I remember first seeing the Flaming Idiots, made of Pyro, Gyro, and Walter, at the Texas Renaissance Festival back in 1993, and haven't seen them since. I don't remember much about the event, but their act always stood out very clearly. I was glad to hear that they were on a re-union tour, and was not disappointed in the show. They did some of the routines I remember well, such as Pyro climbing on top of a large man from the audience, standing on his shoulders, and juggling torches, and Walter walking in the middle of Pyro and Gyro juggling Bowling Pins. I'm always amazed when I watch physical talents performed with ease- it shows that our world is not quite how we perceive it, which I find very entertaining. Catch the Flaming Idiots while you can! Collapse

This was a great production of a Shepard classic! Every role was pitch perfect and watching these chilling performances is worth the price of admission alone. Wray Crawford and Keylee Paige Koop were especially effective, but the rest of the cast was brilliant as well. Collapse

Titillating and Tantalizing come to mind when describing the wonderfully curated new show at The Blanton! Desire is just that. Prepare to push any old-fashioned or conservative boundaries aside! Favorite pieces to make sure to check out include Robert Kushner's "Scriptorium, Georganne Deen's "The Inner Cry" and Petah Coyne's "Untitled #1103. Also, The Blanton has added some pieces from their collection that represent Desire including Paul Cezanne's "Les Baigneurs"! Collapse

Now this is only $3 to see 3 troupes on Thursdays. the first acts are newer and can be wild and the headliner is always solid. I have a blast every time I go! Collapse

Thom is a wonderful host and the venue brings established poets as well as giving a voice to new poets. A very warm, friendly environment. Collapse

The play involves two people: Thelma, an elderly woman, & Jessie, her middle-aged daughter. For many years they’ve lived together in an isolated home on a rural road. Shortly into the play Jesse, who is the primary caregiver & a person w/epilepsy, announces that she intends to commit suicide soon after making sure “Mama” can take care of herself & gets a manicure. At first Thelma doesn’t take her seriously suggesting some prior history. But this time Jesse is serious; & w/this realization their nightly routine evolves into a fierce battle of wits. The dialogue is rich, conversationally mixing thrust & parry w/the falsely mundane, & at times, the humorous. This provides insightful character development throughout the 90 minute play as we watch, w/often teary eyes, mask upon mask, removed from each woman until its climatic end. Summer Bryant & Rae Petersen have an authentic relationship. I liked how they artfully changed their attacks effectively moving their audience through the scenes. Collapse

It's your thang, if you've had a long week at work (or not) and you just want to let your hair down and laugh. It's your thang, if you and your buds have a six pack, five bucks and three hours to just hang. It's your thang, if you love improv, and you're hungry to see a variety of techniques in the hands of a variety of talents from all over the country. Something will surprise you, and something will amuse you at some point during the night. It's not your thang if you are into theat(uh) with a plot line that makes sense, a full concessions stand, a quiet theater, and a comfortable seat. It's grunge theater--kinda cool if you're in the mood. Sung to the R&B;tune: "It's an Austin Thang...do what you wanna do.." Collapse

Misalliance: talky GBShaw at Austin Playhouse revels in quibbles and mocks sexual convention. Set women free! http://tinyurl.com/yaf6jhd Collapse

Emily Ann Wimberley's Elephant Man, new studio locale - impressive venture, esp Patrick Byers & Carl Galante. http://tinyurl.com/y8vsmuh Collapse

The Hideout Theatre's long-running Maestro improvisation show was taken to new heights when Keith Johnsone, founder of the Maestro format and a world-renowed teacher, came to town. The cast was chosen from a list of top inprovisers attending Johnstone's intensive workshop, so the stakes were raised high for the sold-out show at the Long Center. The talent did not disappoint, providing the audience with solid performances in every improv game and scene suggestion Johnstone threw at them. Highlights included a cutthroat lightning round, an American-Australian culture trade-off, a Hitchcock-esque chase scene, experiments with audience participation, and a melodramatic Shakespearean monologue by eventual winner Curtis Luciani. While some audience members commented that some suggestions given to the performers seemed overly simplistic, it may have been a challenge to see just how creative and quick-thinking the improv cream-of-the-crop could be. In this case, the cream rose to the top. Collapse