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Sweet, Poison Apple!

I love to write and I love to compete. So the other day, when I stumbled upon a writing/competing event that’s coming up in July, I fell in love with the concept. I’ll share it with you now, in words that I’ve lifted almost verbatim from the Facebook page of Poison Apple Initiative (PAI), an Austin, TX-based theatre company that specializes in “sharp, dark comedy with a social consciousness.” (Sure, …more…

Austin Children’s Theater — great deal for kids’ summer camps

Just a quick note today:  If you’ve been procrastinating about signing up your little ones and teens for summer theater camp,  rejoice! For once, procrastination pays off!  Groupon just offered a deal for Austin Children’s Theater camps, which start as early as June 4. There are lots of options for these one-week camps, and if you have a Groupon, they’re all at half price! Take a look at the camps …more…

Austin’s 2012-13 theatre season — so hot it’s cool

Watch for Moonlight and Magnolias in Penfold Theatre Company's 2012-13 season.

Making plans for the future can be difficult once Austin’s summer begins. It gets so hot, Austinites’ brains turn to survival mode, and can develop nothing more than plans to strategically place mini-fridges throughout their home so they’re never more than two feet from a cool beverage.

Before the thermometers burst, take some time to consider the upcoming seasons of …more…

Bollywood Comes to Austin

May is the hottest month of the year in Mumbai, with highs typically topping 90 F. It’s likely the last time in the year when temperatures in India will top what Austin, Texas can anticipate. So what better time for a little Bollywood in the park?

Austin Shakespeare will put a Bollywood twist on the bard’s Twelfth Night Thursdays to Sundays at 8 p.m. from May 3 to 27. These free …more…

Controversial ‘Corpus Christi’

Austin Theatre Project (ATP), Austin’s newest theatre company, has chosen Corpus Christi, a play by Terrence McNally, to be its inaugural production. The play, set in Corpus Christi, Texas during the 1950s, tells the story of a young gay man (Joshua) who suffers harassment and bullying from the townspeople. He leaves home, and when he returns, is betrayed by his best friend, Judas. The play is a re-imagining of the …more…

Austin Playwrights Blossom in the Spring

Rehearsing for The Austin Latino Playwrights Festival

I come from the land of the ice and snow: Canada – where winter is the season during which you stay inside as much as possible…kind of like summers in Austin, but with more wool clothing. Ah, but spring! No matter where you live, spring brings hope and resurgence and new beginnings and the desire to revel in the wonder of it all.

April …more…

Juilliard Joins Texas State

Composer Wayne Oquin completed his bachelor’s degree at Texas State University in just three years by taking 30 credit hours in a semester – twice. He’s now on the faculty of Juilliard – okay, he’s an over-achiever. He graduated in 1999, so I’m guessing that by now Oquin has paid off his student loans. Luckily for local audiences, he’s still paying a debt of appreciation to his alma mater. ...more...

The road to Broadway starts here

Is your high school son or daughter a budding Broadway baby? Want to be the first one thanked in his/her Tony acceptance speech? Then send your kid to the Texas Musical Theatre Workshop for some musical training and a chance to make some like-minded pals this summer. ...more...

Fun, fun, fundraising!

In case you haven’t already heard, the economy is tough. Ready for another shocker? Entertainment venues around Austin are hit hard when people’s purse strings tighten. So, aside from just putting on shows and hoping ticket sales will help their bottom line, theatres have to get creative about fundraising. ...more...

Volunteer Opportunities

How’s that New Year’s resolution to get more involved in Austin’s theater scene going? If you’re already falling behind, take note of these opportunities:

City Theater’s website says there’s always a need for help at the concessions and box office, and with scenery and costume construction, stage crew, and much more. Get in touch with them at (512) 524-2870 or send an email to info AT citytheatreaustin.org.

Zach Theatre has volunteer opportunities …more…

Trouble Puppet Theater featured on PBS documentary

Trouble Puppet Theater will be featured in an upcoming one-hour episode of “Arts in Context” on PBS station KLRU. The program focuses on the theater’s 2011 production of Riddley Walker, which was based on the novel of the same name by recently deceased author Russell Hoban. The puppet theater’s production was included in the Austin Chronicle’s Top 10 Arts Events of 2011. Check KLRU listings for times so you …more…

Costume Sale at Zach Theatre

Ever wonder what it’s like to walk in an actor’s shoes? This Saturday, January 14, you may have the chance to find out. Zach Theatre is holding a costume sale starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Whisenhunt Studio, 1510 Toomey Road. The costume sale will include surplus items and costume pieces too fragile or too specific to be useful as stock for future shows. You’ll find everything from current, modern …more…

FronteraFest is coming to town

All is relatively calm on the Austin theater scene over the holiday season. Only Zach Theatre is currently offering entertainment, with two shows playing: God of Carnage and The Santaland Diaries. Behind the scenes, however, actors, writers, and all the theater elves are preparing for the 19th annual FronteraFest, a performance smorgasbord that opens January 17 and runs nightly until February 18.

FronteraFest, co-produced by ScriptWorks, is comprised of the “Short …more…