Short Fringe - Tue Jan 15 8:00PM

Hank Schwemmer, Ballet for Dog and Red-Haired Girl by Hank Schwemmer. An open window and a long way down. Directed by Emily Fordyce with Elizabeth Doss and David Yeakle.

Elizabeth Krieg, Junky Central USA by Elizabeth Krieg, choreographed by RAD. Incorporates dance, acting, and poetry: news report of the state of the nation through the eyes of our favorite junkies.

Blue Spot Theatre Co., The Weiner Chronicles by Alex Garza. Robin Williams once said "God gave us a penis and a brain, but not enough blood to use both at the same time!"  In this new collection of monologues, Alex Garza dares to solve the mystery and rationalize the enigma that is man's phallic dependence.  Through a more raw and uncensored performance, he dramatizes the battle scars of love, he recounts in great detail his coming to terms with the SHORTcomings of dating, and he relives the painful and terribly traumatic college experience that just may have turned him gay.   DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER?   Find out in twenty-five minutes or less.   Take a bite out of THE WEINER CHRONICLES!!

Coldtowne, Buddy Daddy. Arthur Simone, improvisational actor is joined on stage by his dog - Robin Goodfellow.  Arthur leads Robin in an improvised montage of scenes.  Hilarious & adorable.  This is not stupid pet tricks.

Short Fringe - Wed Jan 16 8:00PM

Listrunk, A Genuine Plea to My Insides by Kelli Bland.  A dialogue between the performer and her body.

Uprise! Productions, Uprise! Productions Presents: Cry Havoc Stage Combat. Warriors explore revolution using ancient customs and modern displays of physicality.

Theatre Silica, Stand & Son of the Lizard King by Jason Tremblay.  After two successful national tours and three in Europe, Theatre Silica some how managed to wrangle the rights to these critically acclaimed plays by playwright Jason Tremblay. In the past two years, these pieces have captured 17 audience awards including the Double Gold Star in Prague and Velvet Oar in Sydney.  The director claims that these pieces will, “steal about ten minutes of your life.”  Featuring Noel Gaulin (humdrum collective) and Sam Chesney (Miami Vice).  Presented by Theatre Silica.

Ujima, My Junior by Anne Boyd. A young mother struggles to save her son from the future she believes his race predestines him to lead.

Elizabeth Cobbe, Apocalypse by Elizabeth Cobbe (ASW Commission.) The world is coming to an end. Oops!

Short Fringe - Thu Jan 17 8:00PM

Sue Bilich, Lube It or Lose It by Sue Bilich & Abby November with Sandy Simon and Mary Elizabeth. American Senior Sex Therapist Association Semi-Annual Conference: Living Better Sexually After 60: "Sexuality from puberty until you plotz"

Angry Little Theatre, Wayne’s Big Body Part by Kelley Estes. A short piece about a big piece.

Emily Fordyce, This Dream Is Short But This Dream Is Happy by Sean Tribe. A monologue about Las Vegas, redemption, graduate school and a Gnostic goddess who makes it all possible.

Jeanne Harris, Trigger Happy Jack by Timothy Braun.  A dream that leaves a girl with a decision to make.  First southwestern production of Trigger Happy Jack. Directed by Jeanne Harris

Short Fringe - Fri Jan 18 8:00PM

Allison Landa, Princess Press-On. When does a cross-cultural experience go wrong? Ask Allison Landa. She's checked into the Hotel Italia in Munich, where she finds a member of Nigerian royalty drinking a German beer and extending a dicey invitation. Both paralyzing and funny, this story is more truthful than it is comfortable.

Hal Fulton, Relativity and Mr. Underfoot by Hal Fulton.  A lab borrows Einstein's brain for research ... but as usual, things don't go entirely as planned.

Kerrie Lendo, A Meta-Murder Mystery by Patton Quinn & Kerri Lendo. Comedy Variety.

Priscilla Sample, Brain Big: Excerpts from a play about female body image by Priscilla Sample. Monologue. Director: Jenifer Carsrud.

Capital T Theatre Co., Kawaisoo (The Pity of Things) by Jason Grote.  Both humorous and tragic, this one-woman show explores America's tendency toward commodity fetishism in the aftermath of 9/11.

Short Fringe - Tue Jan 22 8:00PM

Uprise! Productions presents, Video Vixen. A short theatre piece geared towards exploring the perception, role, and expectation of the video vixen. Directed by Zell Miller III.

