Tonight's shows now reflect actual performance order.

Achilles, by Todd A. Clark. It’s late, and the clock is ticking in an otherwise quiet mission control room for the Achilles solar survey Mercury probe. A project specialist's unauthorized selfie has revealed a collision with an interstellar "arrow" that threatens the mission and Earth itself. Can the specialist successfully navigate space program politics and a twisted love triangle to save us all from annihilation?

The Misplays, by Aaron Rubin, Adrian Gwarzalez, Derek Cornelius, and Nicholas Marino. A high-fantasy improv adventure of magical proportions, The Misplays will use a sealed pack of Magic: The Gathering cards to generate suggestions from the audience to tell an improvised narrative story from the game of Magic!

In Bloom, by Robin Anderson. An original short play about a woman struggling to find her footing after divorce who finds unexpected support from a young woman working at a garden center.

Never Clip Your Toenails While Under the Influence of Drugs, by Sandy Maranto. Playwright and author Sandy Maranto steps from behind the computer and onto the stage as she shares the poignant, yet also humorous, story of her road to and through her breast cancer diagnosis.

The Brojan War, a new musical, by Bromer. High on Mount Brolympus, the Brolympian gods do what they do everyday--compete to see who is the most swole. Encountering a tie, they insert themselves into the affairs of men, inspiring the Spurtans to defend their heteronormative, exclusively male license to earthly nobility against the Brojans. What will the sages call this manly battle of men? The Brojan War.

Tonight's shows now reflect actual performance order.

#LIMBOTASTIC, by Rita Anderson. Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and Amy Winehouse meet up in the afterlife in limbo. When Winehouse suggests that they create a 60s girl group called The Soul Sisters of Suicide, the women drink, they fight over who’s the most famous, they play Truth or Dare—until someone figures out why they are there and they band together to get out. Absurd dark comedy.

BRINE VIII: You Have Three Minutes, by Stuart Hersh. The author learns of his family's place and hometown's place in American history by moving to Austin, Texas.

A Slippery Slope, by Bernadette Nason. Working at a Dubai hotel, Nason has countless responsibilities, including attending hotel social functions. She's introverted; these events terrify her. During one such obligatory party, she discovers that a gin and tonic steadies her nerves. A bottle of Beefeater Gin, a humid evening, a bougainvilliea-filled garden, and a pride of peacocks = cataclysmic disaster. Performed by Bernadette Nason, directed by Michael Stuart.

Forty Years in Austin Theater in Less Than Twenty-Five Minutes, written and performed by Ken Webster. Ken Webster is celebrating his fortieth year in the Austin theater scene. He’ll take you on a trip down memory lane describing four decades of Austin theater.

Action Bike:Prequel, by Eva Suter, directed by Noah Martin (ScriptWorks Commission). Pedal fast as you can, you can't outbike your fate.

Tonight's shows now reflect actual performance order.

Mass, choreographed by Lydia Shamoun. Mass is an evening-length multi-disciplinary performance that utilizes digital art projections and original musical scoring performed live by Natalie to comment on our collective desire for notoriety, validation, and stardom. This work premiered at the Center for Performance Research in New York City in August 2018 before touring to Seattle, WA. This work in its original creation is a duet but we will be presenting a remixed solo version for the Short Fringe. Performed by Allison Burke with projections by Sierra Hendrix.

Lucky Chaos Lion Dance, by Ensemble. A mashup of traditional Chinese lion dancing with modern storytelling. We break cultural barriers with our unique blend of puppetry, dance and silent theatre. Script devised by our ensemble.

Thank you . . . , by Allison Orr Block, Amy McAndrew, Cindy Vining, and Griffin Gardner. Women "of a certain age" pay tribute to the ones who have rocked their worlds.

20 Things About Ken Webster, written and performed by Ken Webster. HPT Artistic Director will share twenty interesting facts about his life. Only one of them is a lie. Will the audience be able to guess which one is untrue?

The Knuckleball Now, by Mike D'Alonzo, Lee Eddy, Craig Kotfas, and Ace Manning. Fast-paced, improvisation using TKN's peak n' pop method of performance.

Tonight's shows now reflect actual performance order.

Keep Austin Weird, by Alex Vletas, Russell Reed, Molly Lippert, Kelsey Kimble. In our show we give voice to how technology and business has played a part in creating a culture of gentrification. This city is changing and this show gives that change a voice.

