Aaron Johnson News

The Waukesha Civic Theatre presents Your Story Matters on Monday, September 23, 2019.

David Auburn's drama Proof opens on the Wimberley Players stage April 12 and runs through May 5.

The latest musical collaboration between local playwrights Chase Ramsey and David Paul Smith offers a twist on the children's tale of a tortoise and a hare as SCERA presents the world premiere 50-minute musical on Feb. 4,8,11,15,18 and 22 @ 7:00pm at SCERA Center for the Arts.

Art House Productions announces its full schedule of arts programming from September 2018 until June 2019.  Beginning in September, Art House presents its first Artist-in-Residence: Raven Taisce White. Raven is a trans woman from South Carolina and her company, BIRDHOUSE perform a reimagining of their piece Hot Winter. Hot Winter follows five humans as they struggle to understand one another, unifying in difference and falling apart in sameness and is a surrealistic look at the performers' collective universe.

TenthPlanet: Planet Connections 10th Annual Theatre Festivity played to packed houses and great acclaim for each production. Another sold out house was achieved for the company's annual 'Playwrights for a Cause' event, this year, benefiting the Ali Forney Center. The banner season culminates with the Planet Awards. This year, the gala event will be Today, September 21, at the Abrons Arts Center at 466 Grand St, New York City. Tickets and further info: planetconnections.org/

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF), presented by Mountain Valley Spring Water, announced today the official selections for this year's short and feature documentary lineups. This year's festival will include additional categories including U.S., International, Southern Stories, Sports, as well as a spotlight on films Made in Arkansas. Now approaching its 27th year, HSDFF is the longest running all-documentary festival in North America and is Academy Award®-Qualifying in the Documentary Short Subject Category.

In her welcoming note to audiences at the 2018 version of Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream - the 30th anniversary of the company's annual Shakespeare in the Park festivities at Centennial Park (which now is without question the place to be on a midsummer's night in Music City, all other artistic offerings that abound notwithstanding) - executive artistic director Denice Hicks takes a fanciful look ahead to 2048, and suggests that she'll either be in the audience or, quite possibly, in the cast of whatever show happens to be onstage some 30 years hence. Let me just make this prediction by way of critical pronouncement: Denice Hicks, then 88, will once again be playing the ethereal Puck in NSF's then-current Midsummer and I, who will be a spry 91-year-old at the time (or possibly a critical hologram), will be in the audience once again to marvel at her ageless skills and timeless artistry.

TenthPlanet: Planet Connections 10th Annual Theatre Festivity played to packed houses and great acclaim for each production. Another sold out house was achieved for the company's annual 'Playwrights for a Cause' event, this year, benefiting the Ali Forney Center. The banner season culminates with the Planet Awards. This year, the gala event will be Friday, September 21, at the Abrons Arts Center at 466 Grand St, New York City. Tickets and further info: planetconnections.org/

Ah, Commedia dell'arte, how I love it - the zanier the better. Austin's La Fenice (the phoenix) has been delivering the genre since 2010, a rebirth of the former Austin Commedia Society (1999 - 2003).

Aaron Johnson is best known to Austin audiences for his strong body of performances, including Tribes (Daniel) at ZACH Theatre; Orphans (Phillip), Skylight (Edward) with Street Corner Arts; The Totalitarians (Ben) with Theatre en Bloc; The Real Thing (Billy), The Explorers Club (Lucius), Bloomsday (Robbie) at Austin Playhouse; and Comedy of Errors (Antipholus of Syracuse & Ephesus) with Penfold Theatre Co. Aaron was able to find a home in many of these theatre companies producing, designing, and working crew when he wasn't acting, and is still collaborating from afar with several of them. Earlier this year, Aaron's one-man show The Apple Doesn't Fall was awarded 'Best of Fest' at the 2017 FronteraFest. Aaron moved to New York City earlier this year and his new play, SALTY, will hold its world premiere with Lyra Theater next Spring .

