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The Rude Mechanicals
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UPDATE: Click for ALT review, December 5 UPDATE: Dan Solomon interviews director Shawn Sides for austinist.com, December 4 UPDATE: Extensive backgrounder by Robert Faires, published in the Austin Chronicle, November 26 Found on-line: Rudes rebirth
Dionysus in 69
December 3 -20, Thursdays - Sundays at 8 p.m.
at The Off Center
Tickets on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets
[Photos by Bret Brookshire]
Rude Mechs is proud to produce the first-ever revival of The Performance Group’s Dionysus in 69, a groundbreaking interpretation of Euripides’s The Bacchae. Offering Austin theatre-goers an extraordinary opportunity to relive history, the Rudes are painstakingly recreating the original production, using Brian de Palma’s filmed version of the play and the 1970 book, Dionysus in 69 as source materials, as well as inviting the original production's director, Richard Schechner, to guide several rehearsals.
Rude Mechs celebrates 40 years of experimental theatre by experiencing and learning about Dionysus in 69 in the deepest way - through its performance.
Ensemble: Heather Barfield, Elizabeth Doss, Thomas Graves, Jude Hickey, Matt Hislope, Jodi Jinks, Hannah Kenah, Josh Meyer, Aron Taylor, Katie Van Winkle
Co-Directed by: Madge Darlington and Shawn Sides
NOTE: In addition to Richard Schechner leading several rehearsals in advance of the production he will return to Austin for opening night December 4, when he'll briefly introduce the piece immediately before the show and will attend the opening night party following.
WARNING: NUDITY AND ADULT THEMES.
NO ONE UNDER 18 WILL BE ADMITTED WITHOUT PARENT OR GUARDIAN. (click "Read More" for additional information and images) |
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Update: Click for ALT review, September 16 
UPDATE: Review by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin at Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog, September 15 UPDATE: Pre-opening piece by Javier Sanchez at the Daily Texan, September 10 Found on-line:
I've Never Been So Happy
a work in progress production
by the Rude Mechanicals
book and lyrics by Kirk Lynn
music and lyrics by Peter Stopschinski
curated and directed by Thomas Graves and Lana Lesley
September 10 - 20, at the Off Center
Tickets on sale now!
Rude Mechs is proud to present this work-in-progress presentation of our new western operetta performance experiment. We're making musical theatre for a new breed of Texan, and offering up a western adventure that will ply you with soothing adult elixirs, teach you how to use a lasso to capture your love, and then join you on their authentic Texas dance floor as you boot scoot to the greatest music in the West.
I've Never Been So Happy, with music and lyrics by Austin Experimental Punk Grand Wizard Peter Stopschinski (Brown Whornet, Golden Hornet Project), and book and lyrics by Austin Experimental Theatre Mascot Kirk Lynn, fluctuates freely between high art and Hee-Haw, treating both with respect.
The music pits a Grand Ole Opry style West against an El Topo style West. The writing butts lyric poetry up against bar jokes with finesse. The evening challenges what it means to "go to the theater" in 2009. |
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Click for 52-minute audio program on workshopping of I've Never Been So Happy, from John Aielli's KUT program "Aielli Unleashed," posted on June 10.
John Aielli's comment: The very big cast, well, a good number of them, came in and did a feature with musical/dramatic excerpts from the show. it’s still being worked on. The music is by the wonderfully talented Peter Stopschinsky of brown whornet fame. The selections you’ll hear show the variety of styles represented. Don’t try to pigeonhole this one. the show is being presented ON THE STAGE (as in the audience will be on the stage too) of the B. Iden Payne theatre this Saturday, July 13. The show is to be presented again this fall at the off center. I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY
Saturday, June 13, 2009 B. Iden Payne Theatre, UT Austin 4:00 p.m.
Created by the Rude Mechs
Books/Lyrics by Kirk Lynn Music/Lyrics by Peter Stopschinski Directed/Curated by Thomas Graves & Lana Lesley Music Directed by Lyn Koenning Projection Design by Noel Gaulin & Erin Meyer Production Team Marlane Barnes…Ensemble Jenny Connell…Ensemble Julia Cory, Cello Christina Gutierrez…Dramaturg/Ensemble Julia Gytri…Ensemble Amy Harris, Violin Hannah Kenah…Ensemble Jena Kirmse…Ensemble Lisa Kobdish…Ensemble Lyn Koenning…Piano Denise Martel…Production Manager Jared Oberholtzer…Stage Manager Herb Steiner…Pedal Steel Guitar Peter Stopschinski…Electronics Christina Underwood, Bass Cody Williams…Stage Manager Leah Zeger…String Section Leader Click to read Jenny Connel's account of the Rude Mechs' workshopping and playwriting styles, posted June 11 on her blog Playwright's Notebook Click to read Christina Gutierrez's blog recounting the KUT interviewing/taping from the point of view of a cast member, June 11 
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UPDATE, April 19: CLICK for ALT review of The Method Gun  UPDATE, April 1: Click image for Rude Mechs' dumb "Tiger" promo video (1:30 -- one of five versions posted on YouTube)
UPDATE, April 14: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin's pre-opening piece in the Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog
From the Rude Mecs, March 4:
THE METHOD GUN
a project of Creative Capital
at The Off Center
April 9 - May 2, 2009 (Thurs - Sun @ 8 pm) No performance Sunday, April 12th
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW!
written by Kirk Lynn
directed by Shawn Sides
featuring: Thomas Graves, Heather Hanna, Jude Hickey, Hannah Kenah and Lana Lesley
”Nothing short of the best work this theater collective has done in its 13 years as it has carved out its well-respected reputation on the international indie theater scene...This is the Rude Mechanicals doing what they do best: crafting a rich series of stunning and surprising visual moments, lacing those moments with kinetic physical movement and wrapping it all together with a script both lyrical and cheeky.” — Austin American-Statesman
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