgerald.
BYDEE ART GALLERY, 412 E. Sixth, 474-4343. Works by
nationally recognized artist Brian Joseph will be on view through June. Since
Joseph will be relocating to Atlanta this summer, the show will feature a
collection of his early works never before seen by the public, as well as some
recent paintings.
CLARKSVILLE POTTERY & GALLERIES, 9772 Great Hills Tr,
794-8580 and 4001 N. Lamar, 454-9079. At the Arboretum location, Billy
Ray Manghum’s clay sculptures and Michael Cho’s classical black pottery are
featured through July 8. Whimsical and humorous clay sculptures by Manghum are
on view at the Central Park location through July 8, along with Judy Bombeger’s
playful figurative sculptures and prints.
CORONADO STUDIO, 1707 E. Sixth, 322-0109. “Serie ’93-’94,”
serigraphs by local artists, is currently on display. Featured artists include
Luis Gutierrez, Liliana Wilson, Rosemary Gonzales, Pio Pulido, Sam Coronado,
Rey Gaitan, Ana Salinas, Fernando Valle, Henry Medrano, M.A. Ambray Gonzales,
Fidencio Duran, and Peter Ortiz. Also on view is an exhibit of paintings by Sam
Coronado, Pepe Coronado, and Carlos A.R. Brondo.
DOUGHERTY ARTS CENTER GALLERY, 1110 Barton Springs Rd,
397-1472. “Newform ’95,” the second annual national call-for-entry
exhibition for printmakers, is on display through June 27. Juried by UT
professor Lee Chesney, the show features a wide spectrum of styles, medium, and
subject mat-ter selected from across the United States.
FIRE ISLAND HOT GLASS STUDIO, 3401 E. Fourth, 389-1100.
The studio and gallery features hand-blown perfume bottles, paperweights,
glassware, ornaments, oil lamps, vases, and much more. Visitors may observe the
alchemy in process, but make sure and call first for a schedule and
directions.
GALERIA SIN FRONTERAS, 1701 Guadalupe, 478-9448. “Fall
Spectacle of Colors,” a solo exhibi-tion of paintings by University of Texas
Professor Lilian Garc�a-Roig, is on view through June 14.
GALLERY AT SHOAL CREEK, 1500 W. 34th, 454-6671. Currently
on view at the gallery are origi-nal prints, etchings, and lithographs by early
New Mexico artists Gerald Cassidy, Kenneth Adams, and W.H. “Buck” Dunton, as
well as 19th and 20th century etchings by British and American artists.
GALLERY OF THE REPUBLIC, 98 San Jacinto, 472-7701. The gallery
features Native American artwork, including original paintings and limited
edition reproductions by Cherokee artists Donald Vann and Steve Forbis, among
others. The shop also features a selection of antique maps relating to the
Republic of Texas era, as well as museum-quality replicas of Texas and American
flags.
LYONS MATRIX GALLERY, 1712 Lavaca, 479-0068. “Sofa
Paintings & Couch Potatoes,” a special exhibition of sculpture and
paintings created by gallery artists “to celebrate and spoof the idea of
matching art to the color or dimension of one’s home furnishings,” is on view
through July 8. Partici-pating artists include Susan Plum, Bob Daddy-O Wade,
Bert Long, David Deming, and Lee N. Smith.
MACKENZIE-ALBRECHT STUDIO, 2414-A S. Lamar, 707-0533.
Recent mixed-media paintings by Michael Lynn Barrett, featuring thoughtful
color schemes, witty titles, bits of foil, receipts, stamps, and playing cards,
are on view through June 9. Barrett has a talent for layering images and
meanings as if he’s piling up memories. He gives the viewer glimpses into
several worlds at once, and with an intelligence that justifies what he frankly
admits is often “self-indulgent pandering to my own personal taste.” Don’t miss
“Desert Lunkers Break for Deep Cover When Blue Northers Roll Across the
Trans-Pecos” and “Fading Time,” and watch for shrewdly disguised reappearing
icons, experiments in depth-perception, and an absence of things cute and safe.
– Kanchan Limaye
MAYFAIR & SPICEWOOD GALLERIES, 1206 W. 38th, 458-6575.
Currently on view at Mayfair is photography by Laura Calfee; paintings by
Vicki McMurry, Milbie Benge, Darnell Jones, J.U. Salvant, and Nelda Pieper; and
sculpture by Cindy Burleson and Ron Meyeres. Also on display are original
paintings, photography, and sculpture by Texas artists, as well as a large
selection of crystal and antiques.
MEXIC-ARTE MUSEUM, 419 Congress, 480-9373. “In Search of
the Colorless Hands,” an installation by artists Richard Lou and Robert
Sanchez, is on view through June 24. A parody on archaeology and cultural
prejudices, the exhibit subverts traditional “scientific” exhibition
presentations, and examines cultural norms of white culture as the “other.”
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, AUSTIN, 1000A Brazos, 970-2929. The
4th Annual Summer Art Show of the museum will be held June 10-16. An opening
reception will be held Sat, June 10, from 11am-1pm.
