THEATRE

• Official Website
• Buy Tickets
• Add to My Favorites

A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh

Presented by Hyde Park Theatre at Hyde Park Theatre

April 28-May 28, 2011

Avg. Event Rating (4.5 Stars):
Add Review/Comment | Read Reviews/Comments

Comment on Facebook

Hyde Park Theatre presents

The Austin Premiere of

Martin McDonagh’s

A Behanding in Spokane



Featuring

Aaron Alexander, Michelle Keffer, Mical Trejo, and Ken Webster



Directed by Ken Webster



Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 PM

April 28 – May 28, 2011

Hyde Park Theatre 511 W. 43rd Street

Tickets $19 and $17 Fridays and Saturdays. Pay-What-You-Can Thursdays

Final weekend tickets are $21 and $19

Hyde Park Theatre continues its love affair with the dark comedies of the brilliant young Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, this time with McDonagh's first play set in America, the savagely funny A Behanding in Spokane.
The New York Times called the play “perfect, demented, ecstatic, and imaginative.” “Wildly entertaining…truly explosive,” said The Daily News. The Wall Street Journal said, “You’ll spend 90 minutes laughing nonstop.“

In Behanding, Carmichael's 37-year search for his missing left hand brings him to a small-town hotel where he encounters a bizarre hotel clerk and a small-time con-artist couple who claim to have the hand.

A Behanding in Spokane features Aaron Alexander, Michelle Keffer, Mical Trejo, and Austin Arts Hall of Fame member Ken Webster, who also directs.

Austin critics called HPT's 2008 production of McDonagh's The Lonesome West "witty, engaging, intense, and wickedly funny" and "utterly hilarious." HPT's 2007 production of McDonagh's The Pillowman sold out every performance during an unprecedented three extensions; Austin critics called it "utterly compelling," "an excellent production of an immensely challenging and strikingly brilliant play," and "one fascinating, entertaining night of theatre that we can't recommend highly enough." Those productions were also directed by Ken Webster.

McDonagh won an Academy Award for Best Short Film for Six Shooter and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for In Bruges.

The play contains profanity, violence, and adult situations. It is recommended for mature audiences.

A Behanding in Spokane runs at 8:00 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, April 28- May 28. Every Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday and Saturday tickets are $19 ($17 for students and seniors). Tickets for the final weekend are $21 and $19. Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. Charge tickets online at www.hydeparktheatre.org or call 479-PLAY (7529).

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Venue Info

    Hyde Park Theatre

    511 West 43rd Street
    Austin, TX 78751

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets:

    Fridays and Saturdays $19 and $17
    Thursdays are pay-what-you-can
    Final weekend $21 and $19

    Info Phone: 512-479-7529

    Email

    Buy Tickets

  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    April 28-May 28, 2011

    Times:
    

    8:00PM

  • Accessibility Info

    

  • Video & Image Gallery

    Video Video | Images

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "Juicily Suspenseful and plain funny!"
      Review posted by: P. Stone from Austin, TX, May 02, 2011
      

      Applauds to Ken Webster and his superior casting. Martin McDonagh's script was so theatre of the absurd and played to perfection. The story of a man in a 37 year search of his hand severed by... Expand

      Applauds to Ken Webster and his superior casting. Martin McDonagh's script was so theatre of the absurd and played to perfection. The story of a man in a 37 year search of his hand severed by sadistic youths. The story begins to unfold with a hand deal gone bad. Two youths skillfully played by Aaron Alexander and Michelle Keffer arrive with a hand in hopes of getting money, but things go awry. Added to this is the "boxer" guy aka receptionist played by Mical Tejo whose character acts as a go between the couple and the Man in search of his hand. While threats of killing are exchanged,the girlfriend who can't keep her mouth shut and the boyfriend that see's his life flashing before him a comedy of errors unfolds. Everyone gets into the act including the mother via telephone. This is a deliciously funny, entertaining, well scripted and directed production. What can be more funny than a suitcase full of hands! Go See! Collapse

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "Why do you want to die so bad?"
      Review posted by: Jay Y. from Austin, TX, Apr 30, 2011
      

      For me, one important mark of an enjoyable play is the ability to have both tension and humor and make both work on their own terms when needed. Hyde Park Theatre's production of "A Behanding in... Expand

      For me, one important mark of an enjoyable play is the ability to have both tension and humor and make both work on their own terms when needed. Hyde Park Theatre's production of "A Behanding in Spokane" pulls that off beautifully, in addition to making very frightening situations funny without the audience feeling awkward. It begins with a one-handed man, Mr. Carmichael, as he deals with Toby and Merilyn. He claims that his hand had been cut off by hillbillies 37 years ago, and has been offering a cash reward to anyone who could locate it since. The couple bring what they claim is the hand, but Carmichael calls them out on their fraud, leading to an agonizing situation which I will not reveal here. And entering the mix is the hotel receptionist, Mervyn, who can't resist putting his foot in his mouth. Ken Webster and Aaron Alexander work great together as the disturbed villain and the desperate survivor. Many more things I could say but space does not allow, so, go see this one!! Collapse

