AUSTIN THEATER REVIEWS

St. Edward's University's choice for their spring musical is aptly named. While the words 'spring awakening' invoke images of beautiful flowers or a warm spring day, this musical contains everything but, with central themes of sexuality, religion, abuse, suicide, guilt and repression. I'll be blunt:...

John Lowell's THE LETTERS, in its regional premiere courtesy of Street Corner Arts, is a two person, one act play. It begins in one place, takes us on a journey, and ends up in a place unrecognizable from where it started, all without leaving one governmental archives office in 1930s Stalinist Russi...

Roald Dahl's novel, MATILDA was published in 1988 to join his other popular children's books; among them, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, THE WITCHES and BFG. In 2010 The Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned a musical version and MATILDA THE MUSICAL was born in London's West End. ZACH's product...

The first time I encountered THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde I was a junior in high school. I understood that this was a fantastic play, but I didn't understand how the witty dialogue could be the uproarious comedy that my theater teacher promised me it was. That is, until I saw Texas...

Lila Rose Kaplan's, 100 PLANES gets its first full staging at Mastrogeorge Theatre under the direction of Elizabeth Newman. Set in 1997, the story revolves around an ambitious young Air Force pilot, Kay (Alain Rose Chock) and her intention to be chosen to fly the latest aircraft....

LAST: AN EXTINCTION COMEDY is a truly unique show about how a troupe of comedic actors copes with the apocalypse....

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THE COLD BREW COLLECTION is a collection of five short plays written by Payton Russell. Russell is a freshman at Texas State University, and if this collection is any indication, we can expect to see even more fantastic work from her within her time at Texas State....

The fascinating autobiography CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, by Frank Abagnale, Jr., first made into a movie starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio is now a musical adventure. Debuting on Broadway in 2011 to mixed reviews. As a character study the story is engrossing, but as the basis for a musical, it's pr...

Like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, ANTIGONICK reveals the fate of the characters immediately. ANTIGONICK is award winning poet and Classics professor Anne Carson's reinterpretation of Sophocles' Antigone, part three in his famous Theban plays. Antigone continues the story of eye-gouging tragedy Oe...

For over 30 years DIFFERENT STAGES has been entertaining Austin audiences with carefully selected seasons of the finest of plays. Not to be outdone, multiple award-winning playwright Karen Zacarias' The Book Club Play provides us with a marvelous glimpse into what goes on in a typical American book ...

The Penfold Theatre Company's production of CRIME AND PUNISHEMENT -- adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus from the novel of the same name by Dostoevsky -- was a tense night at the theatre that was unlike anything I have ever experienced....

THREE SHITTY SONS is a production worth further attention. While the play is sure to grow from this first staging, it possesses the bones of a well-crafted theatrical piece. Hilarious, fast-paced, and bizarre, this play is a brave and enjoyable new work....

A DOLL'S HOUSE by Norwegian Realist playwright, Henrik Ibsen is a theatrical staple, studied and performed worldwide since its debut in 1879. The updated continuation A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2 gleefully deconstructs the original play with a lot of laughs and a bit of colorful language....

NOTES FROM THE FIELD by Anna Deveare Smith and currently playing at ZACH Theatre's Kleberg Stage is as impactful a piece of theatre as I believe I have ever witnessed....

A DJ table, projector screen and one performer, sets the stage to reflect on the life of writer/poet Jason Bayani. As stated in the spoken prologue of the piece, Bayani does not perform characters, he will always be himself reflecting on his life and past experiences. Starting from his beginnings, o...

We all know the fairy tale Rapunzel from childhood, but Jeremy Rashad Brown and Deanna Belardinelli give RAP UNZEL an update, hip hop style at Scottish Rite Theatre in cooperation with Brown Boy Productions and the effect is enchanting....

King Productions' THE FACE OF EMMETT TILL deserves witness for bringing the painful truth of this story to light every night....

FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY is an autobiographical play by Sarah Ruhl written as a gift to her mother on her 70th birthday. Like the character of Ann in the play, her mother also played Peter Pan when she was a teenager. What Ruhl has crafted is a gentle look at a loving and supportive family...

Before Bridget (Pam Taylor) goes off to law school in the fall, she decides to spend the summer with her favorite Nana, Sylvia (Susan McWilliams) in her rent-controlled New York apartment. Syliva's best friend Vera (Nikki Bora) is never far away and newly-appointed beat cop Tom (Jacob Maspero) drops...

Texas State University's production of WHAT WE SCREAM UNDERWATER WHEN NO ONE CAN HEAR US by Caitlin Turnage deals with sexuality and religion in a way that is incredibly truthful and joy to behold....

Tom Stoppard is regarded as one of the greatest living playwrights of our day. His time spent in India in the 1940's as a boy, no doubt influenced the author's point of view in writing INDIAN INK. By modern terms, Stoppard's writing would be described as a slow burn, with a style gradually revealing...

'This is a story of kings.' The opening line of playwright Ayad Akhtar's JUNK gives the audience an epic summary of what they're about to experience. Kings not determined by the biggest crown or most expansive army, but by the fullest pockets. Robert Merkin, played by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, is one s...

Bringing the muses off mount Olympus to beachside California, XANADU is as wacky as its namesake would suggest. Following their mystical purpose, the greek muses find a struggling artist to inspire and guide on their journey to creation. Muse Clio (played by Mandy Foster) discovers bright-eyed Sonny...

It's a bit embarrassing to admit that a life-long theatre junkie like me had never seen OUR TOWN until last Saturday night. I have read it and loved it of course; I am familiar with the plot, characters, etc, but had never actually experienced this American treasure and I am so glad and grateful I g...