Stop Hitting Yourself Austin American-Statesman Review - 2 weeks left!

a work-in-progress showing created by Rude Mechs and part of Fusebox Festival's Machine Shop series

The Austin American-Statesman Review is in!

"But what makes this show exceptional is the way it brings together a medley of styles, ideas, and theater magic to both delight and deliberately unsettle its audiences." - Cate Blouke
read the full review here

Now thru April 21st - only 8 performances left and tix are moving fast!

WHEN:
Now - April 21, 2012
Thursday – Sunday at 8:00 pm.

WHERE:

The Off Center

2211 A Hidalgo, Austin, TX 78702

TICKETS:

All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can on a sliding scale

Thursdays & Sundays are $5 to $25

Fridays & Saturdays are $12 - $25.

Tickets for the final weekend (4/18 - 4/21) will also be available via Fusebox Festival. 

Passholders must make their reservations through Fusebox Festival.

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There's still time to sign up for the Grrl Action Summer Workshop!

Grrl Action Summer 2013 Info and Application

When: July 1 - July 21, 2013
Where: The Off Shoot (2211-A Hidalgo St., Austin, TX 78702)
Grrl Action is a three-week intensive workshop for teenaged girls, run by Rude Mechs, in which girls envision, create, publish, and perform original works for the stage based on their own life experiences. The three-week intensive culminates in two performances that are free to the public. Don't miss them!
The day-camp runs July 1st through July 21st, 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on weekday mornings (except for July 4th). Public performance of the participant work will be on July 20th and 21st.
Apply to Grrl Action: If you know a girl between the ages of 13 and 16 with a desire to express herself through autobiographical writing and performance, send her to the online information packet and application, or email grrlaction@rudemechs.com.

Support Grrl Action: Grrl Action is reliant on donations from the community and local foundation grants. We hope you will contribute to sustain this invaluable program. We are thrilled to announce Friends of Grrl, a group dedicated to supporting the activities of this very special program. If you would like to know more about this group, or to attend their first annual fundraiser, please contact our Development Director, Erin Harrell at harrell@rudemechs.com.

Rude News: UT Residency, D69 in NYC, E.A.S.T. and more!

IN BRIEF:

• Rude Mechs is named Resident Theatre Company by the University of Texas Dept. of Theater and Dance.
  
  
• Board Member Michael Yates offers great way to support Rude Mechs and the visual arts scene at E.A.S.T.!
  
  
• Dionysus in 69 tours to New York Live Arts, November 6 - 10th.
  
  
• Rude Mechs adds Scenic Shop to Austin's Scenic Coop, supporting Austin's arts scene.

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Rude Mechs Selected as Resident Theatre Company Rude Mechs is thrilled to begin a three-year residency at The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance as their Resident Theatre Company. We look forward, through this partnership, to enhancing educational resources for Theatre and Dance students by providing opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students to interact with a professional theatre company and receive training in the areas of creation, production, and administration, with a focus on devised ensemble creation. Rude Mechs has a long and strong history of engaging with students throughout the City of Austin, and around the country, and are eager to further strengthen our ties with the University and its talented student body.

Support Rude Mechs and the Visual Arts - go E.A.S.T.

We know you've already got the Eastside Artist Studio Tour (EAST) on your calendar for November 10,11, 17 & 18. As you gallery hop on Tillery St, be sure to stop at Michael Yates Design (Stop #134 at 618 Tillery St). Once you've fallen in love with his refined tables, chairs, and cabinets, ask him to design your perfect new bedroom set or living room chair. Michael joined the Board of Directors this year and when you mention Rude Mechs as you commission a new piece, he'll generously donate a portion of that commission in support of the current season.

"EAST is the only opportunity that most people have to see the working studios of artists. Of course it's a great time to see fresh work too, but there's something more interesting and quite personal about seeing the process and space where the artist works on a day to day (and night to night) basis. And every year I find something right around the corner from my spot that I was totally unaware of before, it's so dense over here with artists that you can literally cruise around the East Side and just accidentally bump into something exceptional." – Michael Yates

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New York Friends - Come Visit Us!

Dionysus in 69 tours to New York Live Arts

Please join us at our re-creation of Richard Schechner and The Performance Group's Dionysus in 69 presented by New York Live Arts as part of their Replay Series.

Nov 6 at 7:30PM Preview
Nov 7 - 10 at 7:30PM, Nov 9 at 10:30PM
Nov 8 at 6:30 Come Early Conversation: The (Re)performance of Discussing “Dionysus in 69”. Moderated by original conceiver /director Richard Schechner and production directors Shawn Sides and Madge Darlington.
Nov 9 Stay Late Discussion*

Directed by Richard Schechner and created collectively by The Performance Group (TPG), Dionysus in 69 is widely regarded as one of the germinal works of American experimental performance. Influenced by the work of Jerzy Grotowski, Happenings, the Freedom Movement, and a "birth ritual" from West Irian (part of the island of New Guinea), Schechner and TPG radically interpreted The Bacchae as both a celebration of ecstasy and a critique of false prophets.

