BEST OF WEEK #1. Four of the shows that play in tonight's "Best of Week" performance were selected by our panel from the previous week's shows; the fifth was chosen by audience vote. Shows are listed in performance order:

Three Tragedies in 25 minutes or Less, by Shakespeare with modifications by Beth Burroughs. A group of ragtag actors attempt to perform 3 of Shakespeare's Tragedies in the allotted time frame.

St. Stephen's Pier, by Heath Allyn. A trio of scenes examining three different times in the lives of three friends in three different pairings all at the same pier by the ocean.

Vintage Boots, by Jonna Juul-Hansen. The view from 55 . . . or as my 17 year old describes it "that depressing shit."

The Stand-Off, by Christian Jacob Ramon. This is a two-person short play about a cop and a gangster who have a standoff in an alleyway, but come to find out that they are actually from each other's past.

Posse Power, by Jomo and The Possum Posse. The band has figured out how to generate electrical power using musical performance in this comedy musical.

The box office is now closed for this show, but tickets are still available at the theater beginning an hour before the show.


BEST OF WEEK #2. Four of the shows that play in tonight's "Best of Week" performance were selected by our panel from the previous week's shows; the fifth was chosen by audience vote. Shows are listed in performance order:

Flashmandments, by CB Goodman. Sandra shares her epic origin story of freedom when her organs revolt and take over the show with their own tales of suffering, desire, and boredom. Using puppets, Flash Gordon, The Ten Commandments, Buddhist philosophy, and sequins, Sandra’s biggest battle is about to begin. Can Oprah guide her to freedom or will she get sucked into the swamp? Created and performed by CB Goodman (Grackle Jack Productions).

Lightning Girl, by Rita Anderson (ScriptWorks Commission). A surreal fictionalization of how 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke, in 1971, survived a plane crash after her craft was struck by lightning and then had to navigate for 12 days through the Peruvian rain forest. Juliane finds herself in a world of strange & mysterious paradoxes as she faces her personal demons to come to terms with the reality of her own survival. Based on a true story. Directed by Crystal Franz. Featuring Kristin Fern Johnson, Valoneecia Tolbert, Katie Henderson, and Marci Blackwell.

How To Say You’re Afraid of Commitment in 140 Characters Or Less, by Valerie Nies. A standup/one-woman hybrid performance that answers questions like: Do our wounded inner children make all of our relationships polyamorous? Writer and performer Valerie Nies (McSweeney's, Reductress, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival) explores the humor in breakups, relationship self-help, and all that she learned from finally finishing the book Attached.

Choice, by Addy Lugo, Gloria C. Adams, and Teresa Johnson. Choice. Three people with uteruses meet in the waiting room of an OB-GYN's office as they are confronted with the choices and options available to the people who have the ability to become pregnant. Issues of identity, health, and trauma impact every aspect of the decisions they face. Personal stories, politics, and poetry bring three divergent experiences into an interwoven story of choice, contraception, and control. Content Warning: this show discusses experiences of sexual assault, abortion, and chronic illness. Directed by Gloria C. Adams, produced by Teresa Johnson.

Me-usical: The Musical, by Ragan Fox. A 3-act solo performance in which Fox explores sex, theatre, and death.

The box office is now closed for this show, but tickets are still available at the theater beginning an hour before the show.


BEST OF WEEK #3. Four of the shows that play in tonight's "Best of Week" performance were selected by our panel from the previous week's shows; the fifth was chosen by audience vote. Shows are listed in performance order:

An Evening, and Possible Morning with Carl Sagan, by Pete Parsons. A one-man comedic retelling of of the hidden sensual life of PBS Cosmologist Carl Sagan. Join Carl in his condo for the night while his roommate is out of town to hear about his dalliances with the universe and former lovers.

Miss Winnie, by Marla Porter. What happens when a soul meets the Angel of Birth? Come see Miss Winnie and find out! Written and directed by Marla Porter, and starring Kristen Gooch and Svetlana Koutseridi.

Side B, by Daniel Berkowitz. In an effort to escape reality, a man turns to his tape collection.

Still Life, created by Matt Sandbank, is a series of nonverbal shadow puppetry vignettes, each of which depicts one manner of playful absurdity or another.

Bad Neighbors, by Ava Love Hanna (ScriptWorks Commission). The five members of the HOA board in Westdale are here to help protect your property values and field your anonymous complaints about Paul's short-shorts. Follow the deed restrictions and we'll all get along just fine—unless you're from Avondale. We hate those guys. A new comedy by Ava Love Hanna, starring Roxy Becker, Ava Love Hanna, Paul Hanna, Weldon Phillips, and Luke Wallens.

The box office is now closed for this show, but tickets are still available at the theater beginning an hour before the show.


BEST OF WEEK #4. Four of the shows that play in tonight's "Best of Week" performance were selected by our panel from the previous week's shows; the fifth was chosen by audience vote. Shows are listed in performance order:

When You . . . , by Chuy Zarate. This is going to be a performance of a smaller version of a piece that will hopefully grow to a larger piece. It is a kind of "How To" be an alcoholic in recovery. It is all told from the perspective of the presenter who suffers from cirrhosis of the liver. This is a chronic condition. The basic theme is redemption. We explore how any human can “screw up.” Any human can work for redemption. Any human can be OK. Conceived by David Yeakle and Estevan J. (Chuy) Zárate. Directed by David Yeakle.

I'm Still Leaving, by Molly Fonseca and Anikka Lekven. Anna and Josie’s relationship has never been easy, but blood is thicker than water, right? Broad Theatre’s original work fuses dance and theatre to explore the at times strenuous, at times goofy, always loving, relationship between two sisters and how it can all change in the blink of an eye.

Please Do Not Touch the Art, by Sally Seitz (ScriptWorks Commission). A comedic short play about female friendship and its ability to withstand both change and crisis.

Enlightened, by Tristan Young Mercado. Two staff writers attempt to appeal to a broader audience by creating marginalized characters that take on a life of their own.

The Triumphant Return of the Wussy Boy Chronicles, by Big Poppa E. Three-time HBO "Def Poetry" veteran Big Poppa E brings his unique brand of stand-up comedy, performance-based poetry, and dramatic monologue back to FronteraFest for the first time in a decade. The former Austinite was named Best of Fest nine times during a ten-year run of FronteraFest, so this set will be a sweet return to the Hyde Park Theatre stage.

The box office is now closed for this show, but tickets are still available at the theater beginning an hour before the show.