The Mystery of the Coochi Snorcher and how you can support its cause

by Jenni Morin

The Vagina Monologues is and isn’t exactly what you think it is. Eve Ensler’s collection of monologues gives a voice to a woman’s most sacred and sexual body part. Through past shames and discoveries, each actress represents the myriad of ways women view their vaginas. Each vignette offers a sexual rebirth and empowerment, but they also share hurt and vulnerability.

For three nights only, Woodlawn Theatre is hosting V-Day 2013 with The Rape Crisis Center, The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative and Family Violence Prevention Services. At 7 p.m. at the Woodlawn on February 25, 26 and 27, The Vagina Monologues will be performed to help bring awareness to domestic and sexual violence. The performance on Tuesday, Feb. 26 will be entirely in Spanish. V-Day 2013 in San Antonio is part of an international global action to end violence against women and girls founded by award-winning playwright Eve Ensler.

A sexual assault occurs every two minutes in the U.S. according to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey. Rape is not a purely male on female crime with nine percept of rape victims being men. While it comes in many different forms, from domestic abuse to date rape, sexual assault carries with it a stigma for the victim. In 29 percent of rapes, neither the victim or perpetrator had been drinking with about 10 percent of rapes occurring in homes shared by the victim and perpetrator.

The Vagina Monologues is not just for women. There are plenty of laughs to be had at the expense of awkward, and sometimes very graphic, experiences. While the subject matter may seem private, it is the uninhibited humility with which it is presented that makes it approachable. Perhaps if our society wasn’t so afraid of sex and the physiology that drives it, there would be less an inclination to violently conquer it.

The performance is a short hour and a half and a small, but significant, way to show support for organizations like The Rape Crisis Center, The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative and Family Violence Prevention Services that provide counseling and support to victims while educating the community to promote awareness and prevention.


The Vagina Monologues continues on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Spanish and Wednesday, Feb. 27 in English at 7 p.m. at Woodlawn Theatre.
For more information about The Vagina Monologues at Woodlawn Theatre and to purchase tickets, visit woodlawntheatre.com or www.rapecrisis.com.

Playhouse presents Roads Courageous world premiere musical

by Jenni Morin

Dr. John R. Brinkley may not be a household name today, but less than a century ago this goateed “goat gland” doctor was an international superstar of controversial medicine and radio broadcasting. The Playhouse’s world premiere musical production of Roads Courageous chronicles the doctor’s rise to fame and his ultimate demise through a whirlwind circus of fraud and flamboyance.

Johnny Boy played by Karl Roach-Compton and Trey Hoadley.

As a “barefoot Appalachian boy” who grew up to be a doctor, Brinkley was the epitome of the Depression era American dream for the poor common man—a community which he exploited by promising a cure to nearly every ailment, but mostly impotence and virility. After witnessing the amazing stamina of goats at the Swift meatpacking company in Kansas where he worked as a house doctor, Brinkley wryly suggested to one of his first patients at his Milford, Kansas practice he started in 1917 to allow him to implant goat glands to help the man’s libido. After his patent’s wife gave birth to son, Brinkley’s popularity boomed, bringing him inordinate wealth.

The first act of Thomas Nyman (book and lyrics) and Kevin Parman’s (music and lyrics) Roads Courageous engulfs audiences in the chaotic carnival of Brinkley’s rise to fame. Narrated by Brinkley’s grown son Johnny Boy—portrayed by Trey Hoadley who gave a much-needed grounded performance as a sort of ringmaster—the production quickly focuses on the boy’s admiration of his father and the prolific family lies his parents ferociously protect to keep the good doctor on a pedestal. With a classic 1950s musical feel, the first act offers well-choreographed traditional dance numbers, complete with dancing goat boys, backed up by a nice melding of voices from the ensemble.

Roy Bumgarner as Dr. Brinkley puts on a show.

The bombastic performance of Roy Bumgarner as Dr. Brinkley is complimented by the elegant solos of Sherry Gibbs Houston as Minnie Brinkley. Numbers from Anna Gangai as Rose Dawn and Jason Mosher as Koran help to round out the production with a taste of unrequited yet convenient love reminiscent of Oklahoma. Chris Berry’s Roy Faulkner Lonesome Cowboy country interludes were welcome additions to the score even without the expected over the top twang. Adam Fellers' Wolfman Jack character provides a bridge from the doctor’s medical practice to radio prowess when he takes an interest in Brinkley’s Mexico border blaster radio transmitter.