NIENDORFF ART GALLERY, 1017 E. Sixth, 474-6056. Paintings,
prints, and sculpture by Sandra Lowder, as well as the paintings and mixed
media of Polly Lanning, are on display through June 17. Lowder’s work includes
a sculpture installation titled “Black Rocks for the Zen Man,” as well as
recent paintings/mixed-media; Lanning features pieces from her recent graduate
work and new mixed media abstractions.
POSITIVE IMAGES GALLERY, 1118 W. Sixth, 467-9492. A
gallery of contemporary American crafts, the shop features a wide selection of
contemporary jewelry, art glass, exotic wooden boxes, handmade books,
one-of-a-kind lamps and clocks, whimsical ceramics, and more. Also on display
are original water-colors and copper pate etchings by internationally
recognized artist KiKi. Through June, whimsical birdhouses, bird cages, and
clocks by Matt Vanderwerff are featured. Then on June 16-17, the gallery will
host a trunk show with in-store appearances by jeweler Barbar Sucherman.
PRO-JEX GALLERY, 109 E. Fifth, 472-7707. “The First Book
of Anna,” works by Austin photographer Andrew Yates, is featured June 16-July
21. Included in the exhibition are abstract black-and-white images from the
card game “Hemmerte Fleische,” as well as cibachromes shot for the National
Wildflower Research Center. An opening reception will be held Fri, June 16,
from 6-9pm.
SCANLAN ART GALLERY, St. Stephen’s School, 2900 Bunny Run,
327-1213. “SpartanArt XXX: The 30th Annual Student Art Exhibition,” an
exhibit showcasing selected drawings, paintings, photo-graphs, and ceramics by
the art students of St. Stephen’s School, is on display through June 17.
STONEHOUSE GALLERY, 5013 Duval, 453-0190. Paintings by Meg
Davis and Susan Kemner Reed, as well as designer clothing by Samantha Patton,
are featured through June.
TARRYTOWN GALLERY, 2414 Exposition Blvd, 473-2552.
“Fitting in with the Misfits: 6 Artists Exhibit Their Creations,” works
ranging from paint-ing to printmaking to photography to sculpture, are on view
through June 22. Artists include Jerry DeFrese, Barry George, Susannah Fuering,
Steve Oleson, Stephanie Peterson, and Jill Robertson.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Huntington Art Gallery, 23rd & San Jacinto and 21st
& Guadalupe, 471-7324. The gallery, with a permanent collection of
nearly 10,000 works of art, is considered one of the top-10 university art
museums in the nation. Featuring 37,000 square feet, the Huntington has two
locations on the UT campus (see above). Admission is free. Note: The
23rd & San Jacinto Street location will be closed for repairs through
October 13.
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, 21st & Guadalupe, 471-8944.
The Gutenberg Bible, the first surviving book printed from moveable type on
a printing press, is on permanent display.
“The Company They Kept: Alfred A. and Blanche W. Knopf, Publishers,” a
year-long exhibition explor-ing the profound impact that the publishing firm of
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. has had on American literary culture, is on display. The
first portion of the show will be on view through August 18, while the second
portion will be shown September 4 to December 22. The exhibit is in the Leeds
Gallery, fourth floor of the Flawn Academic Center.
“Aldus Manutius, Renaissance Printer: A Quincentennial Celebration,” an
exhibition featuring selections from the HRHRC’s Aldine Collection, is on view
through July 21.
“Mirror, Mirror… Costume Design for the American and British Stage,
1870-1970,” an exhibition highlighting a century of American and British
theatrical costume designs, is on view through September 29. The show features
several original costumes and an array of 80 designs.
“Bloomsday: A Celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses,” an exhibition of
rare books, original Joyce correspondence, the final page proofs of
Ulysses, artworks based on Joyce’s literature, and more, is on display
June 12-23. In conjunction with the exhibit, a special Bloomsday party will be
held Fri, June 16, 4pm, at the center. Readings from Ulysses will be performed
and classical guitarist Jonathan Kulp and soprano Martha McCarroll will perform
Kulp’s Penelope and Molly’s Reverie.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, 2313 Red River, 482-5137. “Winslow Homer
the Illustrator: His Wood Engravings 1857-1888,” an exhibition of 110 of
Homer’s illustrations, is featured through July 10. The show is a collection of
wood engravings from Homer’s drawings as they appeared in popular publications
of the day.
Main Building, first floor, 495-4118. “Poles Apart: the Arctic and
Antarctic Regions,” an exhibition focusing on the many differences and
similarities between the north and south polar regions, is on view through July
11.
WOMEN & THEIR WORK GALLERY, 1710 Lavaca, 477-1064.
Mixed media constructions by Anitra Blayton are on display through July 8.
Blayton’s work examines the social conditions of African-American women through
familiar objects, such as golf balls, freshly picked cotton, chairs, and
com-modes. She has exhibited extensively throughout Texas and California, and
her work Old Tale on Timeless Pathologies was awarded Best of Show in
the 1993 Fort Worth Main Street Fine Arts Exhibition.
WUNDERLICH GALLERY, 807 Congress, 477-4772. The Tenth Annual
Members Only Show is on view through June 10. Andy Reisberg, owner of
Photographic Archives Lab & Gallery in Dallas was this year’s juror.