[ fennel ], by Cris Edwards. Robots full of bees.

Ken Webster is Going to Houston, written and performed by Ken Webster. University of Houston alum Ken Webster tells you about his upcoming trip to Houston to perform Wakey, Wakey, by Will Eno, on the University of Houston campus, 43 years after he last attended college there. He’s incredibly excited and terrified. Find out why.

Love and Loss, Night One, by Tristan Mercado, Max Langert, Rich Harrison; produced by Marla Porter. Tristan Mercado, Max Langert, and Rich Harrison tell true stories of love and loss.

Girls Girls Girls Improvised Musicals, by Amy Averett, Caitlin Sweetlamb, Cynthia Oelkers, Kimberly Finkelman, Megan Flynn, Sarah Doering, Shana Merlin. Girls Girls Girls is Austin, Texas’ longest running all-female musical theater improvisation troupe. Our specialty is creating full-length improvised Broadway musicals from a single audience suggestion. In other words the Girls and their live musician make up the songs, dances, characters and stories to create one complete, blow-your-socks-off musical . . . and we do it completely on the fly.

Shows are now listed in performance order.

Ame.e.rica, by Anne Elizabeth Wynn
One citizen; one noone will on stage
be very American which is of course be very curiousproudwillinglovingbelligerentwounded
lookinglookinglookinghopingdreamingmoring
andLord&Buddha&Gaia&Allah&Yahweh&etalknows
TALKINGTALKINGTALKING about
 What Does It Really Mean To Be American …
by speaking with and to and around and about
the words and stories of Edward Estlin
Cummings

Earl “Pottymouth” Arbuckle: Thanks to Cancer, by Wade Rowland. Earl "Pottymouth" Arbuckle (played by writer/creator Wade Rowland) has come out of a long retirement because he's decided to raise awareness about prostate cancer and the trials a survivor suffers as a result in a series of songs and commentary about navigating the complicated world of romance with extra liabilities.

Hush??, by Jenny Burch, Istvan Gulyas, Jack Kilduff, Neal Ormsbee and Mo Romero. Hush?? improvises an array of correlated scenes in order to highlight the strange relationships and interactions that we encounter in our everyday lives.

The Days of Rodinal and Film, by Katie Svatek. Blaire struggles to find out the truth of what actually happened during her parents' divorce and how her mother was able to retain full custody of her. This play deals with false allegations and asks how far is too far when it comes to protecting one's child?

Nope. No. Uh uh., by Pamela Paek. When the universe encourages you to own your truth and who you are, you abide, and people say: Nope, don’t do that. No, do it like this. Uh uh. Well . . . some things need to be heard, seen, and spoken.

Shows are now listed in performance order.

Pagewood (A Jukebox Musical), by C.M. Gill. Pagewood is a jukebox musical drama that explores the explosive interconnectedness between rock music, religion, and rebellion in a small Texas town in the 1980s.

. . . .ccc---chhhanges!, by Eva Jonshult. When her thirteen year-old child came out as non-binary eight months ago, it made Eva Jonshult question her gender identity and change her own sexuality label . . . yet again.

Darling Is The Night, by Jack Darling (ScriptWorks Commission). A one-person autobiographical magic and storytelling piece written and performed by Jack Darling. This performance is an excerpt from a full-length piece in development. Produced by Christine Darling.

Love and Loss, Night Two, by Christiane Woodley-Erwin, Ellie Erwin, and Faith Anderson; produced by Marla Porter. Christiane Woodley-Erwin, Ellie Erwin, and Faith Anderson tell true stories of love and loss.

Texas Gothic, by Janet Maykus and Tom Booker. Ma and Pa Gothic have lived deep in the heart of Texas all of their lives. They have seen a thing or two, learned a thing or two, and they would be pleased as punch to tell you a thing or two! Join the Gothics as they present Texas Gothic, a stoically hilarious show where the Gothics share their views on politics, gender equality, what makes a good neighbor, and how thy keep their romance alive.

Shows are now listed in performance order.

Rolling My 3rd Eye, by Nancy Reed. Comic Nancy Reed ponders the known unknowns and the little known knowns. "Did you know our DNA emits infrared light? Me, either! We are not dark inside!"

All the Luck in the World, by Raymond V. Whelan. Jimmy Reggiano grows up fast while working for his father Marco in the Boston North End during the early 1960s. A radio play with several characters for three voices. Featuring Sebastian Garcia, Samantha Levine and Raymond V. Whelan and directed by Whelan.