The unveiling of the “million watt” transmitter is a spectacle, along with the overall set and costume design. Archival imagery and artifacts from the Del Rio Brinkley mansion are a reminder that this episode in quackery and charlatanism, as the medical board referred to Brinkley’s career when revoking his license, is a true story.

Brinkley’s fame and subsequent loss of his medical license—spearheaded by the American Medical Association representative Morris Fishbein, played by Byrd Bonner, who was hell-bent on exposing Brinkley’s medical frauds—prompted him to run for governor of Kansas as a write-in candidate in 1930. After receiving nearly 30 percent of the votes, he ran again in 1932 to no avail.

Sherry Gibbs Houston as Minnie Brinkley.

In the second act, the circus winds down and Brinkley’s fall from grace mirrors the modern musical but with a distinct melancholy evocative of Carousel. The doctor suffers multiple heart attacks and has his leg amputated, but even on his deathbed still plans to swindle the common folk as a preacher. A pivotal scene in the second act allows the grown Johnny Boy to confront his father about the truth wherein his father rebuts asking his son to believe. At the expense of protecting his lies, the doctor loses what he once most treasured, his son’s faith in him as a good man.

Roads Courageous tells the story of one of the most successful surgeons and radio personalities of the 20th century with a lasting impression of what happens when that success blinds its victims with a road paved with glimmering lies. These stories of how the mighty have fallen due to deception and greed are now an all too familiar occurrence—perhaps Brinkley can even be credited as the forefather of the modern American dream to get rich quick and stay on top by any means necessary. According to Brinkley, that’s just what happens when failed circus clowns go into politics. In the end, the story revolves around the worth of a son, an heir to fame and fortune but not the guile that got his father there, and his heartbreaking journey from the Big Top to an abandoned sideshow.


Roads Courageous plays through March 17 at the Russell Hill Rogers Theatre at The Playhouse with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.theplayhousesa.org.
Photos by Siggi Ragnar.

Sans Souci Festival of Dance and Cinema

By: Shannon Ivey 

Beginning tonight, a very unique 3-day festival is taking place at the Riverside Park at Pearl in San Antonio called, Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema. We recently caught up with Rick Frederick, Interim Managing Director of Attic Rep, to ask him a few question about the "Festival Without Concern."

What inspired this festival?

This is our third year of hosting Sans Souci in San Antonio. Susanna Morrow is a professor at TU who we have worked with on several projects.  She recognized our interest in cross discipline exploration and introduced Roberto to Ana Baer, one of the curators of Sans Souci. Mostly, the work is stunning and we wanted to be sure San Antonio audiences had the opportunity to see it. And for us, the festival fits into our mission of provoking dialogue, so it seemed a perfect fit. This particular conversation moves outside of social/political issues and is centered on form and bending our perceptions in order to discover new possibilities. Our practice is similarly based. We have been working with visual artists and film makers for years now. We do it because their approach to art making is different from theatre making. That difference challenges our thinking and opens us to new possibilities and forms. It also ensures that we never get stale as we are required to meet these artists in the middle. Sans Souci is a wonderful addition to our dialogue of what theatre can be.

What does the name Sans Souci mean and why did you choose it?

Sans Souci means "without concern" and was conceived in 2003 when Michelle Ellsworth and Brandi Mathis sat on the porch of a 1967 Marlette Mobile home in the Sans Souci Trailer Park in Boulder Colorado musing about the pleasures of viewing and creating dances for the screen. Quickly BMoCA and The University of Colorado as well as artists Ana Baer and Hamel Bloom added their support to transform mere musing into a Festival of Dance Cinema. What was first envisioned in '03 as an informal gathering of local dance video artists screening their works on a white wall in a trailer is now an international festival housed at BMoCA with submissions from all over the world.
 
I watched the sample reel (below) and it's stunning, how do you hope this work will inspire the SA community?

