The year is rolling to a close, but many companies are saving their best shows for the later months. Austin theatre fans can find work by some of the best playwrights who ever lived on display in the coming weeks, from Albee, to Brecht, to Foote, as well as numerous other famous plays that you'd be mad to pass up. Without further ado, here's a rundown of all the plays you should be seeing in November.
At Home at the Zoo by Edward Albee
Palindrome Theatre
Directed by Austin Sheffield
Starring Jude Hickey, Nigel O'Hearn, and Robin Grace Thompson
The Off Center
November 5th – November 21st
Edward Albee has had a storied career, received universal acclaim and numerous awards, and with At Home At the Zoo, he returns to his roots, re-writing his first short play The Zoo Story into a fuller, more realized piece, teaching us something about life in the world today, and how close the human being might just be the wild animals lurking in the grass. Palindrome Theatre has already put on some amazing shows this season, with an astounding production of Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play, and with Zoo, they seem to continuing their run of greatness, bringing a stellar cast and a talented director in to put on a show by one of the greatest playwrights to ever put pen to paper. The reviews are already rolling in, praising the production, proving that this may be one not to miss.
Baal by Bertolt Brecht
Paper Chairs
Directed by Dustin Wills
Starring Joey Hood, Robert Pierson, Kelli Bland, Noel Gaulin, Rob Greenfield, Michael Amendola, Jacob Trussell, Adriene Mishler, Elizabeth Doss, Kimberly Adams, Chase Crossno, Sonnet Blanton, and Gabriel Luna
Salvage Vanguard Theatre
November 11th – November 28th
Just like The Zoo Story Launched the career of Albee, it was Baal that started throwing Brecht's name into theatre circles. Though these days it is not as oft-performed as his greatest hits like The Good Person of Szechuan (which is seeing a production right up the road at Trinity University in San Antonio) or Caucasian Chalk Circle, it's an important play in the writer's pantheon, acting as a jumping off point for all that was to come. Paper Chairs, a outstanding new company who wowed audiences and critics across the city with their production of Machinal earlier this year, has decided to try something markedly different for their production, transforming the space of the Salvage Vanguard into a bar called “The Night Cloud' and having the entire play performed by the rowdy, raunchy patrons who call the bar home. This unique touch is sure to leave the audience in awe, as will the opportunity to sit right on stage with actors themselves, becoming part of the action.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
St. Edward's University
Directed by Christina J. Moore
Starring Ev Lunning and Babs George
Mary Moody Northen Theatre
November 11th – November 21st
If one Albee simply isn't enough for you, then you can come on down and experience one of his greatest plays, performed by one of the most talented groups in town. Most people will recognize the name from Mike Nichol's 1966 film, which starred Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, but now audiences will get to see it live for themselves, starring two of the most amazing talents the city has to offer. This battle of the sexes is one of the most amazing plays of all time, and with skilled director Moore at the helm, and two shining stars holding the reigns, this is sure to an evening to remember.
Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote
Austin Playhouse
November 19th – December 18th
Horton Foote is one of Texas's most prized playwrights, winning numerous awards for both his work in playwriting and screenwriting, and one of his most famous works is Trip to Bountiful. This play tells the story of an aging woman who goes on a journey to her hometown of Bountiful, Texas, and the people she meets and the adventures she has along the way. Austin Playhouse started out their season with a bang with a gut-busting production of 39 Steps, and hopefully they can continue to ride their wave into this production, creating another must-see piece.
Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling
City Theatre Co.
Directed by Barry Pineo
Starring Annie Dragoo, Jessica Lloyd, Ellen Massey, Melissa McAtee, Virginia Pratt, and Askasha Banks Villalobos
City Theatre
November 18th – December 19th
Another play that most people may know better as a movie, Steel Magnolias has been winning the hearts of women and men alike to decades, and now it makes it way to the City Theatre under the careful and talented hand of Barry Pineo. This story of a Louisiana salon and the women who work and frequent it was turned into a hit movie in the 1989, after being a hit off Broadway for two years, and is sure to be just the thing to delight Austin audiences. City Theatre has been known for their spectacular productions of theatre staples, and this is sure to be no different, with some talented ladies stepping in to add their own unique flair to the performances.
Ti-Jean and His Brothers by Derek Walcott
Uprise! Arts Productions and Austin Community College
Directed by Marcus McQuirter
Austin Community College, Rio Grand Campus
November 12th – November 19th
One of the more unique productions hitting stages this month is ACC's and Uprise's production of Ti-Jean and His Brothers, written by acclaimed Indian Playwright Derek Walcott, who adapted it from a classic Indian myth. In this story, three brothers are given a challenge by the devil: make him feel a human emotion. For the victors, wealth, love, eternal life, anything their heart desires, but for the losers: eternal torment. This intriguing fable could just be one of ACC's greatest productions, and with a talented group of actors on hand, this is one play you will not want to miss.
There you have it, folks, a full slate of diverse and amazing plays to choose from. If you can't find something interesting to watch this month, you're just not looking hard enough. Did I miss anything? Feel free to leave a message to let me, and all my readers, know all about other great productions coming this month.
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