In December 2009, Rude Mechs remounted this legendary work, offering Austin theatre-goers an extraordinary opportunity to relive history. Rude Mechs faithfully recreated the original Performance Group production, using Brian de Palma's filmed version of the play as well as the 1970 book, Dionysus in 69, as source materials.

Dionysus in 69 was the first production in Rude Mechs' Contemporary Classics series, focused on producing exact re-enactments of significant, experimental performances from the 60's, 70's, and 80's that radically influenced the work of contemporary performance artists, dancers, and theatre makers. Because all performances are ephemeral, and avant-garde performances even more so, most people never experience these germinal works. Rude Mechs remounts these productions as closely as possible to the originals to share these works with our Austin audience, to educate ourselves, and to celebrate 40 years of experimental (and "environmental") theatre, by experiencing and learning about Dionysus in 69 in the deepest way - through its performance.

"'Dionysus in 69' is strong stuff, but anyone who wants to know where the modern theatre is going will have to see it." ---The New York Times, June 7, 1968

"Cunning. Joyful. Transcendent. Theatre at its absolute best." Austin Chronicle, 2009

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Rude Mechs adds Scene Shop to our Scenic Coop

As you may already know, Rude Mechs has been managing a Scenic Coop at The Off Center since 2008, a sort of lending library furnishing the entire performance community access to free materials for their scenic needs. It was the brainchild / Master's Thesis of Co-Artistic Director, Thomas Graves. A few years ago, Salvage Vanguard got a TCG grant to support the Coop, which is also being managed at their venue.

And now, we are thrilled to announce the addition of a fully operational Scenic Shop to the Coop, run by the fabulous Scott Guthrie. This Scene Shop will be available for low rent to the Austin theater community, whom we love.

Special Thanks to Pearl Dive Supporters!

 

We are thrilled to report that Pearl Dive at The Plant was a major success and we reached our fundraising and fun goals! The Board and Company extends our collective love and thanks to everyone that showed up and to everyone that donated hard-earned cash to make that happen!

We want to take a moment and express how deeply grateful we are to all of the amazing people that took personal time out of their lives to make this event a success and to support Rude Mechs.

We hope you will be sure to patronize their businesses and help us support the businesses and people that support the arts.

The Setting:  The Plant at Kyle 

Starring:

Roberto San Miguel of San Miguel Seafood 

The Main Course Ensemble:
Paul Hargrove and Alex Jackson of East Side Showroom 
Jason Dodge of Péché 
Patrick Hieger of Gastrogiant 
Jason Stude of 2nd Bar + Kitchen
Travis Mills, expert shucker

The Dessert Ensemble:
Sugar Circus 
Texas French Bread
Leilah Stewart

As Perfect Pairings:
Abita Brewing 
Tipsy Texan 
Paula’s Texas Spirits, 
Casa Brasil

As Deejay: 
Graham Reynolds

Behind the Scenes:
Ben Huselton of Paggi House
Sonya Cote, Hillside Farmacy

Counter Culture

Lonny Stern 

And a special love thank you to the volunteers:

Bill Anderson, Eva Claycomb, Emily Conyngham, Scott Guthrie, Matt Hislope, Jessica Hughes, Hannah Kenah, Ellie McBride, Amy Miley, Robert Pierson, Patrick Rech, Aron Taylor, Tammy Whitehead, Steve Wilson

Event Sponsors

Don't Miss Rude Mechs' Pearl Dive at The Plant!

It's this Sunday!

There is still plenty of time to get your tickets to the Pearl Dive at the Plant to support Rude Mechs and everything that goes on at The Off Center.

When: Sunday, September 23rd from 4:00pm to 7:30pm
Tickets: $100
Where: The Plant at Kyle *

If you can't make the party, you can still go to the ticket site to enter the raffle  (only $50!), and/or contribute a donation of any size. And of course, snail mail is our friend. We hope you will consider doing what you can to help us keep the Austin arts scene on its toes.

* The Plant at Kyle is located 30 minutes south of Austin - directions provided with ticket order confirmation)

About The Event

This decadent, early fall afternoon at the architectural treasure known as The Plant at Kyle will feature an unforgettable feast from the Gulf procured by San Miguel Seafood, and prepared by some of Austin’s favorite chefs— Paul Hargrove of East Side Showroom, Sonya Cote of Hillside Farmacy, Jason Dodge of Péché, Jason Hieger of Gastrogiant and Jason Stude of 2nd Bar and Kitchen. The menu will feature grilled oysters on the half shell, oysters Rockefeller, oysters Bienville, and a raw bar; grilled and boiled shrimp; the freshest fish available; farmers market inspired side salads, and delectable seasonal desserts by Sugar Circus and Bluenote Bakery.
Cold beer from Abita Brewing company, cocktails by Tipsy Texan and Paula’s Texas Spirits, and icy coffee by Casa Brasil are perfect pairings for every delicious bite. Composer Graham Reynolds will DJ while you relax in the hill country shade and enjoy the company of Austin’s finest food, drink and arts lovers. Help us usher in our most exciting year yet of radical playmaking right here in Austin, TX!