The Ladies Room, Improv. Behind the closed doors of the ladies room you’ll find truth: Real women with real stories that are really funny.

Anak, by Pelita Dasalla. Matilde, a single Filipino mother, struggles to find connection with her Americanized daughter, Katelyn. As their cultures collide, a friend of Matilde’s from the Philippines named Tita Rose comes to visit and reveals several revelations about Matilde’s life that her daughter does not know. It is a heartfelt story about a mother’s way of showing love the only way she knows how and a daughter who yearns for a relationship with her mother who does not show affection.

Identifying Bear, by Tristan Young Mercado. Futuristic look at the pressures of labels in a robotic society and finding your true identity.

Shows are now listed in performance order.

Severe, Chronic, Drug Resistant, by Helen Sneed. What does a patient do when she's diagnosed with severe, chronic, drug-resistant mental illness? How does she fight back when the doctors tell her that she's hopelessly sick? This is the story of one woman's battle to recover, after the experts have told her she never can rejoin the world she's lost.

The Hole Puncher, by Joy Lin. A series of gruesome crimes have been committed, but the suspect isn't who you'd imagine. A Horror/Comedy play.

Work in Progress, by Jennifer Bloom. Life is a work in progress. Poet, singer, scholar Jennifer Bloom shares poetry, songs and stories to weave a tapestry of connection. At times playful, metaphysical, and raw, Work in Progress is an exploration of what it means to be human. Side effects may include smiles, deep appreciation for the journey, and the feeling of your heart opening.

Stagnation: When Is It My Turn Bitch?, by Ellen Bartel. A movement performance that expresses a state of frustration brought about by the feeling of underachievement and never getting anywhere in life—dark humor.

Soldier of the Cross, by Sally Seitz. If you are livin' for the Lord, won't you give a dollar? A one woman show conceived and created by Sally Seitz and Eliza Renner.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

An Evening With Amelia Young, by Ammon Taylor. Amelia Young, pianist, socialite, and 25th wife of the Mormon prophet Brigham Young, presents an evening of music theory, Mormon theology, and general entertainment. Ann Eliza Young, wife no. 19, will also make a brief appearance.

Texas Book of Beasts—Year of the Gar, by Jeff Irvin. Series of extremely short skits dealing with daddy longlegs, dioramas, bats, javelinas, ocelots, crickets, frogs, toads, quail, rattlesnakes, ostriches, warts, and, of course, a gar.

Instructions for a Séance, written and performed by Katie Bender. Part DIY séance, part exploration of ambition and motherhood, Instructions for a Séance is one woman's imperfect attempt to contact Houdini from the beyond.

Wild Women/Wild West . . . or How the West Was Fun. An original vignette written and performed by Sandra Foster Lovas and Laura Foster Ikel (LAF). They present three misunderstood frontier femmes, defying social norms to chase eccentric goals. One shot her way to fame, amazing all; one danced her way to fame, seducing all; one built her way to fame, determined not to complete her topsy-turvy home. All are sparkling examples of How the West Was Fun!

Cowgirl Church, created by The Heartland Theatre Collective. Cowgirl Church is a pseudo-religious ceremony that uses rituals and audience interaction to celebrate women in Texas, from our friends and family to influential historical figures. The creative team includes Marian Kansas (Director), Nicole Oglesby (Writer/Performer), and Katy Matz (Performer), Franny Harold (Performer), and Alani Chock (Performer).

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

SPINE SOUP, by Nina Di Leo. Spines in the streets, nothing in the fridge. An absurdist recipe for feeding strangers, making something out of nothing, and setting a new place at the table. Directed by Randy Wachtel. A: Mandy Heinold B: Sam Hankins C: Randy Pollard. Premiered August 10, 2018 at the Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art, Victoria, TX.

Swift Mercy, by Sandy Maranto. A young mother faces trial as the very driven Assistant District Attorney in charge of prosecuting her faces conflict from her peers, her mother, and even herself. Directed by Rosalind Faires, this play is being performed by Yesica Betancourt, Barbara Chisholm, Karina Dominguez, Alex Maranto, and Cathie Sheridan.

Jomo & The Possum Posse Present: Leave This Blank. We'll Fill It In Later, by Jes Clifford, Jomo Edwards, Chris Steakhouse and Brian Wolfe. The band brings its unique brand of comedy and music to the small stage. Well . . . to a different kind of small stage.