RESTAURANT GALLERIES
CAFEZINO, 5414 Parkcrest, 453-CAFE. Geneticist-turned-photographer Linda Wheeler reveals her fascination with
montage, super-imposed images, and reflections on glass, water, and mirrors in
impressionistic photos taken during her recent travels to the British Isles.
Many photos are so altered, or taken in such close proximity to their subject,
that they challenge the viewer to deduce what Wheeler actually photographed. In
others, she has fused or juxtaposed several unrelated images into a unified
composition. The exhibit boasts no real stand-outs, but overall it provides a
unique sampling of creative technical approaches. – Kanchan
Limaye
CHEZ ZEE CAFE & DESSERT BAKERY, 5406 Balcones, 454-2666.
Grab a complimentary art-map and embark on an aesthetic adventure as you
wander through Chez Zee, where even the serving tables are original works worth
scrutiny. The restaurant’s gallery features an eclectic collection of works
emphasizing Austin and Texas artists combined with contemporary “primitive”
folk art from Texas, Mexico, Haiti, Spain, and the Bahamas. The current exhibit
includes oil and acrylic paintings, lithographs, wood carvings, metal
sculptures, and three-dimensional papier-m�ch� works. Watch for
Talbot’s beaded metal light fixture Turned On and David Marsh’s
end-tables. Relax on Zita Raymond’s fish-bench as you view the folk art around
the bar. And don’t miss local artist Nancy Scanlan’s latest photos. A few of
her images are disappointingly clich�, likeEnglish Schoolchildren
andFrench Waiters, but are charming anyway. Her fine photos of
Maine countryside and Italian streets posses a power that will inspire you to
pack your bags; for examples, see Skeleton and Villa Barberol. – Kanchan Limaye
GRANITE CAFE, 2905 San Gabriel, 472-8524. The cafe
features Jennie Evans’s photo exhibit, “My View of London” through June. The
images are predominantly black-and-white. Notables include stark images of
London architecture (see Rooftops and Windows). Don’t miss the
exhibit’s finest work, The Thinker, near the right deck doors. In it,
Evans captures what Rodin might have sculpted had he been a postmodern babe.
– Kanchan Limaye
HYDE PARK BAR & GRILL, 4206 Duval. Recent oil
paintings by Mark Trowbridge are on display through July 2. Many of the works
resemble patterns of repeating bicycle wheels, each with an original color
scheme. Puzzle-solvers, rejoice: Many of the works sport incredibly cryptic
titles, and two paintings which are remarkably alike will have wildly different
titles for no discernible reason. The smaller, untitled pieces contain threads
of paint woven together to form vivid color-splashes; they are particularly
charming because they don’t try to say more than they can. (For examples, see
the left door panel as you enter the grill.) All the works are richly textured,
and manage to subtly add depth to the alcoves they grace. –
Kanchan Limaye
KATZ’S DELI & BAR, 618 W. Sixth. The New York-style
delicatessen features original animation cells of popular cartoons, including
Mickey Mouse, The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and The
Jetsons, through June 8. The bar features vibrant acrylics by Kendall
Rabon. Rabon nestles landscapes and figures among swirling images of eyes and
nipples, and uses bold colors like fuschia and turquoise to create
action-packed works. Don’t miss the four black-and-white circular works that
resemble postmodern versions of the Aztec calendar in their intricacy,
especially “Evil Swaying an Uneven Earth.” Also, see “Lucifer attempting to
Tango” for a good laugh. – Kanchan Limaye
LAS MANITAS AVE. CAFE, 211 Congress, 477-6007.
“Through the Children’s Eyes, III,” an exhibit of work by children from
East Austin, will be on view through June. Under the direction of local
photographer Anthony Guarado and award-winning art instructor Lynn Bryant,
students of Sanchez Elementary were given cameras and training in photo-graphy.
The result is a photo exhibit that reflects the “talent of the students and
allows adults to look at life from a child’s perspective.” An opening reception
will be held Fri, June 9, from 6-8pm.
LITTLE CITY ESPRESSO BAR, 916 Congress, 476-2489.
Framed, abstract drawings, and intaglio prints on paper by Lindsay Gordon
are on view through June.
MARTIN BROS. CAFE, 2815 Guadalupe, 478-9001. “Ancient
Cultures,” watercolor paintings by students in grades 4-6 at the Waldorf
School, are on display through July 15.
PARADISE CAFE, 401 E. Sixth, 472-2191. An exhibition of
recent works by Austin artist Cathy Lloyd is on display through June 11. The
show features large, vibrant, abstract works on canvas. Lloyd says that though
she uses forms like limbs, bones, and organs, the works are
“non-representational”; the forms float in “emotionally derived space.” For
example, chunks of flesh that resemble noses or fingers float through bright
expanses of red or orange; forms resembling cells swim through streams of
yellow. The smaller works in the cafe’s far left corner outdo the larger works
by far, since they are carefully arranged in groups of five and six, and boast
intriguing textures compared to the flat expanses of the larger works. –
Kanchan Limaye
QUACKENBUSH’S ESPRESSO CAFE, 2120 Guadalupe, 472-4477.