Event Sponsors

New video from I've Never Been So Happy in LA

We know - almost a year later... and not even the whole show, but it's something! 

Click on the link below to see 7 short clips (2 to 3 minutes each). 

We think they are beautiful and sound great. We hope those of you that didn't get to see the show in LA will enjoy them, and those who did will share our very fond memories. 

We've never been so nostalgic.

click here to see them in vimeo at their truly luscious size.

or don't move a muscle and watch them below.

So, We Hung Out with Some Pigs

We can't thank Ari and Dean and all the amazing artists in residence at The Orchard Project for hosting us yet a third time. 

The first time we were there, we left with The Method Gun in our pockets, which is how we ended up with those wigs. Our second trip out, we walked away with a full third of I've Never Been So Happy drafted.

And this last time, we spent our week in heaven sharing best practices, training/working methods, and creating tiny pieces with Pig Iron Theatre Company. And had the unbelievable pleasure of getting to play several rounds of bananagrams and celebrity with the unbelievably cool Lisa Peterson (she killz at charades, yo), and all the co-co's, but especially our assigned co-co's Yichao and Abby - so game, and hometown girls Alexis and Katie.

We are looking forward to much more hanging out with the lovely pigs of Pig Iron.

Get it. Some Pigs...

 

Dan and Jeff are missing from these photos. That is wrong. 

Here's are pictures I found of them.

Tickets On Sale for Now Now Oh Now!

BUY TICKETS NOW!

Rude Mechs is proud to present the first fully mounted production of NOW NOW OH NOW, previously presented in various workshop versions under the working title “CL1000P.”  Inspired by evolutionary biology, the Brontës, and LARP communities, NOW NOW OH NOW invites you to enter into an interactive puzzle for the stage about the importance and impermanence of selecting for pleasure over survival. A triptych tribute to everyone’s inner geek, NOW NOW OH NOW embodies Rude Mechs’ desire to create a more tangible, social, active, and personal experience for the audience.  The performance marries serious scientific content with the nerdy pleasure of puzzles and gaming and the undeniable satisfaction of Murder Mystery Theatre. This intimate consideration of how our individual choices lead us through life and impact the world takes a locked room puzzle, a lecture on sexual selection in evolutionary biology, and the world's weirdest night of Dungeons and Dragons and weaves them all together to paint a picture of why the things you find beautiful are important to the world.

NOW NOW OH NOW is performed for an intimate audience of only 30 people, so there will be several showings of the performance each night. The audience experience is roaming so we recommend that you wear comfortable shoes and consider leaving big purses and bags at home.

WHEN
May 17 - June 9 | Thursday to Sunday
showtimes vary, visit our website for more information

TICKETS
Thursday and Sunday - Pay Way You Can
Friday and Saturday - $25
For Friday and Saturday, purchase tickets online.
For Thursday and Sunday, reserve online, pay with cash or check only at the door.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
NOW NOW OH NOW is created by Rude Mechs
Concept, Structure, and Content Development by Madge Darlington, Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, and Shawn Sides*
Staging by Shawn Sides
Writing by Hannah Kenah
Performers: Robert S. Fisher, Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, E. Jason Liebrecht, and Shawn Sides

*Rude Mechs creates new works collaboratively, and we believe it is important to acknowledge the work that is done prior to getting the show ready for production. This work begins often with the Co-Producing Artistic Directors finding consensus around a project's concept. That done, a collaborative team refines the concept, develops content, structure and style, and gets the piece on its feet. This collaborative team eventually expands to envelop to the entire production team as the work is created.

This production is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Theatre Pilot and The MAP Fund, a program of Creative Capital supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Rude Mechs is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

Rude News - A Few Things to do This Spring, Starting Tonight!

