Rude Mechs Time at Arts Emerson and Wexner Center for the Arts

Again with the brief as possible recap. First - we had an excellent time. Second - the audiences had an excellent time. Third - the Boston critics think we are kinda silly and aren't really risking enough what with the industrial lights swinging at our heads. But that's cool - Time Out Chicago dug it, and probably someone in Columbus did - but we can't find any writing on the show.

This time we wholesale failed to take any pictures except these - which just kinda prove we actually went, and that Tiger made an appearance as well:

The Method Gun presented by Arts Emerson in Boston

Tiger monkeying with the light board, which explains so much!

Ohio State University - we were there!!

Ultimately good times were had by all. Some of us came away literally bruised and battered, but it was from the bars, not the theaters. We should send a round apology to that last bar we were in on Sunday night in Columbus, and probably the doorman at the hotel, and definitely to the very sweet volunteer drivers at the Wexner for grossing them out every single day. Sorry! We had a blast!

Here's some of the press and what some of the critics thought:

Favorite review of the Boston run was from Time Out Chicago.

We got a "slap/tickle" but overall kinda good kinda bad review in the Boston Herald, but we have to pay to get it, and that's too hard. And then anyone else in Boston that wrote about it (see Critics Circle and some blogger) totally copied the Herald review.

We were interviewed by The New York Times for the run we will do at Dance Theatre Workshop in March. Looking forward to that article because she was very cool.

Favorite review title: "The Rude Mechs Have a Nutty Method" by Ed Siegel of The Boston Phoenix. As you can guess, while he says it's "not to be dismissed", he didn't really dig it. He wrote this about the ending pendulum sequence: "The actors leave you with the sense that you're watching a riddle wrapped inside an enigma. Can the payoff be profound if there is no payoff? Can excellence be rewarding if no one (you included) sees the endeavor as anything but silly?" He also called us Austinians.

Shawn and Lana did a radio interview for Blast Magazine, and a 2-minute TV interview for Good Morning Emerson, which features the "Rude Mechanics" at around minute 18.5, shows (without crediting) a video montage of the show, and lasts for 2 minutes, but it's kinda worth taking in the whole episode. For reelz.

Okay - that's it. We'd like to thank Rob Orchard for opening his new space with The Method Gun, and Weston - thank you! And Chuck Helm, Andy, Scott, Sonia and all those driving volunteers - very fun week. We'd also like to thank the woman that owns Surly Girl, Betty's, Dirty Franks - awesome food. And Jeni's ice cream - well, Amy should worry if Jeni ever moves to Austin.

We're working on CL1000P (working title) for the month, then taking I've Never Been So Happy up to Arena Stage in DC in January for a full-length concert reading/staging. Then The Method Gun Yale and DTW are next in Feb/March! Bizzy good times.