Pics from DINOSAUR AND ROBOT STOP A TRAIN with Sundown

Audacity Solo Salon - Autumn 2015

Maggie Gallant, Kris Noteboom and Danielle Martin

The aim of the Audacity Solo Salon is to support and nurture both established and emerging solo performers in the north Texas area. It is also a way to extend the mission of the annual Dallas Solo Fest beyond just the festival itself.
This quarterly series will be a way for solo artists to rehearse, experiement and develop their work in front of supportive audiences. Come on out and see a new one-person show in progress...

This fifth event in a quarterly series from Audacity Theatre Lab will feature excerpts from pieces in development by Maggie Gallant, Kris Noteboom and Dani Martin.

Tuesday, November 17 @ 7 pm
At the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park, Dallas TX
For directions and parking information visit... HERE

Admission is P-W-Y-C (donations go towards the the 2016 Dallas Solo Fest).
Also BYOB!

Nice write-up about DINOSAUR AND ROBOT STOP A TRAIN

Robert Linder as Robot and Janelle Schroeder as Dinosaur

DINOSAUR AND ROBOT STOP A TRAIN 
By Chris David Taylor | Sun. Nov. 8, 2015 | DiscoverDenton.com

Friday night I found myself out on the town looking for something to do, and the Sundown Collaborative Theatre/Audacity Theatre Lab co-production of Brad McEntire’s “Dinosaur and Robot Stop a Train” fit the bill.

First produced as part of the Dallas’s FIT Festival in 2013, McEntire and Sundown have restaged this delightfully absurd piece of theatre in little d for two weekends before continuing for two more weekends in the historic Margo Jones theatre in Fair Park.

I wandered over from the always enjoyable Eastside, past the music pouring from the LSA Burger stage and into the Point Bank Black Box Theatre on Hickory. A simple set graced the space, a folding table, a projector and two small models of what I assumed were the stars of the show. McEntire’s work, which I am fairly familiar with, usually has an air of the whimsical and the nostalgic about it, the pre- show sound design adequately prepared me for the show to come. Snippets of old time radio static interspersed with news bulletins about missing ice cream and a coming news conference let me know what the format of the show was going to be.

Formatted like a press conference explaining their actions, a Dinosaur and Robot are brought from their respective time periods in an unexplained phenomenon at just the right moment to save a human girl playing on the train tracks near her house. The train is destroyed and the girl is allegedly saved, although she never makes an appearance for reasons that become clear later on.

Robot, played by Robert Linder, is the main spokes-robot in the play and he introduces his colleague who appears to be a Tyrannosaur played by Janelle Schroeder. We get the backstories of both characters and then jump to the present/past to hear about the incident referred to in the title of the show.

“Dinosaur and Robot Stop a Train” is mostly-family friendly and full of lighthearted jokes, physical humor and even some vaudeville as it can only be performed by a Dinosaur and Robot.


Dinosaur and Robot Stop a Train 
Runtime: 1 hr. 5 mins.
Credits:
Written and Directed by Brad McEntire
Sound Design by Danica Bergeron
Lighting Design by Jack Earl Piland
Cast: Robert Linder as Robot,  Janelle Schroeder as Dinosaur

Original post... HERE

DINOSAUR AND ROBOT STOP A TRAIN: A Co-Production

Audacity Theatre Lab is co-producing with a small and scrappy Sundown Collaborative Theatre. The result will be a remount of my favorite plays DINOSAUR AND ROBOT STOP A TRAIN. 

A press conference is held. A dinosaur from the past and a robot from the future explain about their involvement with a speeding train and how they supposedly saved a stupid little girl from going splat. 

Written and Directed by Brad McEntire
Featuring Robert Linder and Janelle Schroeder

The show will play in two different cities over four weekends. Playing... 

October 30-November 1 and November 6-8 @ 8pm 
 Point Bank Black Box Theatre, 318 E Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201

November 12-15 and 19-22 @ 8pm 
 Margo Jones Theatre, 1121 1st Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210 

To reserve tickets, email: boxoffice@sundowntheatre.org 

More info at: AudacityTheatreLab.com

ROBERT'S ETERNAL GOLDFISH at 2015 Scranton Fringe Fest

ATL Artistic Director Brad McEntire's solo show ROBERT'S ETERNAL GOLDFISH will play at the first ever Scranton Fringe Festival October 3 (@ 6:30 PM) and October 4 (@ 2 PM). 

The show concerns a misanthropic man named Robert J. Roberts. He hates the world. He particularly hates people. Pretty much all people. After a series of strange events lead him to become the unlikely custodian of a magical goldfish, Robert's misanthropic views are seriously challenged. Can a person be frustrated into being a better human being? 