“Mandala,” original aqueous monoprint tile mosaics by John Goode, is on
view through July 5. An opening reception (on the solstice) will be held Wed,
June 21, 7-9pm.
U.R. COOKS, Research & Burnet Rd. Local musical
legends are the featured subjects of an exhibition of photographs by Kenny
Braun and sketches by Cheryl Latimer. Braun’s photos are part of a collec-tion
celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Austin City Limits; Latimer’s
sketches were inspired by live performances in local clubs. Airbrush paintings
by local artist Arby are also on view at the restaurant.
UPPER CRUST BAKERY, 4508 Burnet Rd. “Pastels in the
Rough,” an exhibition of pastels on sandpaper by Frank Minogue, is featured
through July 2 at the bakery.
MISCELLANEOUS SPACES
The following are out-of-town or in town, mixed-retail areas.
ARLINGTON MUSEUM OF ART, 201 W. Main St., Arlington, TX,
817/275-4600. “Simple Things,” a sculptural exhibition of singular, minimal
forms and shapes, is on view through June 10. Hosted by U.S. Trust Company of
Texas, the show includes mostly large-scale work by eight Texas artists.
CAPITOL COMPLEX VISITORS CENTER, 112 E. 11th, 305-8400.
“Barbara Jordan: Freedom Medalist and Texas Treasure,” an exhibition
honoring Ms. Jordan as the recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of
Freedom (the highest civilian award in the land), is on display through June
19.
CARRINGTON GALLAGHER, LTD., 7959 Broadway, Suite 508, San
Antonio, TX, 210/826-1362. Still lifes and landscapes by Corpus Christi
painter Bruno Andrade are featured through June 24.
CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM OF HOUSTON, 5216 Montrose Blvd,
713/526-0773. “The Art Guys: Think Twice 1983-1995,” an introductory survey
of 87 works of sculpture, drawing, photography, installation, and video created
by the Art Guys (Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing) over the last 13 years, is
on display through June 25. A variety of activities and artists’ talks are
scheduled throughout the exhibition’s run. Call for details. “Rachel Hecker:
Pleasure and Commerce,” eight paintings created by the artists between
1994-1995, is on display through June 18. The paintings explore the issues of
sexuality, pleaure, the representation of women, and consumerism.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CENTER, 3011 N. 3rd, Temple, TX,
817/773-9926. “More Than Trees and Skies,” paintings by Temple artist Roger
Sadler, is on view through June.
DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas, TX, 214/922-1200.
“The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein,” a comprehensive survey of prints by the
artist, is on view through August 20. The exhi-bition of images from 40 years
of printmaking by the pop artist features 90 works, including litho-graphs,
etchings, screenprints, woodcuts, and more.
DUVAL DISCS, 41st & Guadalupe, 459-0737. Works by
local artist Danville Chadbourne will be on view through mid-June. Included are
wood and ceramic sculptural works, as well as drawings on wood and fabric.
ELECTRIC LOUNGE, 302 Bowie, 476-FUSE. Recent works by
Angela Diehl are on through June 15.
KIMBELL ART MUSEUM, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX,
817/332-8451. “The Art of Collecting: Thirty Years in Retrospect,” a
comprehensive display devoted to the Kimbell Art Foundation’s distinguished
record of art collecting, is on view through Sept 3. The show surveys more than
150 individual artworks, ranging from antiquity to the 20th century and
spanning four continents.
LAVACA ST. BAR, 405 Lavaca, 469-0106. Local artist David Erickson
celebrates his 40th birthday with “WE ALL R1,” an exhibition of all new
paintings, on view through June.
MCNAY ART MUSEUM, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX,
210/824-5368. Thirteen sculptures by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) are on view
through August. Works include The Age of Bronze, The Call to Arms, Fugit
Amor, and The Prodigal Son. “F�lix Vallotton: Prints and
Preparatory Drawings,” a major exhibition featuring the artworks of Vallotton,
credited with reviving the original woodcut during the late 19th century, is
currently on display. “The Stage is All the World: The Theatrical Designs of
Tanya Moiseiwitsch,” an exhibition of works by Moiseiwitsch, one of the most
celebrated figures in theatrical design, is featured through June.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON, 1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX,
713/526-1361. “The Art of John Biggers: View From the Upper Room,”
narrative paintings, prints, drawings, and murals by the American artist, is on
view through September 3. Biggers’ work depicts the activities, struggles, and
traditions of the Southern black experience, and “dramatically mirrors the
fundamental con-cerns of the larger African-American community.”
OFF THE WALL, 1704 S. Congress, 445-4701. The shop
features handcrafted works in clay, wood, and silver by artisans from Austin
and around the world.
ONE COMMODORE PLAZA, 800 Brazos, 13th Floor, 469-6465.
“Through Children’s Eyes,” an exhibit of works that are the result of a
series of after school workshops for 5th- and 6th-graders at Sanchez Elementary
School, is on view through June 14. The course, led by Austin photographer
Anthony Guajardo, taught the students a basic knowledge of 35mm photography and
how to obtain black-and-white images. The photos illustrate neighborhood,
school, and family scenes from a child’s perspective.
