Review by Ken McKenzie-Grant
I told myself I would not rave about Paula Cole’s return, but I’d be dishonest not to say how IMPRESSED I was with my first viewing. I have collected and loved her underrated recordings, and I missed the Lilith Fair shows that built her fan base, so I didn’t want to miss this tour’s arrival after several years of self-imposed hiatus from her career. It was worth the wait. Read the rest of this entry »
Donate your Memories to become Art
The Gifts is a new textile installation consisting of small objects donated by the public, which have personal meaning for the Giver and somehow represent some experience, memory or association he/she is prepared to lay to rest. These objects – pieces of personal legacy – are being wrapped and bound by me using fabric and yarn, together with a silent blessing and will become part of a major new exhibition, The Shape of Things at Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery Feb 6 -April 18th next year.
Objects donated so far range from love letters, jewelry and wedding shoes to a CND badge, a pipe, a zip drive, sunglasses and a door handle.
To donate an object that is ‘past its emotional sell-by date’ please download and fill in the pdf on the artists website at http://www.alinahazadeh.com/p-The-ShapeOfTheThings.htm, describing the object and what it means to you .
After a pretty terrific few months of A-Team trial membership, we are happy to announce that we are merging the A-Team program with our standard Creative Alliance membership! Those who became an A-Team member in the past will continue as such through their first year. Any new folks can get the 2 for 1 package- the ability to become a founding member of the Creative Alliance and the option of becoming an A-Team member at no added charge. We are pumped that the A-Team trial has gone on so successfully and are excited to grow the A-Team and the Greater Austin Creative Alliance even more in the future!
Interested in joining? Contact our Membership Director at membership@austincreativealliance.org!
Scriptless Mania – Waffle Fest at The Hideout Theatre
The first rule of improv is “Build on it.” The 8 p.m. Sat. Waffle Fest show at the Hideout Theatre on Congress Ave. had patrons and actors doing just that. First, building your-own-best waffle — complete with toppings ranging from Nutelle® spread to M&Ms®. (Sugar is a perfect complement for laughter, if not purely cognitive thinking.) And these were no disenfranchised pigskin aficionados unable to get into the UT-KU game. They ranged from improv students to first-timers to savvy fans of what I call “scriptless mania.” Read the rest of this entry »
DJ Spooky, "Leslie"by Local E.A.S.T. Artist Nicole Jeffords , Tapestry Dance
by Ross Scarano
Arguably one of the most important arts events in Austin, the East Austin Studio Tour concludes this weekend. For an artist, a sense of community is essential to maintaining a healthy creativity, and EAST fosters that sense of community by introducing Austinites to the vibrant arts scene in East Austin. Read the rest of this entry »
by Ross Scarano
Everyone knows that cravings are best satisfied in twos: beer & pretzels; coffee & cigarettes; sex & cigarettes; waffles & improv. Yes, for the eighth year running, Austinites can satisfy that highly specific need for all-you-can-eat waffles and all-you-can-laugh improv at the Hideout Theater. Read the rest of this entry »
Sitting inside the Vortex Theatre waiting for the show to begin, the audience member, may not know what to expect: “Would this show prove to be like others at the Vortex?” “Will, the first actor enter in nothing but his ‘birthday suit’ and a smile?” Quite honestly this could make for an interesting stylistic choice for Skin of Our Teeth, but perhaps a little out there for a Thorton Wilder play. But, when the Announcer (C. Robert Stevens) crosses to his microphone donned in clothing from the 1940’s, the audience members’ minds may be ransacked momentarily with memories of crappy high school versions of Our Town. Read the rest of this entry »
Full review of The Skin of Our Teeth by A Team member John Medberry
Setting out to see the Different Stages production of The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder, I had misgivings. I’ve seen the story before and really liked it. At the time, the Eighties, it seemed really relevant. So, for me, I gritted my teeth and set off to see it at the Vortex. My thought was, even if the production was poor, I could perhaps relive some of the relevance of the Eighties.
Well, let me tell, you, Norman Blumensaadt knew better than I. Read the rest of this entry »
We came. We mingled.We met new people. We put names to email address or photos, names or bylines. It was lovely, on a personal note, to see so many art supporters making it out on a slightly chilly night, to eat fabulous cheese and have a drink from House Wine, and learn more about the Greater Austin Creative Alliance and bond with our creative community. Read the rest of this entry »
by Ross Scarano
In the men’s room of the Bass Concert Hall, I realized something. Though Art Spiegelman’s Maus is frequently read by junior-high schoolers, and Robert Crumb’s transgressive work might epitomize hipster cool, these two fellows have been around for a long time, accumulating fans from the very beginning. In the men’s room I saw more than one gray ponytail, approximately three pairs of black jeans that you must be over 45 to wear, and one chubby, round-faced man with a bundle of comics under his arm that he obviously hoped to get signed. It was also obvious that as a boy he had had to sneak Crumb’s comics into his house. Read the rest of this entry »