This partnership brings international short films to San Antonio, pairing local live video performance with work by artists from around the world, exposing our audiences to a variety of film, video, and performance possibilities. This year we wanted to be sure to reach a broader audience and also reach folks who might not come to a black box theatre on the second floor of a university building. So we are taking it outside to the Park at Pearl where we can enjoy a picnic, the river and dancing under the stars. And it's free.

New work, that is good, is always inspiring. Being exposed to new work excites us. And hopefully it will do the same for our audience. From the beginning of our relationship with Sans Souci, Roberto has felt it necessary and important to have an open call for San Antonio artists to be included in our version of the festival. San Antonio needs to know that the work that is made here is on par with the world.

SANS SOUCI FESTIVAL OF DANCE CINEMA

When:  February 22, 23, 24, 2013 

Time:  6:30PM 
Where:  Riverside Park at Pearl

Cost:  FREE!

**Bring a Picnic!**

Strike, Dance, Rise!

Vagina Monologues Performances

Monday, February 25th, 2013 - Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

VDay 2013 in San Antonio will present a three-night only benefit reading of Eve Ensler's award-wining play The Vagina Monologues at The Woodlawn Theatre. The three-day performance, comprised of local community actresses, will benefit The Rape Crisis Center, Family Violence Prevention Services (The Battered Women's Shelter), and the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative.

The Vagina Monologues, which was first performed off-Broadway by Ms. Ensler, dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women's experiences.

The performance Tuesday, February 26th will be presented entirely in Spanish.

Location:	The Woodlawn Theater 1920 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio 78201
Time:	7:00 pm
Ticket Cost:	$15 Each -or- $25 for 2
Get Your Tickets:	Advance Tickets here at Eventbrite OR Pick yours up at the door of the event

The Magik is in the HEART, not the HAIR

Renaissance Guild sets shining example with A Raisin in the Sun

by Jenni Morin

The Renaissance Guild embodies the exact kind of theatre San Antonio should strive to produce. Their current production of A Raisin in the Sun brought together a community in the same way play's Younger family bands together to stand up to a world unwilling to accept them. After 12 years in San Antonio, The Renaissance Guild has remained true to its mission and delivers some of the most genuine authentic theatre that reaches past the stage to connect with audiences’ social consciences on a personal level.

The plot follows Walter Lee Younger as he tries to convince his family to invest the insurance money from his father’s death in a business that will finally raise them out of oppressive poverty. After alienating his wife over his obsession with wealth, he betrays his family’s trust and loses the money. He eventually regains his manhood by making a stand for his family and his race.

The play, and this particular production, reaches past the struggles of a black working class family living in Chicago in the early 1950s. Themes of greed coupled with the desperation it brings, as well as pride in culture and fierce loyalty to family, challenge audiences to dig deep to find what drives them. Momma, ardently played by Michelle Burnett, reminds us that with culture comes family and one cannot exist without the other—we must embrace both to find pride, tolerance and even love. In a city so enveloped in culture as San Antonio, A Raisin in the Sun evokes empowerment in that culture as well as fulfillment for preserving it.

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun boasts accolades notable in the civil rights battles for both African-Americans and women with the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway and the youngest American playwright and fifth woman to receive the Critics Circle Award for Best Play. Hansberry’s play is written about her family’s experience fighting for their right to move into a Chicago neighborhood they were barred from as African-Americans.

The production quality goes beyond great dramatic scenes from Mark Anthony Hall as Walter, Tori Foutz as Ruth, Michelle Burnett as Momma, Dan Walker III as Joseph Asagai and more, as well as effective comedic relief from Mrs. Johnson played by Danielle King. The set is wonderfully designed with great angles echoing the tension in the home and dressed with era-appropriate furnishings, all of which was complimented by spot-on costuming. A great soundtrack with atmospheric incidentals and unintrusive subtle lighting even made some long scene changes bearable.

The Renaissance Guild’s production of A Raisin in the Sun delivers all the spice and sass expected from a well-crafted script delivered by a talented ensemble of performers. With its plethora of important everyday themes, A Raisin in the Sun has the potential to lose the potency of its social significance, but in the capable hands of this company, each moment of struggle and success can be shared and carried long after the final curtain.


A Raisin in the Sun plays through Feb. 24 at the Carver Community Cultural Center Jo Long Theatre with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.therenaissanceguild.org.

Speak up. Reach out.