Jimmy’s Last Supper, by Randy Wachtel. Jimmy and Bobby are good ole boys who decide to have one final meal together when Jimmy decides to call in his one last and fatal favor from Bobby. Directed by Mandy Heinhold, and featuring Randy Pollard as Jimmy and Randy Wachtel as Bobby.

Hobo Camp, by Kyle John Schmidt (ScriptWorks Commission). When a hobo camp appears in her neighbor’s yard, Bonnie gets suspicious. A whimsical new play from the seven-time Best-of-Fest-winning team of director Elizabeth C. Lay and writer Kyle John Schmidt.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

Love and Loss, Night Three, by Jim Trainer, produced by Marla Porter. Writer and rocker Jim Trainer celebrates the boons of the inner life while wagering the cost.

POCs just wanna have FUN - an experiment, by Leng Wong.
An experiment.

Roommates, by Marianne Serene. Two politically polar opposite roommates seek the assistance of a new voice-controlled virtual assistant to ensure the neutrality of their new roommate. Will they be able to all get along?

Four by Five, by Edwin Wise and Cortney DeAngelo. Four slice-of-life vignettes. Two people adrift in the same current.

The Closet Scenes from Fumbling for the Knob, by James Dean Jay Byrd. A staged reading of two scripted chapters from the recently completed memoir Fumbling for the Knob, which looks at the author’s closeted upbringing in a Fundamentalist Christian household and his finding his way through depression to his unique place in the world as a queer artist. Performed by Jay Byrd and Kelli Bland.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

Still Me, by Pelita Dasalla. Donna is a fifty year-old woman who recently lost her sight from an eye disorder. Before losing her sight, she was a nurse for twenty years. As her story unfolds, Donna shares her challenges and how she overcame her struggle as a victim of domestic violence, to losing the love of her life, and finding her purpose without sight.

The Boston Girl—Chapter 1, by Anita Diamant. Samantha Levine recites the first chapter of Anita Diamant's novel. Directed by Raymond V. Whelan.

Highly Watchable. Improv! This Will Be Entirely Made Up RIGHT NOW. All women's improv troupe in Austin . . . We perform quirky, heartfelt narrative from silly to sing-y to sublime. Alpacas may appear.

Urine Trouble, by James E. Burnside. A late middle-aged man discusses his prostate.

Rook, by Sarah Marie Curry, Cat Drago, Megan Sharrod, and Walter Nichols. Rook is a modern musical improv troupe from Austin, Texas. Using a unique blend of synth and piano, drama and comedy, improvisation and theatrical training, Rook presents the cutting edge of musical improv. Discovered on the spot, emotional and poignant, hilarious and cerebral, this off-off-off-broadway show will be surprising, delightful, and oh-so-well sung. With award winning actress Sarah Marie Curry, improvisor extraordinaire Cat Drago, classically trained opera singer Megan Sherrod, and composer and pianist Walter Nichols, Rook is good because of training and amazing because of improv.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

Far From Avalon, by written by Lorella Loftus with original music by Vikki Schwarz. The Isle of Avalon is in crisis, and the Lady Vivienne must try to save it. This musical monologue features Lorella Loftus, Angela Loftus and Vikki Schwarz.

FLUSHED, by Alex Broun. This play revolves around a couple who just made love but are now stuck in a conversation about the environment. The guy tries every trick in the book to get out of this but the girl is hell bent on driving him into the ground. His case could have been stronger, had he not FLUSHED.

Welcome to Blackstone, by Joy Cunningham. Something’s gone wrong in my home town. Should we try to save it? Or just let it die?

Love and Loss, Night Four, by Rosemary Hook, Christine Schiele, and Helen Sneed; produced by Marla Porter. Rosemary Hook, Christine Schiele, and Helen Sneed tell true stories of love and loss.

Trolls, by Tristan Young Mercado. Millennial trolls prove their worth in a tradition-based culture.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

The Original Coven, by Jennine “DOC” Krueger, Tova Charles, Amber Wilson. Three black women come together to discuss issues in society ranging from love to mental health to police brutality. This is told through the lens of witches and magic. By evoking the true power of Black Girl Magic, they explore the dark and light parts of the same spirit that connects black women.