PLAYING AT THE FORAGE SPACE, 310 N WASHINGTON AVE, SCRANTON, PA 18503 

Tickets and info ... HERE

Audacity Solo Salon - Summer 2015

Jeff Hernandez, Erin Singleton and Jeffrey Colangelo

The aim of the Audacity Solo Salon is to support and nurture both established and emerging solo performers in the north Texas area. It is also a way to extend the mission of the annual Dallas Solo Fest beyond just the festival itself. 

This quarterly series will be a way for solo artists to rehearse, experiement and develop their work in front of supportive audiences. Come on out and see a new one-person show in progress...

This second in a quarterly series from Audacity Theatre Lab will feature excerpts from pieces in development by Erin Singleton ("Super MortaL"), Jeffrey Colangelo ("Fight Night") and Jeff Hernandez ("Jon Goes To Mars").

August 2, 2015 at 7:30 pm
At the Margo Jones Theatre, 
1121 First Avenue in Fair Park, Dallas TX 75210
Admission is P-W-Y-C (donations go towards the the 2016 Dallas Solo Fest).

Also BYOB!

The Shows of DSF 2015

Brigham Mosley

Audacity Theatre Lab Announces the Artists and Schedule for the

2015 Dallas Solo Fest

DALLAS, TX – Audacity Theatre Lab is pleased to announce the 2015 Dallas Solo Fest, June 4 -14, 2015 at the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park.  Eight solo shows highlight this inaugural festival with several local performers as well as performers coming in from around the country. 

The second annual Dallas Solo Fest line-up includes:

’33: A Kabarett by Bremner Duthie (New Orleans). ’33 is a 'Kabarett of Ghosts' - recreating the final night in a Berlin cabaret, destroyed by the Security Forces.  In the ruins of a ravaged theatre, the Master of Ceremonies tumbles onto a ruined. His friends and colleagues were beaten and arrested by the authorities.  Only their shattered props and costumes remain.  He intends to give up and vanish into the night. But an audience has slipped through the broken door.  Inspired, the man pays homage to his fallen friends, performing each of their acts.  In these tributes, he gains the strength to carry on. Playing Thursday, June 11 @ 9:00 pm, Saturday, June 13 @ 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 14 @ 3:30 pm

Jeff Swearingen

An American Asshole in France by Jeff Swearingen (Dallas). An American Asshole in France is the story of a socially awkward man just trying to have a decent time abroad. Fate, however, will always take an otherwise magical experience and turn it into a hard knock lesson about one's self. Proving that if you are an unadjusted jerk it will haunt you where ever you go. And even when you're not being one, life will ruin that too. Take delight in one little man's pain, because it will just get worse in this true story that is full of danger, disappointment, and a vast language barrier. Playing Friday, June 5 @ 10:30 pm, Sunday, June 7 @ 8:30 pm, Friday, June 12 @ 10:30 pm

…And Then I Woke Up by Kris Noteboom (Dallas). Kris has known fear ever since he woke up in bed one night screaming, “I don’t want to die.” He was three years old. Through a series of humorous anecdotes, Kris traces his trouble with dreams, both waking and sleeping, real and imagined, as he looks for his “thing” in life. He wrestles with the expectations of family, friends, and society at large. ...And Then I Woke Up is about a guy who makes a decision, hell or high water, to reclaim his dreams and change his life. Playing Thursday, June 4 @ 9:00 pm, Saturday, June 6 @ 10:30 pm,
Sunday, June 7 @ 5:00 pm

Van Quattro

Lord of the Files by Lesley Tsina (New York). Comedian Lesley Tsina (NBC’s Community, HBO’s Funny or Die Presents) worked for a company that made cell phone ringtones. That is, until they announced nine months of layoffs and the entire office descended into savagery. Lord of the Files is a darkly hilarious story about losing your job, losing your mind, and still having to attend an all-company pancake breakfast. Playing Thursday, June 11 @ 7:30 pm, Friday, June 12 @ 9:00 pm, Saturday, June 13 @ 10:30 pm

Mo[u]rnin. After. by Brigham Mosley (Dallas). Mo[u]rnin'. After. is a mythic autobiography for the queer prodigal son - a journey to the ancestors and back to the homeland through magic, musicals, and time travel; dream ballets included. Playing Thursday, June 4 @ 7:30 pm, Thursday, June 11 @ 10:30 pm, Saturday, June 13 @ 9:00 pm