IN BRIEF: This issue is dedicated to telling you we are in rehearsal until May. In the meantime, here are just a few events to keep you busy - our friends are making great art that we hope you will get out and support! WEDNESDAY MARCH 14TH!!! Kirk Lynn to moderate the post-film Q&A at Austin Film Festival's screening of Trip to Bountiful - more below Rubber Repertory presents JUBILEE, their last show in Austin for a while, Jubilee, at The Off Center. You cannot miss this. Rude Mechs is super proud to host Gloria's Cause, by Dayna Hanson (choreographer, I've Never Been So Happy), and presented by Dance Umbrella as part of Fusebox Festival. Go see it! Grrl Action Summer Workshop Summer Workshop dates are June 25 - July 15. Contact madge@rudemechs.com to get an application. A wee Rude update. Austin Film Festival presents A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL part of their Made in Texas: Adaptations Series When: Wednesday, March 14th at 7:30pm Where: Texas Spirit Theater at the Bob Bullock Museum Tickets: $5 (print this newsletter and get $1 off the ticket price when you show it at the door!) Parking: Free parking in the museum parking lot after 6pm Our own Kirk Lynn will moderate the post-screening Q&A, with Producer Dennis Bishop (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, HBO Pictures, “Dexter”) in attendance! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see one of the finest stage-to-screen adaptations of all time, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, written by legendary playwright, Horton Foote (inaugural recipient of Austin Film Festival’s Distinguished Screenwriter award). This moving, magnificent film won the hearts of moviegoers and theatergoers everywhere in the 1980s, as well as a Best Actress Academy Award for star Geraldine Page. Page won the Oscar® for her portrayal of Carrie Watts, a sixty year old woman living with her son and daughter-in-law in 1940's Houston, Texas. Carrie wants nothing more than to return to her hometown one more time before she dies, but her son and his wife don't think it's a good idea. Picking the right time, Carrie escapes and begins her trip. Rubber Repertory presents JUBILEE When: April 5 - April 21, 2012 Where: The Off Center Tickets: $15 (Thursdays are PWYW) Get Tix Here What's wonderful about Rubber Repertory is that they take the concepts, the tenets, the expectations of theatre, and blow them out of the water." -Avimaan Syam, Austin Chronicle This will be Rubber Repertory's last show before an indeterminate hiatus, and they're looking for more than just a good idea; they're looking for atonement. They want to find the very proper time to sound the trumpet. They want to put on the clothes that will make them disappear. They want to arrange their bodies in a way that gives real comfort. Part dance and all devotion, JUBILEE is a nonstop, non-narrative, and non-denominational leap of faith. [NOTE: To carnal minds they may appear to act absurdly, but the path of duty is rarely the path of safety.] ABOUT RUBBER REPERTORY: Since 2002, Co-Directors Josh Meyer and Matt Hislope have created some of the most unique theatre in Texas. With shows such as Biography of Physical Sensation, The Casket of Passing Fancy (2007 Rockefeller MAP Fund grant), Surprise Annie, RED CANS, At Home With Dick, and the American premiere of Wallace Shawn's notoriously "unstageable" A Thought in Three Parts, Rubber Rep pushes boundaries and creates work that's high on invention and surprise. Their productions have garnered B. Iden Payne and Austin Critics Table Awards for "Outstanding Theatrical Innovation," "Outstanding Direction," "Unique Theatrical Experience," and "Outstanding Late-Night Adventure." For more information, visit www.rubberrep.org.

Dance Umbrella and Fusebox Festival present GLORIA'S CAUSE When: April 26-27, 2012 7:00 pm, and April 28, 2012 9:00pm Bonus: Dayna Hanson's band, Today!, plays Friday, April 27, 2012 at Fusebox's late night venue. Where: The Off Center Show Info: Fusebox Festival website Tickets: Get your Fusebox Festival Pass while there's still a discount available! Inspired by the complex ironies of the American Revolution, Gloria’s Cause is a full-length dance theater work by 33 Fainting Spells’ co-founder Dayna Hanson (the amazing woman who choreographed the dances in I've Never Been So Happy). Co-commissioned by On the Boards and Under The Radar Festival, this rock-driven piece exhumes the colonies’ forgotten players and offers a layered, colorful and gritty look at the roots of America’s inequities. ABOUT DAYNA HANSON: A 2006 Guggenheim Fellow in Choreography and 2010 United States Artists Oliver Fellow in Dance, Hanson is joined by longtime collaborators Dave Proscia and Peggy Piacenza. Seattle-based performers Wade Madsen, Maggie Brown, Paul Moore, Jim Kent, Pol Rosenthal and Jessie Smith join the cast, together creating a kinetic, darkly funny world where incongruous sources clash and morph. After multiple presentations of 33 Fainting Spells' work by Dance Umbrella in the past, Dayna returns to Austin in this co-presentation between Fusebox and Dance Umbrella, hosted by Rude Mechs.

Tell the nearest Grrl to apply to Grrl Action Summer Workshop! When: June 25 - July 15, 2012 Where: The Off Shoot (2211-A Hidalgo St., Austin, TX 78702) The Grrl Action Summer Workshop is a three-week intensive workshop for teenaged girls, run by Rude Mechs, in which girls envision, create, publish, and perform original works for the stage based on their own life experiences. The three-week intensive culminates in two performances that are free to the public. Don't miss them! Support Grrl Action: Grrl Action is reliant on donations from the community and local foundation grants. We hope you will contribute to sustain this invaluable program.