Middle Tennessee State University's Theatre Department teams up with Nashville Shakespeare Festival for the upcoming production of Skakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by NSF artistic associate and MTSU adjunct professor of theatre Santiago Sosa. Midsummer runs November 9-12 at MTSU's Tucker Theatre.

The 24 Hour Plays has announced their annual production of The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, at The New School for Drama on Monday, August 14th at 8:00 PM.

Currently playing at The Austin Playhouse, BLOOMSDAY is story of love oddly intertwined with the James Joyce's novel, Ulysses. Written by the University of Texas Faculty member Steven Dietz, the play's experimental style and arc is reminiscent of Tony Kushner's fabulously entertaining Angels in America. Taking place over the course of 35 years, Robert and Caithleen meet as fleeting youngsters looking for purpose. The purpose of their meeting is that of the title, BLOOMSDAY. For audience members ignorant to the reference, BLOOMSDAY takes place on June 16th as a day of celebration for acclaimed Irish author, James Joyce. It is observed annually in Dublin, where fans and drunkards alike, traditionally dressed in early 1900s garb, march through Dublin following the events and more specifically the scenes of the famous book, Ulysses. The play BLOOMSDAY however, tells the story of young Robbie (played by Aaron Johnson) and Caithleen (played by Claire Grasso) meeting on a tour during the march of Bloomsday. With time itself being the 5th character of the show, Robert (played by Huck Huckaby) scolds his younger self, while Cait (played by Cindy Williams) wrestles with her slipping mind and preparing her younger self for what is to come. The subtle quips and honest reflections from the future selves make for hilarious interactions on stage. Taking place over 35 years, but set within actual two scenes, the arc of the characters and exquisite writing by Steven Dietz, displays a realistic love story forcing introspection.

Votes are cast; polls are closed; and results have been tabulated! This was our biggest year yet! After a record number of voters in more than 75 regions worldwide, BroadwayWorld is very excited to announce the 2016 Austin winners! Thanks to all who voted, and huge congratulations to all the winners!

THE TOTALITARIANS is a new play by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb that had its world premiere in 2014. It is a satirical comedy that takes a behind the scenes look at modern politics and how a speech writer can make or break someone running for public office. Although the play is about a woman running for Attorney General in Nebraska, the play shines a bright light on the current political campaign here in America examining just how easy it is to sway the populace with unsubstantiated facts and catchy slogans. It also happens to be one of the sharpest satires since the days of Jules Feiffer.

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in New Jersey, Tampa, San Diego and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include IAGO in New Jersey, SPRING AWAKENING in Tampa, and LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST at the Old Globe directed by Kathleen Marshall, just to name a few.

ORPHANS is a play by Lyle Kessler that premiered in 1983 in Los Angeles, winning the Drama-Logue Award. It made its Broadway debut in 2013. Earlier this Spring, Street Corner Arts selected Aaron Johnson and native Austinite Sarah Kimberly Becker to helm this debut production of their new Sidewalk Series. The new program mentors promising Austin theatre-makers in producing and fully realizing a production. If this debut effort is any indication of what the future of this program holds, Austin is in for a real theatrical treat.

Penfold Theatre Company's annual 'Shakespeare in the Park' at Round Rock's Amphitheatre adjacent to the Baca Senior Center, is a lovely setting for an utterly delightful show. This year's production of COMEDY OF ERRORS showcases their expertise with the Bard as well as the company's seemingly boundless talent. The ensemble cast of only five actors play all of the more than twenty roles in a whirlwind of character switching.

Street Corner Arts has announced Michael Stuart, Aaron Johnson and Christopher Alvarenga will star in their upcoming production of ORPHANS by Lyle Kessler.  The production is directed by native Austinite Sarah Kimberly Becker. Earlier this Spring, Street Corner selected Johnson and Becker to helm their pioneer production of the Company's Sidewalk Series. The program, in its inaugural year, mentors promising Austin theatre-makers in producing and fully realizing a production.