Standing Eight Count by Van Quattro (Dallas). Standing 8 Count is Van Quattro’s hard-knuckled, true account of 1975: the year he spent as a semi-professional boxer. Quattro faces down an opponent more formidable than any he’s faced before: the ghost of his own youth. Standing 8 Count will break your face, your funny bone and your heart. Playing Sunday, June 7 @ 3:30 pm,
Friday, June 12 @ 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 14 @ 5:00 pm

Carla Cackowski

The Seriously Neurotic Dream of Mary Shelley by Carla Cackowski (Los Angeles). Mary Shelley has been challenged to come up with a scary story by a room full of accomplished men. Paralyzed by writer's block, she falls asleep and is confronted by all of her womanly insecurities. History may remember Mary Shelley as an English novelist. But did you also know she was a bossy sister? A bad girlfriend? A so-so mother? And hey - a time traveler! Mary Shelley loves Beyonce! Thursday, June 4 @ 10:30 pm, Friday, June 5 @ 7:30 pm, Saturday, June 6 @ 9:00 pm

Tipped & Tipsy by Jill Vice (San Francisco). Whether you’ve been behind the bar, on a stool, or under a table, this one woman show was written for you. So, join the regulars and order the usual, but tonight… things are gonna change. With her excellent physical performance skills Jill Vice brings to life over a dozen different characters. TIPPED & TIPSY is a hilarious and touching send up of American Bar Culture. Playing Friday, June 5 @ 9:00 pm, Saturday, June 6 @ 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 7 @ 7:00 pm

The 2015 Dallas Solo Fest is a production of Audacity Theatre Lab and will play at the Margo Jones Theatre located at the Magnolia Lounge in Fair Park at 1121 First Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210. Single tickets and Festival Passes for all shows go on sale April 27.  Festival Passes include one admission to each and every festival show and are $55.  Individual ticket prices for each show are $12. Reservations can be made at the Dallas Solo Fest website or by calling (214) 888-6650. Details about the shows, artists’ bios, the full schedule and ticket information at: www.DallasSoloFest.com

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The Down Low in the Dallas Voice

Jordan Tomenga and Jeff Swearingen in THE DOWN LOW

STAGE REVIEW: ‘The Down Low’ 
by Arnold Wayne Jones | May 15, 2015 | DallasVoice.com

Simon (Jeff Swearingen), a fussy high school theater teacher gets a strange phone call from his colleague Aaron (Danny O’Connor), the school’s health teacher. Why has he been beckoned so suddenly? Will they finally become friends? Simon kind of answers the question himself when he asks Aaron: “Why is a naked African-American man dead in your bedroom?” 

And so begins 85 minutes of dark-humored, often poor-taste (but hysterically funny) jokes about gay experimentation, inappropriate parent-teacher relationships, recreational drug use and the Polish secret police. Danny O’Connor also wrote this one-act comedy, called The Down Low, which is performed in front of a tiny 15 audience members in the home of one of the actors in East Dallas (it’s on Mockingbird Lane between Greenville Avenue and Skillman Street). There aren’t many seats available, if any still are in the two remaining performances, but do what you can to snag a few and see grassroots theater artistry that’s so alive, you can overlook how much it’s really about death. 

The plot is wackadoo but strangely believable. Aaron wants to experiment with giving a blow job (“I’m not gay!” he insists, despite all evidence to the contrary) and things go horribly wrong, necessitating he seek help from Simon, the only gay guy he knows. (The implication: Gays are used to disposing of tricks who die brutally; it usually happens between gym and brunch, I suppose.) Aaron’s roommate Jack (Jordan Tomenga), a male nurse, and Jack’s FWB Kassia (Robin Clayton) also get dragged into the plot, which takes more turns than a mountain road before becoming not just dark, but outright menacing. 

There’s much to love in the show, from the intimacy (the whole from of the house is utilized by directed Brian Grunkowski) to the off-handed line-readings (Swearingen and O’Connor are two of the best at what they do) to the deadpan dialogue that sneaks up on you with its sick humor. But say too much and you’ll ruin it. Suffice it to say, it goes where it has to, and takes you along for the ride. By the end, you’re more co-conspirator than watcher. That’s an exciting way to consume theater.

Original... HERE

The Down Low in the FrontRow blog

The More Absurd, the Better in The Down Low’s Hilarious Nightmare
BY LINDSEY WILSON | D Magazine FrontRow Blog | MAY 12, 2015


Two things to know about Danny O’Connor’s new play: it’s crazy, and crazy-good. 

Staged in a home on Mockingbird Lane, this wacky and bloody romp takes place entirely in a living room, where 15 spectators watch as a talented cast falls deeper and deeper into a hilarious nightmare. 

