Recent Reviews
Review: W. (Woyzeck) by Austin Jewish Repertory Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on August 26, 2016
The unpredictable plot, the in-your-face dramatic technique later to become known as 'Brechtian,' and above all the power of Joey Hood's acting make this a vital although harrowing experience.
He's the inevitable choice for Woyzeck. Joey Hood's intense, unfllinching stage presence has intimidated and attracted audiences many times here in Austin, often in the primal cavern of the Hyde Park Theatre. He has worked memorably for Graham Schmidt's Breaking String Theatre as it explored the menacing world of contemporary Russian theatre. The enduring image I retain of Joey Hood is that from I Am The Machine Gunner by Yuri Klavdiev, another …
Review: Hand to God by Capital T Theatre
by David Glen Robinson
Published on August 22, 2016
Jason’s friend Tyrone, orange, big-eyed, and suspiciously Muppet-like, eventually takes over entirely, like the voice of addiction promising wholeness if you just follow the plan of action. This breaks out in a steaming milieu of exploding lust and throwdown sex.
Just when the community thought Mark Pickell's Capital T Theatre had reached a plateau with the spectacular Trevor, it tops itself with Robert Askins' play Hand to God, playing now at the Hyde Park Theatre. The work defies categorization, having components of horror, comedy, and tragedy. It involves a church youth group and a peculiar hand puppet made in the group that starts speaking with a scatological mind of its own. Demon possession is …
Review: Again - Family, Friends and Lovers by Exchange Artists
by David Glen Robinson
Published on August 21, 2016
AGAIN shows the sustaining power of the narrative. Telling and enacting stories strikes deeply into the lives of attendees. Skip the self-therapy and proceed straight to self-knowledge.
Again…Family, Friends, and Lovers, Exchange Artists’ latest offering, promises to become another of their innovative series.Rachel Wiese, Katherine Craft, and Bridget Farr are the company's trio of producing artists. Singly or together they propose and produce a show or series for the company. Farr is the lead producer for the Again series and has brought to the stage a deeply thoughtful and original production full of artistry and talented actors, storytellers, and writers. The …
Review: Salomé by Gale Theatre Company
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on August 19, 2016
Salomé is not some kind of cold calculating Disneyesque villain out for revenge. She is a person. A woman. A little girl. She is a torrent of true and visceral emotion. She is a queen and a pawn in her own life.
“Never Felt So Near” Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, but practically used as both a greeting and a farewell (none too distant from the Arabic word for peace: salaam, also used for hello and goodbye), is derived from the same root word as the name of the real-life and biblical character Salomé. Named for peace, Salomé is recorded both by history and the Bible as a person not known for it. She is …
Review: Evita by Woodlawn Theatre
by Kurt Gardner
Published on August 16, 2016
The Woodlawn production directed by Christopher Rodriguez is virtually flawless.
Evita is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s best musicals, and certainly one of their most enduring. The story of a woman who used her body (and any other means at her disposal) to achieve fame and power, it also presents audiences with a moral dilemma. Are we meant to cheer for someone who relied on such unscrupulous means to achieve her success? The answer is both yes and no, as the musical gives …
Review (#2 of 2): POSTVILLE by Don Fried, Last Act Theater Company
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on August 06, 2016
POSTVILLE is a very American story with a very real origin in America’s heartland. Everyone involved has given it a beautiful and brief life at the Trinity Street Theatre. Do not miss it.
Finding Heart in America’s Heartland The opening scene is quaint, peaceful and idyllic: a café on a nearly deserted main street of small town America. The locals slowly occupy the rocking chairs and tiny tables waiting both patiently and impatiently for the succor of their morning coffees. The inevitable weather conversations begin along with a re-hash of the past year’s events. Past year because it seems only a few events happen a year …