A Rude update seems in order We premiered I've Never Been So Happy in Los Angeles at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theater in October, and while we were having a blast, building good houses, and getting mixed reviews, we happily accepted a few awards for INBSH from the B. Iden Payne Awards. At the same time, we produced a beautiful re-creation Mabou Mines' amazing play, The B. Beaver Animation, to somewhat confused houses. We promise to offer a little more background and support for the next installment in our Contemporary Classics series. The Method Gun, a project of Creative Capital, was filmed by OntheBoards TV and is available at ontheboards.tv - we get 50% of all the income, so download away! Just remember that video of live performance is, well, video of live performance... We mounted a wee work-in-progress showing of CL1000P (working title, still, yes), which we are rehearsing right now for a full production in May. Stay tuned! Then we toured The Method Gun to Brisbane Powerhouse's World Theatre Festival in Brisbane Australia - could not have had more fun. If you were ever curious about what the City of Austin could have done with the Seaholm, check out Brisbane Powerhouse.

2011 Went Like This, Mostly

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

We hope that you and yours are making a perfect end to 2011 and starting off 2012 in style. One sure way to do both is to honor the philanthropist inside you by making a donation to Rude Mechs!

DONATE TO RUDE MECHS TODAY! That's right - No sassy print mailing this winter asking for your fantastically reliable annual gifts (thank you!), just this simple email letting you know we are in it for the long haul and hoping you can pick up where The Lazy Eye Ball fell short. You can make your tax-deductible contribution via Eventbrite by clicking any one of the buttons below. The site will stay open through January 31, 2011, and we'll probably give you at least one more reminder between now and then.

Rude Mechs really has had a banner year around the country, and here at home in Austin, so we thought we'd share a quick recap - the links will take you to other entries here in our blog, where we dabble in keeping you au courant, like this:

January 2011
• perform I've Never Been So Happy at Arena Stage in Washington DC for their New Play Festival
from Javier Rivera: "Terrific work at Arena last night...never stopped smiling...and I still felt a little sad. Congratulations."
• host Breaking String's New Russian Festival at The Off Center

February 2011
• perform The Method Gun at Yale University's No Boundaries Festival 

from: Catherine Foxahouse: "Method Gun blew me away--incredible!" 

• host Breaking String's New Russian Festival at The Off Center

March 2011 

• receive a huge awesome feature in The New York Times 

• perform The Method Gun at Dance Theatre Workshop 

from Kourtney Rutherford: "You guys have tiger blood and adonis DNA. Obvi. Loved the show!! Congrats!" 

• host Dystheatre's The Duck Variations; rehearse I've Never Been So Happy

April 2011 

• perform world premiere of I've Never Been So Happy at The Off Center 

from Mark Macek: "Participated in I've Never Been So Happy last night. Inventive, complex, and absolutely ecstatic. The ancient Greeks would have been proud of you. Thank you Rude Mechs for blowing me away."• host Rubber Repertory's Biography of Physical Sensation at The Off Shoot

May 2011 

• present Grrl Wrap - Grrl Action's Year-Round Workshop presentations at The Off Shoot 

• host Guerilla Girls workshop for Grrl Action at The Off Shoot

• host Salvage Vanguard's Guest By Courtesy rehearsas at The Off Shoot

• host Andrea Ariel Dance Company's The Grand Theory Of EVERYTHING BETWEEN at The Off Center

• host Ready Set Go Dance's Up, Down, Under, and Through AT THE OFF CENTER

June 2011 

• perform The Method Gun at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of RADAR LA Festival 

• host Breaking String's Uncle Vanya at The Off Center 

from Clayton Farris: "thank you for bringing Method Gun to LA. it was one beautiful piece of theatre." 

• I've Never Been So Happy garners awards for "Production of a Musical", "Music Direction", "The David Mark Cohen New Play Award", and "Ensemble Performance" from the 2011 Austin Critics Table

July 2011 

• conduct Grrl Action Summer Workshop at The Off Shoot 

from Bryanna Estrada: "Whilst writing about Grrl Action in one of my college essays, I was reminded of what an impact this organization had on me! Thank y'all for coming together and forming such an important organization for young women."  

• present Grrl Action public performances at The Off Center

August 2011 

• host Austin Drama Club's Hamlet at The Off Center

• create The Oyster Club season and launch it with a happy hour at the side bar (thank you!)

• host The Lazy Eye Ball in the ether 

from Leslie Bonnell: "Lazy Eyeball = GENIUS."

September 2011 

• perform The Method Gun at Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art's TBA Festival 

from Alejandro Novie: "Simply wonderful performance last night for TBA. Ya'll kick ass!" 

The Method Gun performances in Portland were filmed and it is now available to rent or buy the full HD film here: www.ontheboards.tv www.ontheboards.tvHome: host Chaotic Theatre's Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at The Off Center

• host Loaded Gun Theory's Slapdash Flimflammery VIII: Back to the Flim Flam at The Off Center

• I've Never Been So Happy gets Charles McNulty's Fall Arts Pick in Los Angeles Times 

• rehearse I've Never Been So Happy at The Off Shoot

October 2011 

• perform I've Never Been So Happy at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theater in Los Angeles, CA 

from Ilana Turner: "I had a chance to tell some of your cast, but I wanted to tell you all ... Thank you, Rude Mechs, for your incredible show, I've Never Been So Happy! I have continued to burst out in laughter when I think about it and I can't quite explain it to others. (I was part of the Loudly Laughing Crew in the 2nd row on Friday.) With this show and Method Gun you people have reinvigorated my love of theater! Truly inspiring." 

