Stephen Mercantel

Austin Playhouse has revealed the cast and creatives for the regional premiere of Emma, based on the novel by Jane Austen, written by Kate Hamill. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.

Big Fish at Austin Playhouse is a beautiful production that should not be missed. It explores themes of family, love, and the power of storytelling, all brought to life by a talented cast and creative team. Catch this enchanting show before it closes on July 2nd, 2023.

Austin Playhouse has announced the cast for the Austin premiere of a new, intimate version of the heartwarming musical, Big Fish by Andrew Lippa and directed by Lara Toner Haddock. Learn how to purchase tickets!

The Mary Moody Northen Theatre has released production photos for These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich, running through November 20, 2022. These Shining Lives chronicles the strength and determination of a group of women working for the Radium Dial Company. Check out the photos below!

The Mary Moody Northen Theatre's 50th Anniversary Season continues with the powerful, These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich, playing November 10 – 20, 2022.

TexARTS Theatre presents The Full Monty the blue-collar musical that exposes the spirit and determination of six out-of-work steelworkers. Desperate for money and respect, they come up with a novel way to make a quick buck by starting a striptease act. Check out photos here!

TexARTS Theatre presents The Full Monty the blue-collar musical that exposes the spirit and determination of six out-of-work steelworkers. Desperate for money and respect, they come up with a novel way to make a quick buck by starting a striptease act.

SHE LOVES ME is a rare gem in the 21st century. 

Austin Playhouse is celebrating the holiday season with the romantic musical comedy, She Loves Me. She Loves Me is a charming story set in the 1930's about two feuding shop clerks, Amalia and Georg. By Day, the two sparring co-workers can't seem to find common ground, but by night write beautiful love letters to their a?oesecret admirersa??. The unlikely romance unfolds as Georg and Amalia discover the truth that the anonymous pen pals they are falling for happen to be each other! But will their love continue to blossom once their identities are finally revealed? Musical favorites include, a?oeVanilla Ice Creama??, and a?oeShe Loves Mea??. She loves me is a musical adaption of the 1937 play Parfumerie. The story has also been adapted into the popular films The Shop around the Corner (1949) and You've Got Mail (1998).  

Doctuh Mistuh Productions and Penfold Theatre Company are pleased to bring Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe back to Austin. Nevermore made its regional premiere in Austin in October 2016 and subsequently was the winner of five B. Iden Payne Awards, including Best Musical. The Nevermore revival will run October 25 - November 10 and plays at the Ground Floor Theatre.

NEVERMORE: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is a Canadian musical that was written and composed by Jonathan Christenson which follows the rather dismal life and internal struggles of Edgar Allan Poe that later on inspired his work as an author. The script contains references to both his poems and short stories. While most of the script dramatizes true events in his life, other aspects are entirely fictitious. The musical was originally produced at the Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta and went on to be performed across Canada, and at the Barbican Theater in London, and the New Victory Theatre in NYC. The current production now playing at Ground Floor Theatre is a remount of the original Doctuh Mistuh production, produced in conjunction with Penfold Theatre, and features most of the original cast.

Doctuh Mistuh Productions and Penfold Theatre Company are pleased to bring Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe back to Austin. Nevermore made its regional premiere in Austin in October 2016 and subsequently was the winner of five B. Iden Payne Awards, including Best Musical. The Nevermore revival will run October 25 - November 10 and plays at the Ground Floor Theatre.

Doctuh Mistuh Productions and Penfold Theatre Company are pleased to bring Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe back to Austin. Nevermore made its regional premiere in Austin in October 2016 and subsequently was the winner of five B. Iden Payne Awards, including Best Musical. The Nevermore revival will run October 25 - November 10 and plays at the Ground Floor Theatre.

Doctuh Mistuh Productions and Penfold Theatre Company are pleased to bring Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe back to Austin. Nevermore made its regional premiere in Austin in October 2016 and subsequently was the winner of five B. Iden Payne Awards, including Best Musical. The Nevermore revival will run October 25 - November 10 and plays at the Ground Floor Theatre.

LUCKY STIFF is a musical farce with lyrics and libretto by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, that is notable historically for several things. To begin with, It was the first collaboration for the team whose later collaborations include Ragtime and Once On This Island. It was created and performed at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway in 1988, and won the Richard Rodgers Award for that year. LUCKY STIFF is based on a 1983 novel The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo by Michael Butterworth. It received a full production in London's West End in 1997 but, to date, has never had a Broadway production. In 2015, a film version was created but it has only been seen at film festivals.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE is a 2014 stage adaptation by Lee Hall of the 1998 Academy Award winning film by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard of the same name. It was first created under the auspices of Disney Theatrical Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions. The story concerns an imaginary love affair involving Viola de Lesseps (Claire Grasso) and playwright William Shakespeare (Stephen Mercantel) while he was writing Romeo and Juliet. Many of the characters are based on historical figures, and many of the characters, lines, and plot devices allude to Shakespeare's plays. The production, now playing at Austin Playhouse, is one of their biggest productions to date. This script has become one of the most produced plays in America this season, and rightfully so, as it as entertaining as the 1998 film was.

Director Don Toner first directed Mark Harelik's THE IMMIGRANT 28 years ago. Happily for Austin, he and Austin Playhouse have decided to restage this charming, inspiring and touching tale for a new generation. THE IMMIGRANT is based on the true story of Harelik's grandfather, a young Russian-Jewish man who entered America through the port of Galveston. Set in Hamilton, Texas (a tiny town with a population of 1,203, no Jews) Haskell Harelik (Joseph Garlock) begins life in America with only a hand pushed fruit cart and a mere smattering of English words at his disposal. It is his gentle spirit and hard work that touches the heart of the local banker and his wife to win him a helping hand. Milton (Huck Huckaby) and Ima Perry (Cyndi Williams) offer him a place to live and eventually, financial help from Milton. With their help, Haskell finally saves up enough money to open a store and send for his wife, Leah (Estrella Saldana). Since the original World Premiere production, directed here in Austin by Toner, Harelik has also adapted the show into a chamber musical.

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Austin Playhouse's production of MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY, continues the season of holiday-themed entertainment in Austin. Written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, but taking the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this play endeavours to be a potential sequel to the beloved classic. This time, however, the focus is shifted from previous heroine, Elizabeth to her sister, Mary.

The TexARTS Professional Series presents The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the spirited musical comedy that recounts the heyday and demise of the infamous "Chicken Ranch."  The musical by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson with music and lyrics by Carol Hall plays August 18 - September 3, 2017 at the Kam & James Morris Theatre in Lakeway.