Look Cookie, Look Cookie.  Local improv troupe with a twist.

Troy Fortenberry, Joe Normal by Mark Farias.  Joe Normal will be a 20-25 minute ensemble piece exploring the nature of heroism and societal acceptance of its absence.

Theatre Silica, Something for Odile. Theatre Silica presents the first installation of "Something for Odile". Twelve incredible playwrights wrote a total of 17 plays for Odile Nicole Del Giudice to perform.  They were presented to her on her birthday this past summer.  Featured in this first performance are:  "Bathtub Boy" by Frances Ya-chu Cowhig, "Stalking the Songbirds" by Andrea Moon, & "Tennessee Darke" by Jason Tremblay.

Coldtowne, One AM. A Coldtowne production featuring Chris Trew & Tami Nelson. Two person mono-scene improv based off one suggestion.

Short Fringe - Wed Jan 23 8:00PM

The Debutantes & Vagabonds, Amusing Karl Marx by Francisco Rodriguez.  Inspiration can be a bitch.  As Thalia attempts to seduce the intelligent man, Karl Marx, she discovers her biggest competition is his typewriter.

Starlex Theatre Company, The Bumblebee Saga, by Alex Garza. Through a series of monologues, Alex Garza portrays the experiences of different characters, each undergoing life changes, each trying to successfully survive the evolutionary process. Is a bumblebee really supposed to fly? Does it really matter? He does anyway!

Loaded Gun Theory, The Nymph by Tim Thomas. A short scene involving an ancient nymph in which he ensnares and enchants a mother and a daughter.

Aimée Gonzalez, Larius Likler by Aimée Gonzalez (ASW Commission). Larius Likler is almost an anagram for serial killer. And so, Larius Likler has decided to almost become one. An excerpt from a full-length play in progress…

Suspicious Package, Suspicious Package by Jason Vines, Matt Pollock.  Character based improvised piece deconstructing a pair of monologues.

Short Fringe - Thu Jan 24 8:00PM

Deborah Goldstein, Sublet by Deborah Goldstein & Andrea Middleton. Living with a stranger.

Stuart Hersh, Austin 3275 by Stuart Hersh. Austin 3275 is the second in a series of plays about race relations in Austin written and performed by Stuart Hersh.  While events unfold in Berlin, Chicago, and Washington in July, 1932 that would long be remembered, this play recalls heroic action in Austin at the same time as Prohibition is ending.

Andrew Varenhorst, Jails, Hospitals, and Hip Hop, by Danny Hoch. Three monologues from Danny Hoch's one man show.

Susan Long Haga, MOJO by Susan Long Haga. A short play about hope and cynicism at a coffee shop.

Charlie Watkins, The Ballad of The Three Actorteers by Alan Metoskie, Jason Newman, Chuck Watkins.  The epic saga of the three greatest actors in the universe as they struggle to perform some of the most challenging plays known to man, as sent to them from the mysterious God's of Theater.  This short play is based on characters created during the successful run of sketch shows known as "The DNA-Holes" at the Salvage Vanguard Theater in Summer 2008.

Short Fringe - Fri Jan 25 8:00PM

Humdrum Collective, A Breathing Machine for Carmella Beautain by Rebecca Wadlinger. "No abnormalities of the external body surfaces to note—this is looking like a routine procedure, cause of death unknown—scalpel, please. Now making a Y-shaped incision that extends from the front of each shoulder to the xiphoid process of the sternum, all the way down to the pubic bone." Directed by Erin Meyer.

Paul B. Joiner, The Startling Story of My Not Suicide as told by the Creepy Suicide Story Guy by Paul B. Joiner.  In the hope that others might learn from my mistakes.

Maggie Gallant, That Diana Look by Maggie Gallant. Character monologues by writer/performer Maggie Gallant.

Janet Heimlich, Wager by Janet Heimlich.  After Fred gambles away everything that he and his wife own, they are forced to live with his father, Eugene, a convicted murderer who runs a halfway house for mentally ill parolees. When Fred tries to prove that he's better than his "ex-con Papa," Eugene decides to teach his son a life-changing lesson. Adapted from the short story, "The Gambler," which appears in Evacuation Plan, a novel by Austin writer, Joe O'Connell.

Girls, Girls, Girls, _______ the Musical! by Girls Girls Girls. GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS is Austin's only all-female, all-musical improv troupe. You shout out a location where you'd like to see a musical take place and we make up one on the spot with the help of our musician.