The “home” staging could feel gimmicky, as you crowd your car into the small driveway and amble into the backyard for a pre-show beer (this is actor Jordan Tomenga’s actual residence). But once inside the living room, the immediacy erases any notions of pretention. It’s thrilling to have the actors rush right by you as they enter and exit during the frantic 80 minutes, and the closeness draws you into the ridiculous plight of Aaron (O’Connor), who is nursing a slashed arm and hiding a terrible secret in his bedroom when Simon (Jeff Swearingen) arrives. 

This close-range seating also means that it’s impossible to hide any acting glitches, but that’s not a concern for the uniformly excellent cast. As Simon tends to Aaron’s bleeding arm, he finally cajoles the truth out of the shocked big guy: there’s a dead body in the bedroom, and Aaron is the cause. As Simon and Aaron debate how they should handle this bloody elephant in the room, spaced-out roommate Jack (Tomenga) drifts in and out, too high on mushrooms to really notice what’s happening. 

When Kassia (Robin Clayton), the European model girlfriend of third roommate Raymond (Brian Grunkowski, pulling double duty as director) arrives, it becomes outrageously clear that this is not Kassia’s first encounter with a dead body. O’Connor’s dialogue is clever and compact on its own, but with Grunkowski’s direction and the actors’ choices, nearly every line is laugh-out-loud funny. 

Once Raymond, a nurse, returns home from work, everyone is roped into a plan. More details about who the deceased is and how he might be connected to everyone also emerge, and the pieces start to fall into place. 

But just when it seems the play is heading for its conclusion, there’s another knock at the door and Cindy (Mercedes Arndt), a love-struck student, arrives with suitcase in tow. Arndt, a newcomer, is pitch-perfect as the highschooler who’s obsessed with Aaron (her health teacher). She’s the crazy catalyst in an already nutso situation, but her addition feels absolutely perfect rather than over the top.  
That’s the thing about The Down Low: the more absurd, the better. But in the midst of all this ludicrous action, each of the actors still manages to make their characters feel human rather than cartoonish. It’s this hint of reality that might make you consider what you would do in this situation. 

But do yourself a favor and go see this production instead of finding out for yourself.

Original post... HERE

Dallas Solo Fest 2015 coming soon...

Kris Noteboom

Dallas Solo Fest 2015 Lineup Announced!

Eight one-person shows converge on the DFW-area

DALLAS, TX – Audacity Theatre Lab is pleased to announce the 2015 Dallas Solo Fest, June 4-14, 2015 at the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park.  Eight solo shows highlight this second year festival with several local performers as well as performers coming in from around the country. 

This second annual Dallas Solo Fest line-up includes Bremner Duthie’s ’33: A Kabarett, Jeff Swearingen’s An American Asshole in France, Kris Noteboom’s And Then I Woke Up,  Lesley Tsina’s Lord of the Files, Brigham Mosley’s Mo[u]rnin’. After., Van Quattro’s Standing Eight Count, Carla Cackowski’s The Seriously Neurotic Dream of Mary Shelley and Jill Vice’s Tipped & Tipsy.  Collectively, these performers represent a wide variety of solo performance styles from storytelling, cabaret and clown pieces to pieces that defy easy categorization. 

Produced by Brad McEntire, the 2015 DSF will be the second annual Dallas Solo Fest after last year’s inaugural DSF 2014. The purpose of the Dallas Solo Fest is to celebrate extraordinary solo theatre as well as increase awareness and appreciation for the form in the north Texas area.

Jill Vice

The Dallas Solo Fest will be produced by Audacity Theatre Lab and will play at the Margo Jones Theatre. Located at the Magnolia Lounge in Fair Park at 1121 First Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210, the Margo Jones Theatre features ample free, well-lit parking, access to the DART Rail and a handy BYOB policy.

Single tickets and Festival Passes for all shows go on sale April 27.  Festival Passes, now on sale, include one admission to each festival show and are $55.  Individual ticket prices for each show are $12. Reservations can be made via the Dallas Solo Fest website or by calling (214) 888-6650. Details about the shows, artists’ bios, the full schedule and ticket information at: www.DallasSoloFest.com

The Down Low in the Dallas Observer

The Down Low Is Like Living Inside a Tarantino Film For 75 Minutes
By Elaine Liner | Dallas Observer | May 6, 2015


Watching Danny O'Connor's new dark comedy one-act The Down Low, set in a 956-square-foot house on East Mockingbird Lane, is like living inside a Tarantino film for 75 minutes. Bad things happen to people just inches away from where you're sitting. Hilarious things, too. Every time there's a knock on that red front door, look out.