R.B. RAVENS GALLERY, 200 Main St, Marble Falls, TX,
800/518-RUGS. Located in downtown Marble Falls, the gallery offers a wide
selection of historic and contemporary Southwestern art.
ST. CHARLES GIFTS, ANTIQUES, & ART, 519 E. Sixth,
478-5598. Currently on view are the whimsical paintings of Doug Whitfield
and the late Nancy Renfro. Also on display are watercolors by Jerry Seagle,
lithographs by Peter Nickel, etchings by Anna Marie Pavlik and glass works by
Robert McCandless. Also available are 1994 and 1995 Festival of Dance
posters.
SALON AVA, 4207 Medical Parkway, 467-6977. Oils and
acrylics by artists David Ketchum are featured through June. Ketchum’s work
focuses on the interplay of light in a triptych devoted to the “essence of
childhood,” and he will present his enlarged botanical paintings as well.
SCOTT & WHITE SMITH ART GALLERY, 2401 S. 31st, Temple, TX,
817/724-3047. Watercolor paintings by Fort Worth artist Burl Washington are
featured through June.
CY TWOMBLY GALLERY, 1511 Branard, Houston, TX, 713/525-9400.
The new gallery, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, houses
approximately 35 major paintings, sculptures, and works-on-paper made by
Twombly since 1954. Part of the Menil Collection, works by Twombly will also be
on view at the Dia Center for the Arts in New York City.
WITTE MUSEUM, 3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX, 210/978-8100.
“Textile Treasures,” an exhibit showcasing costumes and textiles, is on
view through September. Featured are garments and textiles from the late 19th
century and early 20th century.
COMPETITIONS
A CALL FOR ENTRIES for the Austin Children’s Museum’s artists’
roster is currently underway. Artists will collaborate with the Museum’s
exhibit team to produce interactive exhibits and experiential environments for
children. Time frames and budgets are frequently small, but they seek artists
who share their interest in creating hands-on and minds-on exhibits which
stimulate curiosity, inspire confidence, and expand creativity. They are
speci-fically interested in ideas for their upcoming Under-water exhibit, which
opens in the summer of 1996. Artists who work in various 2- and 3-dimensional
media an who represent diverse cultural perspectives are invited to send 5
slides and a r�sum� (and SASE if you want slides returned) to
Director of Exhibits, 1501 W. Fifth St., Austin, TX 78703. Deadline is August
1. Call 472-2499 for details.
ARTSCHTUFF
A FIVE STAR EVENT, and art show and sale featuring five Austin
artists, will be held Sat, June 10, 6-10pm, and Sun, June 11, 11am-6pm, at 9422
Spring Hollow Dr. The show and sale will feature watercolors and pastels by
Nickki Atkinson; exotic belts and copper-sculptured candleholders by Dusty
Baker; pastels by Suzanne Galant Thomas; hand-painted garments and textiles by
Gale Gassiot; and creations of leather, feathers, stones, and bones by Annie
Wilson. Call 258-0088.
PARK WEST GALLERY of Southfiled, MI, will offer more than 300
custom-framed original works at a public fine art auction to be held Sat, June
10, 8pm, and Sun, June 11, 3pm, at the Stouffer Austin Hotel, 9721 Arboretum
Blvd. Auction items, spanning five centuries, include wood engravings by
Albrecht Durer; rare etchings by Rembrandt; first edition etchings by Goya;
etchings by Renior; and much more. Call 800/521-9654 for more info.
FLATBED PRESS SUMMER WORKSHOPS will be offered through August.
Designed for both the beginner and advanced students, the weekend and week long
workshop series includes classes in etching, monotyping, and solar plate
printing. Work-shops begin as early as June 19. Call 477-9328.
KIDS
A LULLABYE WORKSHOP hosted by Terra Toys will be held Sat, June
10, 1-3pm, at the shop, 1708 S. Congress. Free and open to the public, the
workshop will teach participants songs from the middle ages to the present to
pass along to their children. Call Heather at 445-4489 for information.
BACKPACKING TRIPS FOR TEENS, led by licensed therapists, will
teach participants how to manage emotions, resolve conflict, solve problems,
and take responsibility. Offered by Pathways, registration fro the trips is
currently underway, and fees are based on a sliding scale. Other summer
programs for younger children are offered, as well as Prepar-ation for Adult
Life classes, and year-round mental health and substance abuse prevention
programs for children, teens, and parents. Call 327-8018.
CHILDREN’S DAY ART PARK,the annual program of the Austin
Symphony, will be offered Wednesdays, through August 2 at Symphony Square, 11th
& Red River. Beginning at 9:30am, aspiring young musicians can check out
the Instrument Petting Zoo, a hands-on display of various instruments from the
orchestra. Musicians, mimes, jugglers, and storytellers will also entertain the
children as they explore the Square and visit with the “Instrument of the
Week.” At 10am, performances by talented Austin musical groups begin on the
amphitheater stage. After each performance, kids are invited to bring a sack
lunch and walk the “Lemonade Trail” to the Art Tent, where local artisans help
children create a variety of items to take home. Admission is still only
50cents per child; adults are free when accompanied by a young one. Lemonade is
10cents a cup. Call 476-6064 for details.