• rehearse the legendary The B. Beaver Animation by Mabou Mines at The Off Center

• receive prestigious National Theatre Grant from American Theatre Wing

November 2011 

• perform the legendary The B. Beaver Animation by Mabou Mines at The Off Center 

from Allison Asher: "In a post-B.Beaver feather-dream today. Thanks, Rude Mechs, for continuing to delight. I caught Method Gun at Humana two years ago, and it was one of the reasons that I decided to move to Austin. Can't wait for the next project!" 

• host out of context production's Look Back in Anger 

• I've Never Been So Happy garners awards for "Outstanding Production" and "Outstanding Direction" from the 2011 B. Iden Payne Awards

December 2011 

• perform Dionysus in 69 at Princeton University 

from Dan Bauer: "Only in Princeton! Thanks you Lewis Center Princeton for presenting Rude Mechs (Austin, TX) recreation of the legendary and groundbreaking experimental theater piece "Dionysus in 69." A memorable and brilliant performance!!" 

• receive Best of 2011 for The Method Gun in Time Out New York and New York Magazine, and for The Method Gun and I've Never Been So Happy in the Los Angeles Times 

from The Fringe at CTG: "We loved having you at the Kirk Douglas Theatre twice this past season. Charles McNulty is right, you definitely brought the theatre to life!"   

• Kirk Lynn receives a USA Artist Fellowship - with a $50K prize!!

• host David Berman Gallery's presentation of George Krause Sfumato Nudes

ABOUT 2012

Last year we were awarded (as one of six companies in the country) a prestigious play development award from the New England Foundation for the Arts for a new play we can't seem to title - we will send an invitation for you to view our work-in-progress showing this Jan/Feb. We will premiere the new play in either April, May or June! In February, we will tour The Method Gun to Brisbane Powerhouse's World Theatre Festival (yes - in Australia!!). We are planning summer residencies to workshop Decameron Day 3: Revolution! so you can look forward to new episodes of our original soap opera Harbor Cove. That gets us up to the Summer, and that's about as far ahead as we ever get.

THANK YOU

We sent this very thank you to you last year, but we suspect it slipped by a lot of you, and we made a lot of new friends this year, so here it is again.

We are lucky to live in Austin. We are lucky to live in a city where the press engages the arts in ways that are deep and supportive.

We are lucky to live in a community this creative and hard working and confident and intelligent. All this new work and all these open minds. We are lucky to live in a community where artists support one another, rather than compete with one another – where we lift each other up instead of trying to tear each other down.

We are lucky to have so many amazing creative people that can make work with us, that are interested in making new work of their own, that understand failure is a symptom of working well and working hard and working right, not a predictor of future success.

We are lucky to live in a city where the audience is well-read and has a good sense of humor and brags on itself and yet somehow doesn’t take itself too seriously. We are lucky to have an audience that wants to participate in the creation of the play – that knows it isn’t finished until they show up and bring their own associations and dreams to the piece. And yet an audience that holds us accountable – with honesty but never dismissiveness.

We are lucky to live in a city that is full of bands and reads a lot of books and likes the outdoors and knows that a creative community isn’t just the money-generating ‘movers and shakers’ but also the teenage punk rockers and the quirky artist who builds spaces from trash and the hippies with their butterfly bicycles and the students making films and plays and music and their own new thing, whatever the new form will be.

We are always asked why we chose to live in Austin, so far from the artistic meccas on the coasts. Why would we have chosen anywhere else? Here we have friends and colleagues who know the value of a life lived making art with comrades and taking time to relax on the patio and share a beer and not get all het up about ‘making it’ because ‘making it’ isn’t how much money is in your bank account or how famous you are, or how ‘respected’ or ‘hot’. But how rich the hours in your day are, surrounded by people you love and admire, in a beautiful place that is both a safety net and the trapeze high above it.

Give the Gift of RUDEness! Oyster Club on the Half Shell is Here!

IN BRIEF:

• Looking for a gift for the person who has everything? Oyster Club on the Half Shell is the answer!
  
• Our own Kirk Lynn was awarded a USA Artist Fellowship.
  
• Method Gun gets Best of 2011 in New York Magazine.
  
• More Rude shows on tour! Dionysus in '69 at Princeton in December and The Method Gun heads Down Under in February.
  
• Keep an eye out for the workshop production of our NEXT NEW PLAY in January/February.

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Give an awesome gift that supports the arts!