By: Gypsy Pantoja

A couple of weeks ago in Seguin, the cold crisp air held the spirit of hope and love; it held the spirit of Matthew Shepard. 

Outside, the Texas Lutheran University campus was peacefully quiet.

Inside, Jackson Auditorium was abuzz with energy as living spirits arrived to attend a very special event.

Judy Shepard, mother, wife, educator, advocate and ally was invited by the Brown Endowment to speak about her son Matthew, the impact of his death, and her reluctant yet eventual role as champion for gay and civil rights.  She was inspiring, funny, direct and emotional as she laid bare her heart before a full house.

Carlos Pantoja

Her presence was at once passionate and powerful.  As she shared the victim’s impact statement she read at the sentencing of the young men who had pleaded guilty to murdering her son. She recalled the moment Matthew died, she thought; Matthew is no longer in pain. I recalled having the same thought when my brother Carlos passed away in 1996 from complications due to HIV-AIDS.

Their deaths, although distinct, share a common thread.  Matthew and Carlos were gay. Their lives were difficult, hiding their sexuality and living a lie, as Mrs. Shepard reiterated throughout her speech. Not so much living a lie, I thought, as much as living in fear, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of persecution, and the ever-present disregard for their basic humanity.  Judy Shepard touched upon these fears; and like my own mother, revealed that she always knew her son was gay. It is a “mom thing…” she said. At 18, Matthew admitted he was gay, and she asked, “What took you so long to tell me?” Then the composed mother revealed her heartache; an unrelenting question loomed, “Didn’t he trust us enough to tell us?” I suspect he did, but I also suspect the answer was… Fear. Rejection. Abandonment. Persecution. The outright disregard for his basic humanity.  Having witnessed others rejected, abandoned and persecuted by a vicious and raging society and still others by their own families and friends, why would gay men and women feel safe to acknowledge their sexuality? Would you?

I speak from an outsider’s point of view; I am straight. But I can only imagine the courage it takes to acknowledge your sexuality and then the courage to live with the outcome whether good or bad.

Like Judy Shepard, the looming question in my mind; how do we, advocates and allies, embolden the LGBT community to trust us enough to safely acknowledge their sexuality without the fear of rejection, abandonment and persecution? Perhaps our own fears prevent us from having the courage to speak up and reach out to the LGBT community; to reassure them they are safe to reach out to us and can trust us to speak up for them when no one else will.

Gay and civil rights are human rights. Speak up. Reach out.

   …and then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”

                           -Pastor Martin Niemöller

Childhood Cancer Awareness Night at Magik Theatre

By:  Jenni Morin

Reid Smith

Each year, 13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. One out of every five children diagnosed will die, making pediatric cancer the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children ages one to 14. Cancer kills more children than AIDs, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and congenital anomalies combined.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m., Theatre for Change will team up with the San Antonio Rampage and Magik Theatre to provide a night of fun and support for families and children from Little Fighter Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing emotional and financial support to families with children affected by cancer. This childhood cancer awareness night will give Rampage hockey players and their cancer buddies an opportunity to escape from the world of cancer treatments into the world of theatre while seeing the Magik Theatre's production of Rapunzel. Doors will open a 5 p.m. and there will be a small reception following the performance

As part of the the Rampage's Face Off Against Kids Cancer program, children suffering from cancer will have the opportunity to meet Rampage hockey players and cast members from Rapunzel. The Face Off Against Kids Cancer program pairs Rampage hockey players with children devastated by cancer from the Centers for Oncology and Blood Disorders at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. The program aims to help players forge lasting relationships with their respective buddies over the course of the season.

Little Fighter Foundation strives to create public awareness of childhood cancer and advocates finding a cure. With the incidence of invasive pediatric cancers up to 29% in the past 20 years and only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget used for pediatric funding in 2009, this cause is in dire need of support. Half of all chemotherapies used for children's cancers are 25 years old, possibly resulting in physical and neurocognitive disabilities from treatment and preventing childhood cancer survivors from fully participating in school, social acitivities and eventually work.

Taking on the theme "Magik is in the HEART, not the HAIR," Magik Theatre's production helps support the theatre's mission to nurture love and understanding of theatre and literature by providing extraordinary, affordable, and professional theatre and education experiences for children.