THE AUSTIN NATURE CENTER, located in Zilker Park, provides
exhibits and educational programs for children of all ages. Exhibits illustrate
the ecology of Central Texas through preserved natural areas, including a pond
trail, a “Discovery Lab” featuring hands-on displays, wildlife exhibits with
native animals (injured or orphaned and unable to survive in the wild), and a
wildlife garden featuring native habitats. Volunteers provide trail walks into
the Zilker preserve and introduce our native wildlife to visitors on Saturdays
and Sundays. Admission is free. Hours are Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm. Call
327-8181.
AUSTIN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, 1501-A W. Fifth, 472-2494.
Always featured: STUFFEE, a giant, soft sculpture that teaches children
about nutrition, digestion, and health. “StoryTails,” the museum’s latest
exhibition, features original artwork by 39 children’s book illustrators
bragging about their dogs in words and pictures. The exhibit invites visitors
to tell stories, draw pictures, and read and write tales about their dogs and
cats. A grand opening will be held Sat, June 10, from 1-5pm. Admission is a bag
of dry dog or cat food to be donated to the Austin-Travis County Humane Society
(or pay the regular Museum admission of $2.50). The exhibit will remain on view
through August 27.
Hours: Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm, and Sun, noon-5pm. Admission: $2.50 adults, $2
kids (free for members and kids under 2).
INSTRUCTION
“TRUE NATURE” CHI GONG is a holistic approach to increasing
physical and mental health through natural, spontaneous movement. A free
introduction will be held Fri, June 9, from 7-10pm. A workshop follows on June
10-11. Call 441-0061 or 416-8156 for info.
FREE MEDITATION WORKSHOPS will be offered June 9-11 at Book
People, Sixth & N. Lamar, 3rd floor. Led by Dr. Pradhan Baleter, the
workshops will introduce simple relaxation techniques for the body and mind.
Call 477-0969 for more info.
WOMEN’S MARTIAL ART CAMP will be held June 9-11 at Pace Bend
Park on Lake Travis. Led by Mas-ter Kim Geary of Kim Soo Karate. Call
479-0110.
A LECTURE, WORKSHOP, AND CONCERT by Adam Walks Between Worlds,
Official Bard of the Church of All Worlds, will be held June 9-11, at the Bodhi
Yoga Center, 1710 Houston St. Costs range from $7.50-$35. Call 467-8703 for
details.
A CORDWOOD MASONRY WORKSHOP will be held June 10-12 in Jonestown.
Participants learn cordwood theory, as well as hands-on instruction on how to
build a cordwood house. Call 512/259-4740.
ART INSTRUCTOR BERYLE KERWICK will offer a variety of art
classes, beginning as early as June 12, at the Dougherty Arts Center. Classes
include “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” and “From Drawing to
Painting.” Register soon at 397-1458.
CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH by attending a workshop entitled “The
African Roots of Educating and Socializing Children,” Wed, June 14,
6:45-8:45pm, at the Family Learning Center, 8426 Goldfinch Court. Led by Awad
Abdelgadir from Nubia, and Marian E. Barnes, Austin counselor, author, and
storyteller. Call 926-8803 or 929-0551 for details.
THE RACISM STUDY GROUP, an ongoing project of the Foundation for
a Compassionate Society and the Austin Peace and Justice Coalition, will meet
on Wed, June 14, 6:30pm, at the Living Well Health Center, 4503 E. St. Elmo Rd.
The group is designed for white people who want to learn about racism, both
interpersonal and institutional, and how to end it. Call 474-5877.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING for Out Youth Austin will be held Thursdays,
June 15-29, 6:30-9:30pm. Volunteers are need to provide peer support and
education for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth ages
22 and under. Call 326-1234 for details.
AN INNER JOY “PLAYSHOP” FOR WOMEN will be held Sat, June 17,
9am-12:30pm, at the Austin Hill Country Academy, 8121 Shoal Creek Blvd. The
class focuses on fun and imaginative exercises to lead participants into the
realm of self-discovery. Cost is $35. Call 250-5902 or 371-3443 for
registration and reservations.
EARLY MORNING TAI CHI CLASSES are offered weekly by a
master-level instructor. Call 452-4043 for more information.
WEEKEND SUMMER MASSAGE CLASSES will be held three Saturdays a
month, 9am-5pm, beginning June 17, at the Lauterstein-Conway Massage school and
Clinic. Call 474-1852 to register.
ABUNDANT FITNESS, an exercise class for large women focuses on
fitness rather than weight loss (and having fun!), is held Saturdays,
10:30-11:45am, at 304 E. Fifth, suite 104. Cost is $7 per class, or $20 for
four classes. Call 458-5858.
PASTEL DRAWING AND CREATIVE CLAY classes are currently being
offered at the South Austin Recreation center. Call 444-6601 for more info.
AIKIDO CLASSES are offered weekly at the Hancock Recreation
Center. The course focuses on stretch-ing, breathing exercise, centering,
awareness tech-niques,and more. Call 453-7765 or
708-1182.
SUPPORT GROUPS
A SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULT ADOPTEES, birth parents, and adoptive
families interested in ex-ploring search and reunion issues in an open forum
for discussion meets Tue, June 13, 7-8:30pm, at Marywood, 510 W. 26th. Call
472-9251.
OVEREATERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP deals with the physical as well
as emotional causes at the root of compulsive overeating. the group meets
Fridays, 4:30-6pm. Cost is $15 per session. Led by a licensed therapist. Call
326-3804 for more info.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS (NA) is a fellowship of men and women who
meet regularly to stop using drugs. The only requirement for membership is the
desire to stop using. Over 60 meetings are held weekly in the Central Texas
area. Call 480-0004 (396-7624 San Marcos) for more information.
IMAGO GROUPS FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES to explore relationship
patterns and issues are currently being offered by Charlie Love. Call
327-8196.
AN ADULT GROUP for those with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is
now forming. Call Roland at 418-1604 for details.
HEALTHIER LIFE-STYLE SUPPORT GROUP is currently being formed to
help members achieve the health goals which they set for themselves. The group
will meet Wednesdays, noon-1:30pm, at 3536 Bee Cave Rd., #203. Cost is $10 per
meeting. Call 327-2206.
A COMMUNITY FOR CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, a spiritually oriented
non-profit organization promoting meditation and providing therapy for persons
with a contemplative orientation, is presently conducting an informal evening
practice group for sitting, talks and discussion. Groups meet Thursdays, 7-9pm.
Call 445-2081.
THE AUSTIN CHAPTER of the National Depressive Manic-Depressive
Association sponsors a support group on Mondays, 7pm, at Charter Lane Hospital,
8402 Crosspark Dr. General speaker programs are also offered the second Monday
and varying Wednesdays of each month. Call 251-0679 or 323-5342 for more
information.
EA is a 12-step support group patterned after AA to help
participants relieve the pressures of daily living, helping them achieve a
healthier emotional life. They meet Mondays, 7pm, at Shoal Creek Hospital, 3501
Mills Ave.; Saturdays, 11am, at Manchaca Library, Stassney & Manchaca Rd.;
and Saturdays, 12:30pm, at North Loop Library, 2210 Hancock Dr. Call 441-1170
for information.
AUSTIN SECOND IMAGE, a non-sexual support group serving the
Austin area’s transgendered community, offers a variety of services, including
monthly social meetings, support for any person with gender-related questions,
referral assistance, and Wednesday night telephone hotline. Security interview
required. For information, write to: Austin Second Image, PO Box 14965, Austin,
TX 78761.
THE CAPITAL AREA JOB CLUB, sponsored by Professional Career
Associates, is a job search and career change support group for networking,
informa-tion exchange, job leads, informal training, and confi-dential group
discussions. They meet Tuesdays, 6-8pm, in the First Floor Conference Room of
The Echelon I, 9430 Research Blvd. No charge. Call 338-9144.
WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY, a self-help support group for women dealing
with alcohol abuse, meets Wednesdays, 7:05-8:05pm, at AWARE/Women’s Counseling
& Resource Center, 55 N. I-35, Suite 230. The first meeting is free; $2
donation per meeting thereafter. Call 326-1937.
OUT YOUTH AUSTIN meets Wednesdays, 7-9:30pm, and every Sunday,
5:30-9:30pm, at Metropolitan Community Church. Call 326-1234 for details. The
new Out Youth Helpline number is 416-6075.
LET’S TALK POSITIVE is a support group for HIV positive women,
sponsored by People’s Community Clinic. Free and confidential, the group meets
every Tuesday, 5:30-7pm. Call 469-2162 for details.
RATIONAL RECOVERY, an alternative to 12-step programs, meets
every Monday, noon-1pm, at 301 W. Second St., room 147, and every Wednesday,
8-9pm, at the northeast corner of 45th & Lamar. Call 385-5877, 459-6706, or
837-5513 for details.
PAST LIFE RESEARCH STUDY GROUP is a support group for all those
who believe in reincarnation and that knowledge of past lifetimes leads to
important insights. The group meets the last Sunday of each month. Call
929-3568 or 288-2789 evenings.
AN OVERCOME COMPULSIVE EATING support group is held Tuesdays,
noon-1pm, for anyone who wants to use a non-diet approach to end compulsive
eating by reconnecting hunger and eating and stopping the use of food for
emotional reasons. Facilitated by a licensed counselor. Cost is $15 per
session. Call 327-3408.
TEXAS FATHERS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS is a non-profit organization
offering services to parents and grandparents, and provides assistance with
problems concerning custody, “visitation,” child support, and abuse
allegations. Call 472-DADS (24-hours) for assistance.
YWCA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES offers ongoing support groups for
children, adolescents, and their families, as well as women’s counseling
programs. Programs are sliding scale. Call 322-0125.
THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR ATTITUDINAL HEALING offers a variety of
bereavement and support groups for children and adults. Groups are offered on a
donation basis. The center is located at 1032 Capital Pkwy. Call 327-1961 for
more information.
STRESSED OR FRUSTRATED PARENTS (and step-parents) are invited to
attend Parents Anonymous support groups that meet weeknights or at noon on
Fridays at community locations. No cost, no waiting line, and child care is
provided. Call 472-2388. The PA 24-hour crisis phone number is 800/554-2323.
THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY offers a variety of support groups
for cancer victims, including Coping with Breast Cancer; Dialogue, a support
group for cancer patients and their families; “Look Good… Feel Better,” a
free program for women undergoing radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment to
teach them how to cope with hair loss, skin changes, and other cosmetic-related
side effects. All programs are free. Call 928-1144.
THE FATHERS CONNECTION, a support group for men who have
experienced divorce or separation from their children, meets Thursdays, 6:30pm,
at 807 Brazos, Suite 315. Participants discuss their feelings in a comfortable
atmosphere surrounded by other men with similar problems. Call 472-DADS.
THE YMCA, a value-based human care organization, offers a variety
of programs for people from all walks of life. They feature family enrichment
programs, afterschool child care programs, and the Southwest YMCA Preschool.
Call 891-9622 or 476-6705.
MISCELLANEOUS
THE RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS will come to
Austin on June 8-11, featuring the theme of “Romeo and Juliette.” Performances
will be held at the Frank Erwin Center on the UT campus. Call 471-7744 for more
information.
A BIRDING “EXPEDITION” will be held Sat, June 10, 8-10am, at the
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, 805 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Many different
species will be identified, include the Northern Cardinal, Scrub Jay, Northern
Mockingbird, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and Bewick’s Wren. Cost is
$1. Call 327-7622.
ANIMAL TRUSTEES OF AUSTIN will hold a dog and puppy adoption day
on Sat, June 10, 10am-1pm, at Pease Park, 15th & N. Lamar. Many animals
will be available for adoption. Call 327-5487.
CRITTER BUDDIES will also hold a dog adoption day on Sat, June
10, from noon-4pm, at South Austin PetsMart, Brodie Ln. & Hwy 290.
Adoptions fees range from $25-$50 and include deworming, shots, heartworm
preventive, and spaying/neutering if 6 months or older. Call 272-9602.
THE 13TH ANNUAL WELLS BRANCH HOMESTEAD FESTIVAL will be held Sat,
June 10, 11am-6pm, and Sun, June 11, noon-5pm, at 2106 Klettenhoff. In and
around the historic 1850s log cabin, costumed hosts and hostesses will
demonstrate 1880s crafts. A variety of Texas foods will be available for
sampling, and other activities include a relay race, musical entertainment, and
more. Cost is $1.50 per person, children under 3 free. Call 251-2607.
A CITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE will be held Sat & Sun, June 10-11
and 17-18, at the City Coliseum, Riverside Dr. & Bouldin Ave. Admission is
$2.75, children under 12 free. Call 441-2828.
RACE UNITY DAY will be held Sun, June 11, 1-6pm, at Waterloo
Park, 12th & Red River. The event will feature international entertainment,
food, crafts, a free children’s carnival. Free and open to the public. Call
448-5444.
THE SUMMER MOON 5K will be held Sun, June 11, at 8:30pm (no
location given). All entrants receive T-shirts with a glow-in-the-dark design.
Proceeds will benefit the Austin Runners’ Club, and awards will be given for
best pajamas/lingerie and more. Call 834-6481 for more information.
THE 1ST ANNUAL PUTTS FOR PETS GOLF TOURNAMENT will be held Sun,
June 11, at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course. Proceeds will benefit the Williamson
County Humane Society. Call 604-6212.
FREE LEGAL ADVICE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH is offered by LegalLine,
a free legal advice hotline staffed by volunteer attorneys who answer legal
questions and give brief legal advice. LegalLine is a monthly service available
on the second Tuesday of each month. The June call-in will be held Tue, June
13, from 5-7pm. Call 472-8308.
THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTIN/TRAVIS CO. will hold a volunteer
orientation on Wed, June 14, 5:30-7:30pm, at their offices, 124 W. Anderson Ln.
An $18 fee incudes a Humane Society membership, volunteer apron, insurance, and
handbook. Scholarships available. Call 837-7985.
A WOMEN’S PROJECT GATHERING will be held Wed, June 14, 7-9pm, at
Bank One, 3811 Bee Caves Rd. A Women’s Health Forum will be held, featuring an
interactive discussion on menopause with a panel of alternative health care
practitioners. Call 459-3117 for information.
FORMER GOVERNOR ANN RICHARDS and celebrated Texas chef David
Garrido will host “Celebrating Summer’s Crop,” a cooking class and luncheon to
benefit Communities In Schools-Central Texas, Wed, June 14, 9:30am-12:30pm, at
Shoreline Grill, 98 San Jacinto. Cost is $100 per person. Call 462-1771 for
reservations.
AUSTIN METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES’ Rural Housing and Community
Economic Development Corporation has begun an affordable housing project in
Manor, Texas. The goal of this non-profit corporation is to help families and
individuals who are currently living in overcrowded, poorly conditioned, or
unaffordable housing to become home owners. Volunteers are needed to help build
homes. Call 272-5561 or 472-7627.
AUSTIN WATER POLO CLUB scrimmages every Saturday, 10am-noon, at
Bartholomew Pool. All are encouraged to watch or participate. Call 476-0390,
or email Robert Albach at robert.albach@unisql.com
This article appears in June 9 • 1995 and June 9 • 1995 (Cover).