Short Fringe - Tue Jan 29 8:00PM

In performance order:

Natalie George, Just as Long, by Natalie George. Puppet performance piece.

Rapscallions of the Periphery, The Artist Behind Closed Doors by Jessica Arnold. An intimate look at the artist behind closed doors, including hand puppets, granny panties and baby Jesus.

Lindsey Lane, Talk to me like the rain by Tennessee Williams. A love story for four people

Kareem Badr, Parallelogramophonograph Presents: Improvised French Farce. Parallelogramophonograph presents French Farce, fully improvised theatre in the grand tradition of Moliere, Fawlty Towers, and everything in between. Infidelity, insecurity, and insatiable appetites for wealth and power will collide with riveting consequences.

Short Fringe - Wed Jan 30 8:00PM

In performance order:

Blind Mule Productions, Based on the Lives of True American Heroes by Jesse Donaldson. When a Motherland Security Agent, Middle Management Wireless Employee, and Janitor become trapped in a warehouse plagued by an infestation of holes, they must both reason the inexplicable and help one another escape.

Listrunk, A Necklace for Each of My Lovers by Meghan Dwyer.  A play about the memories our body continues to wear after the people who created them have long gone. 

Jamie Keener, Group Therapy by Espie Randolph. Sketch Character Driven Comedy

Get Up, Get Up by Shannon McCormick and Shana Merlin.  Get Up is two master improvisers, Shannon McCormick and Shana Merlin, presenting an improvised story scored by a live sound improviser.

Short Fringe - Thu Jan 31 8:00PM

In performance order:

Performance Encounters, Play It by Ear.  Creator/Performer: Leticia Rodriguez with musicians Eric Calistri and Gerard Villanueva. West Austin meets West Side Story

Don Corr, Stewardess. A comedy about love lost at twenty thousand feet. Written and produced by Don Corr, directed by Craig Whitney.

Wesley Bain, I Snood Bear by Wesley Bain and Christina de Roos. I Snood Bear specializes in improvised theatre which explores atypical storytelling technique, dramatic comedy, and realistic characters.  http://www.isnoodbear.com

Audacity Productions, Grading on a Curve by A.V. Phibes.  Grading on a Curve (one woman monologue) concerns a bored artist with cannibalistic tendencies.

Big Poppa E, THE WUSSY BOY CHRONICLES EPISODE FOUR: A NEW HOPE by Eirik Ott.  Starring BIG POPPA E: Three-time HBO Def Poetry alum Eirik Ott (aka Big Poppa E) presents a new collection of performance poetry and sketch comedy for your enjoyment. Fresh off a national tour that crossed 20 states in two months, BPE will bring the same blend of comedy, poetry, dramatic monologue and storytelling that has garnered six Best of Fest wins in the past five years.

Short Fringe - Fri Feb 1 8:00PM

In performance order:

Melinda Hall, O Feel Ya. Ophelia has something very important to tell her boyfriend (Hamlet) but he is in an existential funk . . . directed by Melinda Hall with Alyssa Borg and Justin Scalise. Written mostly by Shakespeare.

Tommy LeVrier, How to Get Rich. Excerpt from a two-act play. Taken from the first act, it involves an overly-educated yuppie couple, he caucasian, she Vietnamese-American, who are out of work. They travel, along with their pot-bellied pig, from Houston to Austin for a job interview at the University of Texas -- resulting in many misadventures and near insanity.

Candyce Rusk, The Perfect Snowball by Candyce Rusk.  Early evening in a small midwestern town, three kids and ten snowballs. Directed by Jennifer Carsrud. 

Jennifer Salazar, Untitled. A most important moment is happening in Sweetwater, Texas in a truckstop bathroom.

Coldtowne, Lovey & Lovey.  Sketch comedy. A Coldtowne production featuring Tami Nelson & Michael Jastroch. "The Thin Man" style characters explore a ridiculous, booze-addled relationship.  Winners "Best in Fest" - Lone Star Sketch Comedy 2006.

Short Fringe - Tue Feb 5 8:00PM

In performance order:

Kirsten Davis, Vivid by Kirsten Davis. A solo piece written and performed by Kirsten Davis that explores the interesting dichotomy between our soul and our sense of duty, between how we want to see the world and how we actually see it, between what we should do according to the world and what we should do according to our own selves.

Bastion Carboni, A Mattter of Taste, by Bastion Carboni.  A light hearted buddy comedy. About suicide.