To purchase tickets and show your support for Little Fighter Foundation and childhood cancer awareness night, visit www.magiktheatre.org.

Glengarry Glen Ross still in the game

by Jenni Morin

In a society where knowing incriminates and decades-old lies haunt executives and celebrities, David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross remains relevant. The Vexler Theatre’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross, now showing through March 3, is a refreshing well-staged reminder of the issues that plague the American working class.

Although the themes of the play are still current, without director Dylan Brainard’s choice to cast women in this male-dominated show, The Vex’s production would have just been another play. Changing up the gender of the actors used may not have changed the gender tendencies of the characters, but certainly made it more poignant, adding another layer to the already theme-laden script. Belinda Harolds as Moss held her own amongst the men, as did Martha Prentiss as Baylen, the cop. If Harolds did nothing in her portrayal of Moss, she proved that women can handle a man’s role and she did it with the swagger of masculine bravado. She practiced manipulation devoid of the expected feminine wiles. Only showing her feminine side once when giving into emotional desperation was an important choice that assured audiences she hadn’t completely lost touch with her femininity.

The juxtaposition of females and males working together brings up the recent news about pay equality in the workplace. Even so, the script guards Harolds’ Moss from the tongue-lashing her male counterparts received, which very aptly represents the difference in how male co-workers treat each other versus the women in the workplace. The cop didn’t receive such courtesy, but there was an added dynamic in how Roger Alvarez as Roma disregarded her authority—with an unyielding self-confidence and entitlement Alvarez mastered in the role. In any case, the emasculating insults of “girly” and “princess” flung at Moss were not nearly as potent as they would have been if the traditional male casting had been used.

The production offered refreshingly good acting, which was effectively staged in the round. As the less aggressive characters, Travis Simpson as Aaranow and Michael Benson as Lingk were appropriately befuddled and anxious. Matthew Byron Cassi as Williamson wielded his power comfortably. As Levene, Jim Mammarella rode the rollercoaster of desperation and arrogance convincingly.

Roger Alvarez and Matthew Byron Cassi

While the salesmen hurl four-letter words and issue low blows, Glengarry Glen Ross continues to illuminate why the American workforce is so fraught with problems. There’s gender bias, aggressive competition, breadwinner insecurities, ageism, nepotism, abuse of power and disregard for authority, truth and what’s best for the customer. Now in the age of instant gratification and condemnation thanks to social media, businesses are finally shifting to a consumer-centered customer service model. And although capitalism is still very much alive, the dog-eat-dog nature of commissioned sales is not necessarily the driving force of our economy—or at least not in the close or die mentality displayed in the play. Jobs are now focused on entrepreneurship, creativity and thankfully technology—most of which didn’t exist back in the ’80s when Mamet penned the Pulitzer Prize winning drama.


Glengarry Glen Ross runs through March 3 at The Vexler Theatre with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. on Sundays and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 24. For more information, visit www.vexler.org.

Woodlawn Theatre 'Shakes The World'

By:  Shannon Ivey

Theatre For Change proudly supports the Woodlawn Theatre, and their current production of Chapter Two by Neil Simon, as they have partnered with Bexar County Family Justice Center (BCFJC) to promote the mission of "assisting victims of domestic violence in their journey from survivor to thriver".  

A portion of all Chapter 2 ticket sales will benefit the BCFJC.

BCFJC's Mission states that they "provide services and resources necessary to assist victims of domestic violence and their families  in one centralized location.  Some of their key areas of focus include:

• Greater access to legal and social services.
• Effective apprehension and prosecution of domestic violence cases.
• Increased reporting of undocumented domestic violence.
• Empowerment and education of victims of domestic violence leading to the termination of abusive. relationships, thus breaking the cycle of domestic violence – one family at a time. 

Mahatma Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world” and clearly the Woodlawn's Chapter 2 is doing just that.

Chapter 2, according to Sheridan Morley, "Was in some ways the turning-point for Simon, the moment when he started to use his own life as something more than an excuse for a gag-fest. It was written as a tribute to Marsha Mason, his second wife and her tolerance with his long-lasting grief over the death of his first wife...There is something very painful here, in among the gags, about a man trying to come to terms with death rather than a new life." 

