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StageMagThe Recipe Box StageMag
StageMagThe Recipe Box StageMag

The Recipe Box at Austin Rainbow Theatre

Dates: 9/4/2026 - 9/19/2026

📍 Theatre: Austin Rainbow Theatre

Austin Rainbow Theatre
979 Springdale Road suite 122
Austin, TX 78702

Phone: 5123872763

Tickets: $22.50–$60


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This fall, legendary playwright Del Shores—the brilliant mind behind the Sordid Lives franchise—is adding another hilarious, bittersweet masterpiece to his iconic lexicon of Southern queer theater with The Recipe Box at Austin Rainbow Theatre. This limited engagement marks only the second time this incredible new script has ever been produced.

Set on a lush, plant-filled Louisiana porch, The Recipe Box kicks off with an explosive breakup between a brilliant but emotionally walled-off math professor, Rick, and his cheating husband, Joah. When Joah storms out, he leaves behind his eccentric, sharp-tongued, 70-something mother, Lou Wanda, who has a gambling addiction and nowhere else to go. Armed with an old recipe box belonging to Rick’s late mother, an unconventional, hilarious, and fiercely protective chosen family begins to form. Infused with Shores’ trademark southern queer wit, this production balances devastating heartbreaks with laugh-out-loud Southern eccentricities.

Cast: Emerson Collins (Rick), Cynthia Sanders (Lou Wanda), Chelsea Manasseri (Oona), and Chris Skinner (Joah).

Production Team: Del Shores (Director), Daniel Bergeron (Stage Manager), McKynzie Bartee (Asst. Stage Manager), Kevin Brown (Scenic Designer), Luis Sandoval (Lighting Designer), Nat Briceno (Sound Designer), MK Brown (Production Manager), and Max Stern (Production Assistant)

Cast and Creative Team for The Recipe Box at Austin Rainbow Theatre

Cast

Cynthia Sanders
Lou Wanda
Chelsea Manasseri
Oona
Chris Skinner
Joah

Creative Team

Director
Del Shores has built a career spanning film, television, and theatre. The Recipe Box marks his twelfth play. His work has been produced thousands of times worldwide, with four of his plays adapted for the screen, and is published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. Shores has directed his own plays, films, and television work since 1996, and in recent years has expanded his theatre directing to include Jiggs Burgess’ The Red Suitcase (The Broadwater, Los Angeles), Wounded (Off-Broadway, Soho Playhouse), and Patty Pell & Laurie Pell Grigsby’s Momma Won’t Die (Bryant Hall, Dallas). He is the writer, director, and producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies, and A Very Sordid Wedding. He also wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy’s Dyin’…Who’s Got the Will? On television, Shores created, wrote, directed, and executive produced Sordid Lives: The Series for LOGO, served as writer and executive producer for the final three seasons of Showtime’s Queer as Folk, and wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey. He has directed Octavia Spencer, Olivia Newton-John, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Rue McClanahan, Dale Dickey, Beth Grant, Emerson Collins, and comedy icons Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Mapa, Margaret Cho, and Caroline Rhea. Shores is co-founder and president of The Del Shores Foundation, championing new Southern LGBTQ+ storytellers. He is the proud father of Rebecca and Caroline, and Grandpa Del to Bear Alexander Thrush.

News About The Recipe Box at Austin Rainbow Theatre

Interview: Del Shores, Emerson Collins, Clinton Williams of RECIPE BOX at Austin Rainbow Theatre

September 9, 2026

There is a distinct, defiant magic that happens when queer storytelling plants its roots exactly where it is needed most. Austin Rainbow Theatre is presenting the regional premiere of THE RECIPE BOX, the latest work from legendary Southern storyteller Del Shores (SORDID LIVES, SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES). Produced alongside his longtime collaborator Emerson Collins and Austin Rainbow Theatre’s Artistic Director Clinton Williams, the play brings Shores’ trademark blend of hysterical Southern grit and devastating emotional honesty to Austin.

Review: THE RECIPE BOX at Austin Rainbow Theatre

September 8, 2026

Del Shores serves up heartbreak, outrageous humor, and plenty of Southern charm in The Recipe Box, a moving story about losing the life you thought you had and discovering something unexpected in its place.

About the Theatre

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979 Springdale Road suite 122
Austin, TX 78702

Phone: 5123872763

Visit Website

📍
Austin Rainbow Theatre
979 Springdale Road suite 122, Austin, TX
Austin Rainbow Theatre (ART) is Austin’s LGBTQIA+ theatre company dedicated to amplifying queer voices through bold storytelling, professional productions, and community-centered programming. Now entering its fourth full season, ART creates space for LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences to see themselves represented on stage while honoring the diverse histories, experiences, and stories of the community. Through accessible theatre and innovative programming, ART works to foster belonging, reduce stigma, and strengthen connections throughout Central Texas. For more information, visit www.austinrainbowtheatre.org.

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Austin Rainbow Theatre Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQ

Where is Austin Rainbow Theatre located?

Austin Rainbow Theatre is at 979 Springdale Road suite 122, Austin, TX.

What shows have played recently at Austin Rainbow Theatre?

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (03/28/26-04/11/26)

What is the running time?

Performances are Thursday - Saturday @ 8 PM & Sundays @ 2 PM

Is there an intermission?

15 minute intermission

Is there parking?

Parking is available in the back parking lot. Follow our directions listed on our website.

What ages is this show appropriate for?

Recommended for 18+.

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