Coldtowne, Scissor.  A Coldtowne production with Justin York as guest improviser plays a series of improvised scenes in the "scissor" form - Justin's own invention.

The Striking Players, Honor by Austin Alexander.  Honor, family, chastity, death.  After their teenage daughter is raped, a Syrian family struggles with the dishonor she brings upon them.  The common practice of honor killings to restore the family's honor is hindered by conflicting influences.  Based on a true story run in the New York Times, this is a powerful unbiased questioning of a time-old value.

Eirik Ott, THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF THE HAIKU DEATHMATCH!!!  Director / Fight Choreographer: Eirik Ott (aka Big Poppa E). Experience thrills, chills, full-contact poetry and the spilling of blood live and in stunning colour as The Haiku DeathMatch returns to FronteraFest! The two-time Best of Fest winner features head-to-head poetic combat between three haiku warriors. Three haikusters enter, but only one shall survive! All others must commit seppuku! Judged by the audience Applause-O-Meter Of Doom and hosted by three-time HBO Def Poet Big Poppa E, The Haiku Death Match brings together verse and violence live on stage for your sick and twisted enjoyment!

Short Fringe - Wed Feb 6 8:00PM

In performance order:

Kyle Schmidt, The Totally Rad Hat Blues, by Kyle Schmidt.  Directed by Elizabeth C. Lay.

Ken Webster, Art, Truth & Politics, by Harold Pinter. Hyde Park Theatre Artistic Director Ken Webster performs an excerpt from Harold Pinter's eloquent Nobel Prize acceptance speech. People all over the world have read or heard this lecture by Pinter. But not in the U.S. Wonder why?

Maggie Gallant, Stalking Roger Taylor by writer/performer Maggie Gallant. A solo confession by obsessive lifelong Queen fan, Maggie Gallant.

Max Langert, How Little Has Changed by Max Langert (ASW Commission.) A PowerPoint presentation in seven parts.  Some names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Rhonda Kulhanek, The One, The Only...The Fabi:  An Infomercial by Rhonda Kulhanek.  Don't miss this amazing opportunity to witness the unveiling of The Life-Changing, Revolutionary Fabi!  Private corporations and insanely wealthy, right-wing conservatives have been the only members of society with the power to benefit from The Fabi --- UNTIL NOW!! As a member of the infomercial audience, not only will you be the first in the general public to learn The Fabi’s secrets, you could be among the first to own The One, The Only...The Fabi. Disclaimer: Discover cards not accepted.

Short Fringe - Thu Feb 7 8:00PM

In performance order:

In One Hole, Out the Other, The Eat 'N' Out by Fred Jones, Zachary Claxton, Douglas Spearman, Eddie Shannon. Do you like food? Do you like fast food? Do you like your food served fast? Then come on down to Mr. Burgher. When you make it, we order it. Mr. Burgher. Home of the Yummy. It's fast. It's food. It's fast food. It's delicious.

Abby Productions, Click by Allan Baker. Saturday night online.  What are you looking for?  What will you find?

RoHo Productions, The Cowgirl Mary Puppet Theatre Show by RoHo Theatre Co. Puppet show with live actors and music.

Annie La Ganga, Arts and Crafts, by Annie La Ganga. An audience interactive show with singing, cupcakes, gifts and blessings from the muses.

Short Fringe - Fri Feb 8 8:00PM

In performance order:

Voces de Vivo, Work in Progress by Natalie Goodnow. An exploration - enjoy!

America’s Theatre Co., 1 + 1 + 1 by Zeb West, Hannah Kenah, Richard Cambier.  3 actors play 3 characters in 3 scenes four you.

My Way Productions, Cosmo & Gigi by Isabella Russell-Ides. COSMO & GIGI,  part homage to Godot, this estro-infused duet departs from the testro and releases a numinous frequency in cloud cuckoo land from bench #9 #9 #9. Gigi’s got Cosmo like a habit and she’ll never get enough. Tim Mateer makes it happen as Cosmo.  Janelle Buchanan rocks on as Gigi.  Directed by Bill Johnson.

Christa Bell, CoochieMagik: A Spoken Word Musical Comedy by Christa Bell.  I will share an excerpt from CoochieMagik, a ritual solo performance fusing stand-up comedy and poetic text with elements of hip-hop theatre.  CoochieMagik is an act of resistance towards the corporately-sanctioned attack on women in mainstream hip-hop and mass media.  A transformative revival celebrating the gospel according to woman.