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "The Right Stuff"
      Review posted by: Stephen from Austin TX, Apr 30, 2011
      

      Playwright Martin McDonagh stories have a way of being entertaining no matter what the subject matter. The case in point is this play. At the core of the story is a mans pursuit of finding his lost... Expand

      Playwright Martin McDonagh stories have a way of being entertaining no matter what the subject matter. The case in point is this play. At the core of the story is a mans pursuit of finding his lost hand. I will leave it like that so its not so much a spoiler alert. The setting of this play is a hotel room that was very well crafted. One is immediately taken to the story with the grit and grime of the room. Director Ken Webster has the unique talent of being one of the few people I have seen be able to successfully direct and act in the same play and not appear to suffer at either end. His delivery, timing and character would make one compelled to hear his characters story. Michelle Keffer and Aaron Alexander are excellent as the trapped couple who had tried to do business with Webster's Carmichael role. They prove that if you deliver absurd lines with straight faced conviction you are golden. Mical Trejo completes the small cast as the hotel receptionist that is as twisted but a joy. Collapse

• Media
  Gallery

  • All Media Gallery

    Video Video | Images

• Member
  Reviews

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "Juicily Suspenseful and plain funny!"
      Review posted by: P. Stone from Austin, TX, May 02, 2011
      

      Applauds to Ken Webster and his superior casting. Martin McDonagh's script was so theatre of the absurd and played to perfection. The story of a man in a 37 year search of his hand severed by... Expand

      Applauds to Ken Webster and his superior casting. Martin McDonagh's script was so theatre of the absurd and played to perfection. The story of a man in a 37 year search of his hand severed by sadistic youths. The story begins to unfold with a hand deal gone bad. Two youths skillfully played by Aaron Alexander and Michelle Keffer arrive with a hand in hopes of getting money, but things go awry. Added to this is the "boxer" guy aka receptionist played by Mical Tejo whose character acts as a go between the couple and the Man in search of his hand. While threats of killing are exchanged,the girlfriend who can't keep her mouth shut and the boyfriend that see's his life flashing before him a comedy of errors unfolds. Everyone gets into the act including the mother via telephone. This is a deliciously funny, entertaining, well scripted and directed production. What can be more funny than a suitcase full of hands! Go See! Collapse

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "Why do you want to die so bad?"
      Review posted by: Jay Y. from Austin, TX, Apr 30, 2011
      

      For me, one important mark of an enjoyable play is the ability to have both tension and humor and make both work on their own terms when needed. Hyde Park Theatre's production of "A Behanding in... Expand

      For me, one important mark of an enjoyable play is the ability to have both tension and humor and make both work on their own terms when needed. Hyde Park Theatre's production of "A Behanding in Spokane" pulls that off beautifully, in addition to making very frightening situations funny without the audience feeling awkward. It begins with a one-handed man, Mr. Carmichael, as he deals with Toby and Merilyn. He claims that his hand had been cut off by hillbillies 37 years ago, and has been offering a cash reward to anyone who could locate it since. The couple bring what they claim is the hand, but Carmichael calls them out on their fraud, leading to an agonizing situation which I will not reveal here. And entering the mix is the hotel receptionist, Mervyn, who can't resist putting his foot in his mouth. Ken Webster and Aaron Alexander work great together as the disturbed villain and the desperate survivor. Many more things I could say but space does not allow, so, go see this one!! Collapse

    • Event Name: A Behanding In Spokane by Martin McDonagh
      "The Right Stuff"
      Review posted by: Stephen from Austin TX, Apr 30, 2011
      

      Playwright Martin McDonagh stories have a way of being entertaining no matter what the subject matter. The case in point is this play. At the core of the story is a mans pursuit of finding his lost... Expand

      Playwright Martin McDonagh stories have a way of being entertaining no matter what the subject matter. The case in point is this play. At the core of the story is a mans pursuit of finding his lost hand. I will leave it like that so its not so much a spoiler alert. The setting of this play is a hotel room that was very well crafted. One is immediately taken to the story with the grit and grime of the room. Director Ken Webster has the unique talent of being one of the few people I have seen be able to successfully direct and act in the same play and not appear to suffer at either end. His delivery, timing and character would make one compelled to hear his characters story. Michelle Keffer and Aaron Alexander are excellent as the trapped couple who had tried to do business with Webster's Carmichael role. They prove that if you deliver absurd lines with straight faced conviction you are golden. Mical Trejo completes the small cast as the hotel receptionist that is as twisted but a joy. Collapse

• Media
  Reviews

  • Media Reviews

    There are currently no media reviews for this event.