There are only 15 seats squeezed into a corner of the front room of the little old frame house in East Dallas where O'Connor, who also stars in his play, and five other actors perform a twisted murder mystery (produced by Audacity Theatre Lab and Octaviar Productions). The cast roams the whole house, though the audience sees only what happens in the living room. It's a semi-immersive experience, with some imagination needed to picture what's said to be going on behind those closed doors and down that darkened hallway.

"How do you get blood out of a carpet?" asks O'Connor's shook-up character, Aaron, at the top of the play. Aaron's best friend Simon (a wonderfully twitchy Jeff Swearingen) has just arrived, summoned by Aaron to deal with an emergency situation in a back bedroom.

There's the body of a dead brain surgeon back there, lying naked next to Aaron's bed. A little misunderstanding during a sexual encounter has left the surgeon deceased and Aaron with a gushing stab wound in his left arm. Aaron's not sure what to do about the "sorta murder" he's committed, which he tells Simon began with his answering a Craigslist sex ad. "Craigslist! Have some self-respect," huffs Simon.

Before long, the living room gets crowded. Roommate Raymond (Brian Grunkowski, who also directed) wafts in from his bedroom, looped out on mushrooms and oblivious to Aaron and Simon's panic over the corpse. Roommate Jack, a nurse in blue scrubs, bops in from his shift at the hospital and starts drinking heavily. His Polish-model girlfriend Kassia (Robin Clayton, great at deadpan delivery) leads Jack to another bedroom for a quick boff before they're informed about the dead body. Then comes Cindy (Mercedes Arndt), a precocious teen who's stalking Aaron, who happens to be her high school health teacher. She's swept into the plan to dispose of the body and seems unfazed by all of the nefarious goings-on.

More blood and nasty secrets are spilled by these character in the R-rated (for language and fluids) play. The Down Low's writing is devilishly fresh -- O'Connor's biographical one-man show Bouncing Ugly was a hit at last summer's Dallas Solo Fest -- and the acting is tempered to the right level of reality for the in-your-face space. 

O'Connor, who's in this 30s, shows more subtlety as a writer than as an actor. He's a big, hulking bald guy, which gives his scenes with the much-shorter, slighter Swearingen a visually funny Laurel-and-Hardy contrast. But he's a delicately specific playwright, putting pointed details into his dialogue that give his characters texture. Kassia isn't just a model, for example, but a model for "trade shows for Swiss chocolates and pajama jeans." 

Grunkowski, as director, makes the house environment a flexible stage for the actors to prowl. The timing of entrances and exits feels natural and the choreography of a silent action scene in and out of the kitchen is tight and funny. 

One late-in-the-show jiggling of the front door knob has a jump-out-of-your-seat effect on the audience. And that's not the last entertaining surprise that arises from The Down Low. 

The Down Low continues through May 16 at 5922 E. Mockingbird Lane (between Greenville Avenue and Skillman Street, the house with the red door). Tickets, $15, 469-546-9127 or audacitytheatrelab.com/tickets.

Original Post... HERE

2nd Annual Dallas Solo Fest announced

Bremner Duthie

Second Dallas Solo Fest Announced 
Four locals and four out-of-towners will perform in Audacity Theatre Lab's second annual Dallas Solo Fest in June. 

by Mark Lowry | Thursday, April 16, 2015 

Dallas — The line-up for Audacity Theatre Lab's second 2015 Dallas Solo Fest has been announced. The event happens June 4-14 at the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park. The DSF launched in 2014, and although founder/producer Brad McEntire was uncertain if it would be an annual undertaking, it's great that we can say this year's will be the second annual event. 

This year's crop features eight solo performers, four local and four from out of town. The locals are Jeff Swearingen, Brigham Mosley, Van Quattro and Kris Noteboom—you might recognize the latter as a critic for TheaterJones. Quattro will reprise Standing Eight Count, recently seen at WaterTower Theatre's Out of the Loop Fringe Festival. 

The full list of performers and works (more about the shows is below): 

• Carla Cackowski’s The Seriously Neurotic Dream of Mary Shelley 
• Bremner Duthie’s ’33: A Kabarett 
• Brigham Mosley’s Mo[u]rnin’ After 
• Kris Noteboom’s And Then I Woke Up 
• Van Quattro’s Standing Eight Count 
• Jeff Swearingen’s An American Asshole in France 
• Lesley Tsina’s Lord of the Files
• Jill Vice's Tipped & Tipsy 

Lesley Tsina

For the second year, TheaterJones is the official media sponsor of the event, so look for upcoming events, ticket giveaways and contests. 