 Featuring some of San Antonio’s most notable figures, including Honorable Philip Kazen, Chief Assistant Criminal District Attorney Catherine Babbitt, Assistant District Attorney Catherine Hayes, and Woodlawn Theatre’s Artistic Director Greg Hinojosa, the story involves George Schneider (Philip Kazen), a recently widowed writer who is introduced to soap opera actress Jennie Malone (Catherine Babbitt) by his press agent brother Leo (Greg Hinojosa) and her best friend Faye (Catherine Hayes).

‘Chapter 2’ will run February 8 – 24, with performances Friday & Saturday evenings at 8pm, and Sunday matinees at 2:30pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.WoodlawnTheatre.com, or by calling their box office at 210-267-8388.

Zach Theatre's 33 VARIATIONS is a Masterpiece

By Jeff Davis

While I enjoy theatre, I'm not the kind of theatergoer who often has a cathartic reaction or bursts into tears when seeing a play. I could probably count the times I've been moved to tears. Such a momentous occasion happens maybe once a decade. After seeing 33 Variations, I'm guessing I'm safe for another 10 years. If this brilliant drama doesn't move you or elicit some deep emotional response, nothing will.

The play by Moisés Kaufman is a beautiful and well-crafted piece of work. Kaufman gives us three stories. The first is the story of the elderly and now hearing impaired Ludwig van Beethoven's obsession with creating variations on a mediocre melody written by music publisher Anton Diabelli. The second is the present day story of Katherine Brandt, a musicologist who tries to unravel the mystery of Beethoven's obsession with Diabelli's inferior tune as she grapples with the progression of her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. The final plotline involves a budding romance between Katherine's daughter, Clara, and her nurse, Mike. Kaufman weaves all three plotlines together, creating a symphony that grows and crescendos by the end of the evening. His play is, in essence, a variation on variations.

Despite the weighty subject matter of ALS, Kaufman doesn't ever fall into any of the traps that often plague dramas about death and disease. You never feel sorry for Katherine. You never pity her. Sure, you feel sad for the rotten hand life's given her, but you applaud her strength, stubbornness, and tenacity. The same could be said of Kaufman's treatment of Beethoven's loss of hearing. He never lets the play become a play about disability. Instead, it is a play about how our ability is challenged and how we rise to the occasion. Not only does Kaufman handle the material with elegance and grace, but he also includes many strong doses of humor, often of the darker variety. One scene in which Katherine's family and friends consider buying her a male prostitute before it's too late for her to enjoy it elicited plenty of belly laughs from the audience.
Director Dave Steakley's handling of the material mirrors that of Kaufman. Nothing is overwrought, sentimental, or heavy handed. This is a refreshingly real look at a disease not many of us know about and even fewer of us talk about, and Steakley pulls out just the right amounts of both comedy and drama to create an entirely balanced show. His design team is equally as sublime. Cliff Simon's scenic design creates the world of both Beethoven and Katherine by mixing images of musical notes and an archival library. Michelle Habeck bathes the stage in deep blue lighting, and the costumes by Alison Heryer, particularly the period costumes worn by Beethoven and his associates, are beautiful.

Still, 33 Variations is a play that depends more on strong performances than anything else, and this production is brilliantly cast. The choice to utilize famed Austin-based pianist Anton Nel to provide live musical accompaniment is a fantastic one, and hearing him play is a treat in itself. As Beethoven, Peter Reznikoff brings a certain amount of humanity and humor to a composer that I always assumed was cold and calloused (anyone who wrote those first four cords of Beethoven's 5^th Symphony couldn't be a happy-go-lucky kind of guy). Brian Coughlin adds to the humor by playing Anton Diabelli as a self-important snob, and Greg Baglia plays Beethoven's servant, Anton Schindler as a somewhat neurotic lapdog. In the second plotline, Barbara Chisholm is a standout as Dr. Gertrude Ladenburger, the stoic and cold librarian at the Bonn archives who eventually becomes Katherine's best friend. Christin Sawyer Davis is fascinating as Clara, Katherine's daughter who wishes to repair the strained relationship between them, and Lincoln Thompson is adorable as Katherine's charming but quirky nurse.

