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dystheatre

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Last year, at the Cathedral of Junk, we put on American Buffalo, which -- in 1977 -- became David Mamet's third play ever to be produced. This year, we're starting with the very first play David Hare ever had produced, SLAG. See, we love writers named David. And Sam. And Linda. And we've got a whole season planned with writers such as these, so stay tuned!

 

This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

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    dystheatre

    
    Austin, TX

    Phone: 817-689-7906   |   Email   |   Official Website

  • Current Events

    There are no current events available for this organization at this time.

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• Past
  Events

  • Past Events

    03/01/13- 03/09/13	DYSFUNCTION: The Winter of Our DysContent Salvage Vanguard Theater
    05/26/11- 06/18/11	True West Blue Theatre
    03/03/11- 03/12/11	The Duck Variations: REDUCKS The Off Center
    12/03/10	Duck Variations Hyde Park Theatre
    10/12/10	The Dysfunction United States Art Authority
    07/10/10- 07/18/10	Slag by David Hare The City Theatre

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• Member
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  • Member Reviews

    • Event Name: True West
      "sibling rivalry turned up a notch"
      Review posted by: theaterlover from Austin, Jun 17, 2011
      

      Interesting what can happen if the rivalry turns into a competition and "the bar is lowered" - the roles are reversed. A very interesting supposition. A very good performance - highly recommended -... Expand

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      Interesting what can happen if the rivalry turns into a competition and "the bar is lowered" - the roles are reversed. A very interesting supposition. A very good performance - highly recommended - just try to avoid the first couple of rows - otherwise you might become part of the action ;-) Collapse

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    • Event Name: True West
      "Dystheatre's True West--dark and wonderful sibling rivalry"
      Review posted by: Casey H. from Austin, TX, May 30, 2011
      

      Set in an intimate, in-your-face space at the Blue Theater, the intricacies of a brotherhood is torn apart with grace and humor in True West. Michael Ferstenfeld and Alex Hilary electrify the stage... Expand

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      Set in an intimate, in-your-face space at the Blue Theater, the intricacies of a brotherhood is torn apart with grace and humor in True West. Michael Ferstenfeld and Alex Hilary electrify the stage as warring brothers Lee and Austin, and it's thrilling to see the tactics and oneupmanship these two actors employ to bring Sam Shepard's work to life. Don't be thrown by lack of blackout or on-stage costume changes during the scene changes; this breaking of the forth wall brings a great dimensional element to the show. My favorite thing about this production was the building tension created between the two actors--these characters are on a journey together to say so many things left unsaid and buried, and Ferstenfeld and Hilary hijack the audience into coming right along with them. Great show. Collapse

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    • Event Name: True West
      "Stings like a bee!"
      Review posted by: Liz Bruns from Austin, TX, May 30, 2011
      

      Mom's out of town and the brothers descend on home. It's round one. Ding, ding, ding. True West is the story of two brothers forever competing. What exactly they are ultimately competing for is... Expand

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      Mom's out of town and the brothers descend on home. It's round one. Ding, ding, ding. True West is the story of two brothers forever competing. What exactly they are ultimately competing for is unknown. Austin, who appears to be the more successful brother at first, is preparing to meet Saul, a movie producer. Lee has just wandered in from the desert. Through the play, the roles of the brothers clash and transform. Each scene of both acts is punctuated with a 3-ding bell like that of a boxing match. And it is a match, between the brothers. But in the end, who is the winner? I can't tell you. You'll have to see it yourself. I can tell you that when the play ended, breakfast for dinner sounded great, and that's what we did. Star Seeds! Collapse

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    • Event Name: True West
      "Thanks, Jesse Griffith!"
      Comment posted by: Jeff B from Austin, TX, May 29, 2011
      

      I'm a producer with Dystheatre, and I just wanted to thank you, Jesse, for a glowing review that mentions Jacob and Esau.

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      I'm a producer with Dystheatre, and I just wanted to thank you, Jesse, for a glowing review that mentions Jacob and Esau.

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    • Event Name: True West
      "Best West"
      Review posted by: Jesse Griffith from Austin, TX USA, May 29, 2011
      

      This production adds some punch to an American classic and reweaves the tale for us without distracting from Shepard's vision. The story of two brothers in a competition is as old as time, and many... Expand

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      This production adds some punch to an American classic and reweaves the tale for us without distracting from Shepard's vision. The story of two brothers in a competition is as old as time, and many liken True West to Cain and Abel. This is true to some degree but for me it's more like Jacob and Esau. We don't have murder here so much as trickery and deceit as well as sibling rivalry. The direction and acting are delivered in a 'take no prisoners' technique that makes this drama appeal to our shared senses of the great American dream: We can be anything we truly want to be, if we want it badly enough. Even if it means risking relationships? Gambling with our parents' affections and limits? Pushing ourselves beyond our own comfort zones? Find out at Dystheatre's production of True West. This one is not to be missed. Collapse