The Dallas Solo Fest will be produced by Audacity Theatre Lab and will play at the Margo Jones Theatre. Located at the Magnolia Lounge in Fair Park at 1121 First Ave., Dallas, the Margo Jones Theatre features ample free, well-lit parking, access to the DART Rail, and a handy BYOB policy!

Single tickets and Festival Passes for all shows go on sale April 27. Festival Passes, now on sale, include one admission to each festival show and are $55. Individual ticket prices for each show are $12. Reservations can be made via the Dallas Solo Fest website or by calling 214-888-6650. Details about the shows, artists’ bios, the full schedule and ticket information at: www.DallasSoloFest.com 

Here's a description and performance times for each show: 

 ’33: A Kabarett by Bremner Duthie (New Orleans). ’33 is a 'Kabarett of Ghosts' — recreating the final night in a Berlin cabaret, destroyed by the Security Forces. In the ruins of a ravaged theatre, the Master of Ceremonies tumbles onto a ruined. His friends and colleagues were beaten and arrested by the authorities. Only their shattered props and costumes remain. He intends to give up and vanish into the night. But an audience has slipped through the broken door. Inspired, the man pays homage to his fallen friends, performing each of their acts. In these tributes, he gains the strength to carry on. Playing Thursday, June 11 @ 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 13 @ 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 14 @ 3:30 p.m. 

 An American Asshole in France by Jeff Swearingen (Dallas). An American Asshole in France is the story of a socially awkward man just trying to have a decent time abroad. Fate, however, will always take an otherwise magical experience and turn it into a hard knock lesson about one's self. Proving that if you are an unadjusted jerk it will haunt you where ever you go. And even when you're not being one, life will ruin that too. Take delight in one little man's pain, because it will just get worse in this true story that is full of danger, disappointment, and a vast language barrier. Playing Friday, June 5 @ 10:30 p.m., Sunday, June 7 @ 8:30 p.m., Friday, June 12 @ 10:30 p.m. 

 …And Then I Woke Up by Kris Noteboom (Dallas). Kris has known fear ever since he woke up in bed one night screaming, “I don’t want to die.” He was three years old. Through a series of humorous anecdotes, Kris traces his trouble with dreams, both waking and sleeping, real and imagined, as he looks for his “thing” in life. He wrestles with the expectations of family, friends, and society at large. ...And Then I Woke Up is about a guy who makes a decision, hell or high water, to reclaim his dreams and change his life. Playing Thursday, June 4 @ 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 6 @ 10:30 p.m., Sunday, June 7 @ 5:00 p.m. 

 Lord of the Files by Lesley Tsina (New York). Comedian Lesley Tsina (NBC’s Community, HBO’s Funny or Die Presents) worked for a company that made cell phone ringtones. That is, until they announced nine months of layoffs and the entire office descended into savagery. Lord of the Files is a darkly hilarious story about losing your job, losing your mind, and still having to attend an all-company pancake breakfast. Playing Thursday, June 11 @ 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 12 @ 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 13 @ 10:30 p.m. 

 Mo[u]rnin. After. by Brigham Mosley (Dallas). Mo[u]rnin'. After. is a mythic autobiography for the queer prodigal son - a journey to the ancestors and back to the homeland through magic, musicals, and time travel; dream ballets included. Playing Thursday, June 4 @ 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 11 @ 10:30 p.m., Saturday, June 13 @ 9:00 p.m. 

 Standing Eight Count by Van Quattro (Dallas). Standing 8 Count is Van Quattro’s hard-knuckled, true account of 1975: the year he spent as a semi-professional boxer. Quattro faces down an opponent more formidable than any he’s faced before: the ghost of his own youth. Standing 8 Count will break your face, your funny bone and your heart. Playing Sunday, June 7 @ 3:30 p.m., Friday, June 12 @ 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 14 @ 5:00 p.m. 

 The Seriously Neurotic Dream of Mary Shelley by Carla Cackowski (Los Angeles). Mary Shelley has been challenged to come up with a scary story by a room full of accomplished men. Paralyzed by writer's block, she falls asleep and is confronted by all of her womanly insecurities. History may remember Mary Shelley as an English novelist. But did you also know she was a bossy sister? A bad girlfriend? A so-so mother? And hey - a time traveler! Mary Shelley loves Beyonce! Thursday, June 4 @ 10:30 p.m., Friday, June 5 @ 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 6 @ 9:00 p.m. 

 Tipped &Tipsy by Jill Vice (San Francisco). Whether you’ve been behind the bar, on a stool, or under a table, this one woman show was written for you. So, join the regulars and order the usual, but tonight… things are gonna change. With her excellent physical performance skills Jill Vice brings to life over a dozen different characters. TIPPED & TIPSY is a hilarious and touching send up of American Bar Culture. Playing Friday, June 5 @ 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 6 @ 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 7 @ 7:00 p.m. 