But the real star of the show is Beth Broderick as Katherine. Stepping into a role created on Broadway by Jane Fonda is not an easy feat, but Broderick is absolutely perfect. She performs with such grace and dignity, and every moment is carefully crafted. The way she portrays the progression of ALS is eerily accurate and altogether remarkable, and she easily uncovers her character's strengths and courage as well as her occasional moments of crippling fear.
With its fantastic script, brilliant direction, and flawless performances 33 Variations is an incredible piece of theater the likes of which are rare. This is one orchestra that hits all the right notes.

Before I end this review, I have to mention my good friend Megan Mishork whose life was claimed by ALS on July 17, 2011 at the age of 27. She was one of the funniest and most courageous women I know, and I feel that 33 Variations is a fitting tribute to Megan and all other people who have perished from ALS. This disease may limit their movement and rob them of their voice, but they are still heard nonetheless.

Due to language and nudity, 33 VARIATIONS is recommended for mature audiences only. Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including one 20 minute intermission.
33 VARIATIONS plays The Topfer Theatre at 202 S. Lamar, Austin, TX now thru February 17^th. Performances are Wednesdays thru Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $25-$65. For tickets and information, visit www.zachtheatre.org.

PHOTO: Anton Nel and Beth Broderick in 33 Variations. Photo by Kirk R. Tuck.



Posted Originally Here:  http://austin.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-Zach-Theatres-33-VARIATIONS-is-a-Masterpiece-20130203

"Judy Shepard at TLU" By: Molly Cox

So, I’m a gay.

Judy Shepard

I share that in solidarity with Judy Shepard who spoke on January 30 at Texas Lutheran University (TLU) in Seguin, TX. Well, I call it “speaking,” she called it “one of these.” “These” refer to talks she’s given all over the country since her first in January 2000, following her son’s murder and subsequent trials of his killers.

During the near 2-hour evening, she said over and over again, “We must tell our stories. Educate, educate, educate. We’re afraid to come out, but things aren’t gonna change unless we share our stories.”

OK…so a story:

In October of 1998, Matthew Shepard, Judy’s son, met up with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson – two people he had recently met and befriended in Laramie, Wyoming. They offered him a ride home, but instead drove to a remote area, tortured him, and tied him to a fence, leaving him to die. Matthew was discovered 18-hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who mistook him for a scarecrow. He never recovered consciousness and died on October 12, 1998 at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. During the trial, where the two men were each sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, it became apparent that Matthew was targeted and murdered for being gay. Read more here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

Judy Shepard is “just a mom,” (her words not mine). It’s actually kind of my favorite thing about her. This isn’t a public speaking guru who was already in the spotlight; this is a woman who experienced incredible tragedy and uses her grief to create change.

And create change she has.

·         She and her husband are co-founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which delivers diverse speakers to universities and schools, provides resources to educators to help make schools safe for all, and offers an online community to support teens and young adults.

·         She was a vocal advocate and helped push for TheMatthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which makes it a federal crime when a victim is targeted based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

·         She speaks her story. And, according to Judy, it’s the only way to help make change happen.

On January 30, she told her story, starting with the Victim Impact Statement she shared during the trials of her son’s killers.

She shifted to a discussion about the current state of our country – “In 29 of our 50 states you can be fired for being gay. We are legally discriminating against fellow Americans. There are 1,000 parts of the federal tax code that are unavailable to gay couples.” Her disbelief was palpable. “Why do you care (if gay people get married)?”

She took questions from the audience.

She finished with the story of the two wolves.

“You are who you are; you love who you love.” She said it simply. A couple of times. It resonated.

I end with this: theatre is special to me because of the shared experience of the audience. We experience something together.  In this instance, we experienced Judy’s story, and that certainly helps feed the good wolf – the hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.


Below is a 10 minute video detailing Matthew Shepard's story, may he rest in peace:

The Underground Super Bowl Commercial

In a small, unassuming editing bay at Texas Lutheran University, a group of Dramatic Media students were inspired by an assignment in their Social Drama class after working with hopeforthesextrafficked.org. After learning about the gruesome sex trafficking problem surrounding the Super Bowl, they decided to create an "Underground Super Bowl Commercial" for a theatre, film and new media coalition called, Theatre For Change.  I realize that this is not a million dollar production, yet somehow. . .it's better.

Seek Truth.  Create Story.  Change The World.

There is hope for our future yet!