Looking for a gift for the person who has everything? Something that supports the arts in Austin AND provides you with something special to give? Or maybe you just need the promise of something special in the new year?

Click here to find your answer: A half-season membership to the Oyster Club!

Purchase a half-season membership and attend the remaining four Oyster Club gatherings this season:

January 15th - Behind the scenes tour at the new studios of locally-based internationally-acclaimed artist collective OK Mountain. Wash it all down with award-winning Balcones Whiskey and other edible treats.
February 9th - Rude Mechs' own Kirk Lynn and his beloved partner, National Poetry Award Winner, Carrie Fountain, kick off an open mic for love poems and songs in a unique private home. Austin KOOP radio DJ's will move you with their favorite love songs while you succumb with our intoxicating Love Potion. And yes, there will be cupcakes.
March - Award-winning Austin filmmaker PJ Raval curates a night at the movies. Buttered popcorn will pale in comparison to the treats we will serve!
April - A special night at the wildly popular Fusebox Festival for Oyster Club members. Reception to accompany the event with artful food and drink curated by Edible Austin. (not included: ticket to the performance)

What is the Oyster Club? Meeting once in every month whose name contains an "r" (September-April), the Oyster Club is a way to find pearls of art, architecture, music, film, food, and performance in the oceans of culture in Austin and Central Texas. Rude Mechs will lead this off-beat culture club to backstage access, private tours, secret after-parties, and once-in-a-lifetime spectacles. The Oyster Club will keep you active without making you busy. 

Dionysus in '69 and The Method Gun on tour

After knocking the socks (and shirts, and pants, and many undergarments) off of Austin audiences in late 2009, Rude Mechs' faithful re-enactment of The Performance Group's legendary Dionysus in '69 is headed back east for two performances at Princeton's Lewis Center on December 9th and 10th. The performances will be presented in conjunction with a 2-day Performance Studies Symposium that is free and open to the public.

So we hit nearly every corner of the US with The Method Gun in 2011, and ya know, we're just plain b-o-r-e-d with the Nothern Hemisphere. What's a restless theatre company to do? Head Down Under, of course. February 22 - 26, Rude Mechs will make their first foray into Australia with a week long run of The Method Gun at Brisbane Powerhouse's World Performance Festival. We're trying to act all cool and shit, but we're pretty freakin' excited.

Announcing Grrl Wrap 2011 and Grrl Summer Apps!

IN THIS ISSUE

1. You are invited to Grrl Wrap, a celebration of arts projects by the year-round participants of Grrl Action.
2. Grrl Action summer program applications now available! Download here.
3. For information about becoming a year-round Rude Mechs corporate sponsor, or about sponsoring The Eye Ball, email Development Director Christian Stagg at christian@rudemechs.com

presents

Grrl Wrap

a celebration of the new works by the participants of Year-Round Grrl Action

ADMISSION IS FREE!
no reservations needed

SATURDAY, MAY 14TH AT 7:00 PM
at The Off Shoot, 2221 Hidalgo

the easternmost end of The Off Center complex

Come celebrate this year's participants of Grrl Action's year-round program with a presentation of the Grrls’ work. Everyone is invited!

The format is a little different this year. We invite you to take in visual images of the grrls’ art projects as they give a presentation on the process of developing, creating and performing their work this last year. Meet the amazing mentors who guided the grrls through these projects, and enjoy a cookie or three as we cheer the young artists on!

COME OUT AND SUPPORT THESE AMAZING YOUNG WOMEN!
And if you feel like you've got some time, cash, interest, click here to see how you can join the fun!

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Grrl Action Summer Workshop 2011

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW!

Grrl Action is a three-week summer workshop in which teenaged girls envision, create, publish, and perform original works for the stage based on their own life experiences. Girls between the ages of 13-16 are eligible.

To apply, download the Information and Application Packet for the Summer 2011 Class.

WORKSHOP: June 27 - July 15, classes from 9:00am - noon, at The Off Shoot
PERFORMANCES: July 16 & 17, 2011 at 4:00 pm
WHERE: The Off Center, 2211-A Hidalgo St.

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BECOME A SPONSOR!

Corporate Sponsorship for one of Austin's finest theatre companies.

The essence of the “new” Austin is found in its contradictions - our city’s chic sophistication is still marked by a laid-back attitude, our fascination with high tech will probably never exceed our passion for Barton Springs, and you can still wear your shorts to a five star restaurant. But while Austin is still a small town at heart, it has nevertheless grown into a very big city over the past two decades. As we celebrate our continued growth, we also face the challenge of retaining our cultural character and uniqueness – the reason many people have chosen to make Austin their home in the first place. By supporting Rude Mechs, you have the opportunity to help define the character of our city and make a significant impact on the cultural life of our community. The reality is the arts cannot survive without support from local businesses and corporations. In this climate of growing enthusiasm but also stark economic realities, we invite you to make an investment in local arts and artists to help preserve and deepen the character of Austin.