The Down Low poster art

The Down Low

The Down Low 
A New Dark Comedy (in an Old House) 
by Danny O'Connor 
Directed by Brian Grunkowski 

When the nude body of a recently slain man is discovered in Aaron's bedroom, his friends and roommates one by one must decide whether they should go to the police or protect themselves from what would come if they did. The play all takes place in the living room of a real home and playgoing capacity is maxxed out at fifteen seats, so the audience is right there in the room, witnesses to these characters as they continue to make the worst possible decisions in moments of very real, completely avoidable crisis. 

THE DOWN LOW is a hilarious new play with undercurrents of the fear, optimism, loneliness and selfishness that permeate middle-class white America. 

Featuring Jeff Swearingen, Jordan Tomenga, Robin Clayton, Danny O'Connor, Brian Grunkowski, and introducing Mercedes Arndt. 

Produced by Audacity Theatre Lab and Octaviar Productions. 

5922 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas TX 75206 
April 30 May 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 

All shows start at 8:00 pm, seating starts at 7:45 pm 
Tickets $15... cash or credit at the door. 
 Reservations HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Extremely LIMITED SEATING! 15 Seats per show! For reservations/ tickets call (469) 546-9127 or for online ticketing click... HERE

Pics from CYRANO A-GO-GO

CYRANO A-GO-GO wins Best of Fest

Brad McEntire in Cyrano A-Go-Go

‘The Spark,’ ‘I’ll Regret This Tomorrow,’ ‘Cyrano-A-Go-Go’ win Best of Loop awards 
by Nancy Churnin | DallasNews.com | March 15, 2015 

Out of the Loop passholders selected the three Best of Loop winners at WaterTower Theatre’s 2015 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival: The Spark for the main stage, Cyrano-A-Go-Go for the Stone Cottage and I’ll Regret This Tomorrow for the Studio space. The results were announced by WaterTower Theatre Sunday on the final day of the 10-day festival. 

Each has deep local roots. 

The Spark, a world premiere about a father who tells imaginative stories to his daughter, was WaterTower’s entry in its festival and was directed and written by Kelsey Leigh Ervi, who co-produced the festival with WaterTower’s artistic director Terry Martin. 

Cyrano-A-Go-Go, a monologue about the historical impact of the play, Cyrano de Bergerac, and what it meant to an impressionable young teenager who checked it out of a local library, was the second win in a row for Dallas-based Audacity Theatre Lab and Brad McEntire, the writer and star of the one-man show. 

I’ll Regret This Tomorrow offers a witty cabaret act by New York-based Tori Scott, who grew up in Arlington and wove stories of performing at Theatre Arlington into a performance backed by a three-person band.

Original post... HERE

Audacity Solo Salon - Spring 2015

Lindsay Hayward, Kevin Fuld and John S. Davies

The aim of the Audacity Solo Salon is to support and nurture both established and emerging solo performers in the north Texas area. It is also a way to extend the mission of the annual Dallas Solo Fest beyond just the festival itself. 
 
This quarterly series will be a way for solo artists to rehearse, experiement and develop their work in front of supportive audiences. Come on out and see a new one-person show in progress...

This third in a quarterly series from Audacity Theatre Lab will feature excerpts from pieces in development by John Davies, Lindsay Hayward, and Kevin Fuld.

Curated by Brad McEntire.

Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 7:30 pm
At the Margo Jones Theatre, 
1121 First Avenue in Fair Park, Dallas TX 75210
[map and info here]

FREE! (though a P-W-Y-C donation is suggested)

CYRANO A-GO-GO in the Dallas Observer

Brad McEntire in Cyrano A-Go-Go

Some Strong Solo Turns at WaterTower's 14th Out of the Loop Festival 
By Elaine Liner | Tue., Mar. 10 2015 | DallasObserver.com 

Unrequited love, that hard right to the heart, that sharp cut to the gut, has inspired two good new solo shows by local actor-writers Van Quattro and Brad McEntire. Quattro's Standing 8 Count and McEntire's Cyrano A-Go-Go were audience faves on the opening weekend of the 14th annual Out of the Loop theater festival at Addison's WaterTower Theatre. 

 . . . 

Cyrano A-Go-Go also uses lost love as a theme, weaving in the history of Edmund Rostand's timeless play about the big-nosed romantic who is so insecure around women. Cyrano speaks his passionate thoughts through a handsome (but dumb) surrogate. McEntire unmasks his own hard lessons as a young performer, romantically and professionally. "Unrequited love was, by default, my love of choice," he says at the top of the one-hour show, presented in casual lecture format. 