Medea, by Euripides, translation by Ian Johnston. In this performance, the Sacred Clowns Theatre Project presents their interpretation of Euripides' two-thousand-year-old play about a woman fighting to be heard in a society where she feels betrayed by men and those in power. Swimming through her grief and anger, she summons her strength to achieve not vengeance but what she considers to be her justice. What will one person sacrifice to make their voice heard? Alex Garza, Ty Wiley, Katrin Otterness, and Keira Marti explore this timeless tale through a contemporary, 25 minute staging.

Big Guy, by Max Langert (ScriptWorks Commission). When Lucy brings her new friend Tina home to meet the parents, her father isn't quite what he appears to be. Directed by Ellie McBride.

All the Lovely People, written and directed by Raymond V. Whelan. John Lennon, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie are watching us. Featuring Sebastian Garcia as John Lennon, Samantha Levine as Eleanor Rigby and Raymond V. Whelan as Father McKenzie.

Never-Ending, by Robert Faires. The final monologue in a trilogy of FronteraFest entries about the struggles of an aging reporter who may also be a superhero.

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

Space Sucks, by D Chang. A handful of interstellar colonists journeys toward a mysterious planet. Mostly they grouch, dream, and try to avoid reading neurotic messages from Starship Command and the other colony pods. But soon they will find out more about their destination than they want to know.

Less Than A Capella, by Hank Schwemmer. Expect delays.

Or Bits, by Luke Wallens. In a constellation of short scenes, two astronauts find themselves trapped in different rotational orbits around a dwarf planet. This tale of connection, loss and reconnection engages puppetry, black light, and humor to explore how relationships come full circle.

Will and Bill, by Jeremy Sweetlamb and Mike D'Alonzo. Will and Bill is inspired by the so-called Austin Bomber that gripped the city briefly in 2017. It represents the first long form(ish) collaboration of Austin artists and longtime chuckleheads Mike D’Alonzo and Jeremy Sweetlamb. Perhaps more known for their improvisational exploits as parts of The Knuckleball Now, Available Cupholders, or numerous other comedy projects over the past twenty-plus years, Mike and Jeremy have previously written together in shorter bursts of lesser importance.

Did You Find What You Were Looking For?, by Tom Booker. Tom Booker has been working in theater for over thirty years; he has the paltry bank account and retirement fund to prove it! Six months ago, in order to make a little extra cash, interact with people during the day, and stop wasting so much time reading self-help books, Tom became a cashier at Home Depot. During that time he has learned a lot about life, people, and himself. Join Tom Booker while he tells of his hilarious adventures while "Living The Orange Life," where he has become a part-time handyman, part-time therapist, part-time philosopher, and full-time guy just trying to get by!

Tonight's shows are now listed in actual performance order.

Clap Cabaret: The Improvised Cabaret!, by Zach Muhn and Cami Alys. This fully made-up cabaret performance features singing, dancing, puppets, proclamations, pageantry, and a magical performance from our mysterious diva! We promise that laughter will issue forth from your chuckle-hole in mind-shattering waves, and cause you to, you know, clap!

Please Stay, by Gloria C. Adams, Max Perry, and Teresa Johnson. Please Stay. Normal culture dictates that even on your worst day, when your brain has fallen out and you’re at the end of your hope, when someone asks, “How are you?” you must say, “Fine.” But through honesty, authenticity, and connection, three poets survive themselves by talking it out—if you can say it, you can survive it. We’re glad you’re here; Please Stay. Content Warning:: this show discusses experiences of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and the struggle for survival. Directed by Gloria C. Adams, produced by Teresa Johnson.

The Gods of Disdainful Judgment, by Sandy Maranto. A monologue delivered from the perspective of a woman who's at odds with her daughter over what is and what isn't sexual assault but who also falls into an unexpected epiphany. Directed by Karina Dominguez and performed by Austin actress Cathie Sheridan.

Cap Stargazer and the Amazon Women of Mars, by Stephen Bittrich. A parody of old time radio theatre—in this case, the genre is the space adventure series like Flash Gordon.

You’re Invited to Tuscan’s 4th Birthday Party!, written and performed by Lee Eddy

Hooray! Our sweet Tuscan turns 4 and we want to celebrate with you! There will be a bounce house, petting zoo, and pony rides, so get ready for some fun! And come hungry! We’ll have all of Tuscan’s favorite foods on hand! (And a margarita machine and tapas for parents only! LOL! ;))

No presents, please! Your presence is present enough!

We look forward to celebrating with you! Hooray for Tuscan!

Sincerely,

Tabitha, Rick, Tuscan, and Ryder