If you are interested in becoming a corporate sponsor, let's get you on board by June 1st! Just send an email to info@rudemechs.com and let us know you are interested!

Announcing I've Never Been So Happy World Premiere!

Rude Mechs, in association with Center Theatre Group, is proud to present the world premiere of

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY

 

I've Never Been So Happy, with music and lyrics by Austin Experimental Punk Grand Wizard Peter Stopschinski (Brown Whornet, Golden Hornet Project), and book and lyrics by Austin Experimental Theatre Mascot Kirk Lynn, fluxuates freely between high art and Hee-Haw, treating both with respect. The music pits a "Grand Ole Opry" style West against an "El Topo" style West. The writing butts lyric poetry up against bar jokes with finesse. Directed by Thomas Graves and Lana Lesley, the evening challenges what it means to "go to the theater" in 2011.

WHEN: April 21 - May 7, 2011
Thursday - Saturday at 8 PM
Additional Sunday performance on May 1st
10 performances only!

Friday April 22 - Opening Night Gala - see details below. 

Saturday May 7 - Special Closing Night Performance featuring post-show concert by Austin's newest Alt-Country phenom Chablis (Best Local Show 2010, Austin Chronicle Critics Poll), and good eats from La Condesa - tickets $25

WHERE: The Off Center, 2211 A Hidalgo, Austin, TX 78702

"The Rudes continue to deepen their creative process and challenge themselves in new ways. And that results in smart, terrific theater that takes us some place new." - Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, Austin-American Statesman review of December 2008 workshop production.

"BEST INVESTIGATION OF THE WEST: The Rude Mechs' funny, well-informed multimedia performance was a refreshingly queer interrogation of the West. - Claire Ruud, ...might be good (Fluent-Collaborative's contemporary arts e-journal Best of 2008)

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YOU ARE INVITED TO I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY'S

OPENING NIGHT GALA!

 

This unprecedented evening of celebration and performance will include:

A pre-show toast with the Board and Artistic Directors of Rude Mechs

Amazing complimentary food and drink curated by Edible Austin

The world-premiere performance of our new western musical & transmedia shindig

And post-show two-stepping with the cast and crew with cash bar provided by the side bar

Plus 75% of your ticket price is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law!

Your unwavering support has helped Rude Mechs have a spectacular year, including a premiere at the 34th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, a wonderful, critically acclaimed tour of The Method Gun, and the development of a radical new play here at home.

 

Come celebrate this world premiere in Austin with a company that is garnering high critical praise and building audience around the country.

Time Out New York says of Rude Mechs, "They keep taking perilous theatrical leaps, but we are the ones to feel sweaty-palmed, nearly vertiginous exhilaration."

The New York Times says Rude Mechs "...makes the Wooster Group look conservative."

Time Out Chicago calls our work "...relentlessly inventive... "Beneath its zany, passionate surfaces lie some fierce investigations into the nature of art... brilliantly orchestrated"

The Louisville Courier-Journal calls us "..absurd and awe-inspiring."

Some facts about I've Never Been So Happy:

• It is 1 of only 5 projects selected from a national pool for the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Program.
  
• It received a work-progress-presentation at Washington D.C.'s prestigious Arena Stage at the New Play Festival.
  
• It is featured in an upcoming PBS documentary by Rob Levi about "how America makes theater."
  
• It is produced in association with Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group.
  
• It features a cast of nine, a small orchestra, a dance team, video animation and a mountain lion!
  
• It is not just a show, it's also surrounded by a transmedia shindig which includes food, games, and wild western fun.
  

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I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY features the extraordinary performing / design / production talents of:
Cami Alys, Kerri Atwood, Lowell Bartholomee, Noel Gaulin, Thomas Graves, Amy Hackerd, Hannah Kenah, Jenny Larson, Lana Lesley, E. Jason Liebrecht, Erin Meyer, William Moses, Paul Soileau, Peter Stopschinski, Meg Sullivan, along with Eric Roach on guitar, four very fine string players / Laura Cannon (Portland), Dayna Hanson (Seattle), Miwa Matreyek (LA), Stephen Pruitt, Leilah Stewart / Woody Golden, Charlie Llewellin, Jazz Miller, Lorenza Phillips, Denise Martel, Rick Thompson, and two thoroughly awesome interns, Taylor McCaslin and Ashley O'Brien. And creating the carnival so far we have the fabulous Jodi Jinks, Kirk Lynn, Edmund Martinez, Robert Pierson, Rachel Shannon, Silky Shoemaker, and Aron Taylor.

I’ve Never Been So Happy was selected for the NEA Distinguished New Play Development Program, and received a development residency at The University of Texas Department of Theatre & Dance’s Musical Theatre Initiative. Creation support for I've Never Been So Happy also comes from The Orchard Project Theatre Residency Program, the National Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Arena Stage's New Play Festival, and the National Endowment for the Arts.