McEntire acts some of the loveliest bits of Rostand's original Cyrano, occasionally digressing to discuss other topics. He refers to the "optimal experience" and the "flow" of true happiness, which McEntire says he felt as a high school kid in Carrollton, plucking Cyrano de Bergerac off a library shelf and reading it twice in one afternoon. 

"It takes a big-hearted character actor to play Cyrano," McEntire says in his play. And a man who's felt some heartbreak, too. (This one produced by Audacity Theatre Lab goes on again at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13; and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15, in the Stone Cottage at WaterTower.) 

 Out of the Loop Festival continues through March 15 at WaterTower Theatre, 15650 Addison Rd., Addison. Tickets, $10 per show, 972-450-6232. 

Original article... HERE

CYRANO A-GO-GO at OOtL

CYRANO A-GO-GO is an exploration of one restless theatre artist's fascination with the swashbuckling 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. A chance encounter with the script at a suburban public library at the age of 15 leads to a cruel and wonderful calling. Presented as an old-school oration the piece mixes the personal, historical and literary into a journey through Rostand's play.McEntire presents a funny, warm, insightful meditation on the nature of theatricality, the nobility of personal identity and the hard-won lessons of love, unrequited and otherwise. 

Playing as part of the 2015 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival 
 WaterTower Theatre at the Addison Theatre Centre 
Stone Cottage Theatre 
15650 Addison Road, 
Addison, TX 75001 

Saturday March 7 – 5:00 pm 
Friday March 13 – 7:30 pm 
Sunday March 15 – 7:30 pm 

TICKETS: Single tickets to all events go on sale Feb. 24. Festival Passes, now on sale, include one admission to each Festival event and are $65. WaterTower Theatre subscribers receive $10 off each Festival pass. Individual ticket prices for each event are $10 or $15. 

More ticket information at 972-450-6232 or via email at: boxoffice@watertowertheatre.org 

More info... HERE

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 2 is now on YouTube

EYE IN THE SKY is a specially commissioned experimental epistolary radio theatre project developed by Audacity Theatre Lab. 

Audacity Theatre Lab's Artistic Director Brad McEntire hand-selected playwrights from around the country. Each writer was to use the blurb below as a springboard for a 1-3 page contribution. "For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..." 

Episode 2 features pieces by playwrights Erin Courtney, Greg Romero and Daniel Talbott.

CHOP comes home to Dallas

Brad McEntire in CHOP

After years of traveling to venues and festivals around the country Dallas-based playwright/performer Brad McEntire presents his solo show CHOP in a full run in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area January 29 through February 7, 2015 at the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park, 1121 First Avenue, Dallas TX 75210.

CHOP is a darkly comic romance. The piece concerns a man totally isolated from the world around him. A chance meeting with a mysterious tattooed woman leads him to the place he might truly belong… an underground amputation fetish group.

After readings in Seattle (at the Outsider’s Inn Collective) and New York City (Cry Havoc Theatre) McEntire premiered CHOP at the 2010 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival at Addison’s Water Tower Theatre. Since then he has toured and performed the show at multiple venues and festivals, including the Phoenix Fringe Festival, the New Orleans Fringe, Houston Fringe, Portland Mini-Fringe, College of Santa Fe and San Antonio’s Overtime Theatre, 2012 New York international Fringe Festival, Seattle Fringe and New Orleans SoloMania Fest among others. The piece played a two night limited engagement at the Margo Jones Theatre in July 2012. 

 McEntire is delighted to bring the show back to Dallas for a full two week run. The piece was directed and sound designed by Andrew J. Merkel of Brooklyn, NY. Brad McEntire wrote, designed and performs the piece. 

 Brad McEntire is the founding Artistic Director of the small theatre collective Audacity Theatre Lab. He is a playwright, performer, improviser, director and visual artist. He is the creator/producer of the Dallas Solo Fest. More information about his activities can be viewed at: http://www.BradMcEntire.com/ 

CHOP opens at The Margo Jones Theatre January 29, 2015 at 8:00 PM. Plays January 29 – February 7 (Tuesday thru Saturday) at 8:00 PM. Tickets $12 at the door. Information/reservations at: (214) 888-6650 or via email at: audacitytheatrelab@yahoo.com . The Margo Jones Theatre is located at the Magnolia Lounge, Fair Park, 1121 First Ave., Dallas, TX 75210. For more information visit: http://www.AudacityTheatreLab.com/