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    • Event Name: True West
      "A battle for sure"
      Review posted by: Stephen from Austin, TX, May 28, 2011
      

      If you ever want to see a play about fighting with yourself or with your sibling, True West is the play for you. Sam Shepard's play pursues the question of identity through the grit and emotion of the... Expand

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      If you ever want to see a play about fighting with yourself or with your sibling, True West is the play for you. Sam Shepard's play pursues the question of identity through the grit and emotion of the dysfunctional family unit. The setting always stays in the kitchen and the two lead actors Alexander Hilary and Michael Ferstenfeld are great at the high end marks of emotional outburst. The play for me is the stumbling block over anything that the actors did. It just ask the question of who am I, what is my place in society and does what others do override my own self worth? Those where the questions I thought of as these characters sort of stop at plays end and leave you to wonder the answers. I give praise to the massive collection of toasters and whoever is prop master after show has some of my applause. Donald Bayne as Saul and Ellen Massay as Mom do well enough for characters that are not able to showcase too much depth or range. The static and lights up between scenes surprised me. Collapse

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    • Event Name: True West
      "Action Packed!!!"
      Review posted by: Linda M. from Austin, TX, May 27, 2011
      

      ACTION PACKED!! DARKLY FUNNY!! That is what can be said about SAM SHEPARD’S TRUE WEST, which is being performed by the Dystheater group at the Blue Theatre on Springdale Thursday May 26, 2011... Expand

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      ACTION PACKED!! DARKLY FUNNY!! That is what can be said about SAM SHEPARD’S TRUE WEST, which is being performed by the Dystheater group at the Blue Theatre on Springdale Thursday May 26, 2011 through June 18, 2011 with an extra show on Sunday, June 5th. Come see this ACTION PACKED play, but, don’t get to close or you may become involved in the fight scene. Collapse

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    • Event Name: The Duck Variations: REDUCKS
      "Interesting concept and good acting go a long way"
      Review posted by: Stephen from Austin, TX, Mar 12, 2011
      

      In reviewing the play The Duck Variations: Reducks I was struck by the meshing of stories together that these combined theatre groups did. It was an ambitious project from the construction of a tree... Expand

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      In reviewing the play The Duck Variations: Reducks I was struck by the meshing of stories together that these combined theatre groups did. It was an ambitious project from the construction of a tree used in a variety of stories and the puppetry and human interaction that took place during the play. There is a good range of acting and some sense of a story flow where in the end you know what you have seen. I give props to this group for what they did. Some of the sound effects need to be adjusted ever so slightly to give a clearer affect to the audience. I was in the front row and found it a bit distorted at times. I hope these groups combine again and find a topic that has a even better flow and unity to it. Collapse

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    • Event Name: Slag by David Hare
      "Politics, Games, and the Ideology of Women?"
      Review posted by: Angela Garner - A*Team from Austin, TX, Jul 21, 2010
      

      When the play opens, the scene is immediately set: the characters are introduced and the time period is established. Joanne, Anne, and Elise are three women with separate, often conflicting,... Expand

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      When the play opens, the scene is immediately set: the characters are introduced and the time period is established. Joanne, Anne, and Elise are three women with separate, often conflicting, stereotypical personalities. Seemingly trapped together in a situation that proves simultaneously against their will and self-inflicted, this play had me slightly daydreaming about Beckett and it's almost "Endgame" tendencies of game play; mind games/torture, and exploration or realization of the self. Through interactions among these three women there is almost a reflection and commentary on the identity of what makes a woman beyond a sexualized image. Enforcing abstinence, however, seems only to intensify the expression of sexuality and self-awareness... but consequently, tying back to "Endgame," a cyclical routine which lacks more than just sex. Worth checking out if you are looking for a piece that will invoke deep thought and to be shaken by a performance that doesn't hold back! Collapse

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    • Event Name: Slag by David Hare
      "Well-acted but uneven play"
      Review posted by: Jay Y. from Austin, TX, Jul 14, 2010
      

      According to the insert for Slag in the Summer Acts playbill, David Hare had to write a one-act quickly for a theatre company. Unfortunately, the rushed nature of it shows. Basically, it's about 3... Expand

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      According to the insert for Slag in the Summer Acts playbill, David Hare had to write a one-act quickly for a theatre company. Unfortunately, the rushed nature of it shows. Basically, it's about 3 teachers at a private boarding school, Joanne, Anne, and Elise, who decide to abstain from sex as to affirm feminist ideals and protest a patriarchal culture. Joanne is the ring-leader, and Anne and Elise at first are on-board, but they quickly lose interest in Joane's feminist ideology. That's the main problem- it's not clear whether Anne and Elise just went along with Joane or if something changed their mind. It seemed a bit uneven. The acting is well-done though, and Slag should please fans of short, female-oriented drama. Collapse

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