DAYLAN HILLIS on BroadwayWorld

 

The 22nd Festival of Independent Theatres Goes Virtual

The festival will present STRIKE!, PLANT MOM, DAYLAN HILLIS IN SPACE and more.

by BWW News Desk Sep. 16, 2020  

The 22nd Festival of Independent Theatres has had to change its style, but the FIT is as perfect as ever. This annual mainstay of the DFW performing arts scene switches to a virtual, on demand format this year and will be held October 8-31. Six performing arts groups offer audiences something for everyone and for the first time ever, viewing on demand and from the comfort of home. One of the most beloved features of the area's longest running theatre festival still remains: Two show blocks are available for one low ticket price, so viewers can try out something new, as well as festival passes so they can explore it all. This year's line-up features original works, dance, comedy, drama and more. All performed by some of FIT audiences' favorite artists:

STRIKE!- VENA CAVA PRODUCTIONS

Written by Zoe Kerr
Directed by Zoe Kerr and Jeff Colangelo
Cast: Jeff Colangelo

During previews for a sure-to-be-doomed production of The Tell-Tale Heart: The Musicale, a Stage Manager slowly loses his sanity as he deals with overbearing directors, unprepared understudies and immense guilt over the past. Brought to you by the writer and director of the sold-out drive-in experience, Everything Will Be Fine by Prism Movement Theater, this new one-man show is sure to startle, excite and terrify.

PLANT MOM-VERY GOOD DANCE THEATRE

Created by the Very Good Dance Theatre ensemble
Cast: Valerie Collins, William Acker, Elania Alspach, Colby Calhoun, Danielle Georgiou

Plant Mom focuses on a woman, at home alone with her plants, and explores feelings of isolation, loneliness, distance and the longing for connection that many have recently grown to know more intimately. The question remains: Are these feelings really new, or have we been avoiding them all along?

DAYLAN HILLIS IN SPACE-AUDACITY THEATRE LAB

Written by Brad McEntire and Jeff Hernandez
Directed by Brad McEntire
Featuring Jeff Swearingen

Security guard Daylan Hillis feels underappreciated in his job at a top secret government facility. One night, his otherwise boring shift is interrupted by an encounter with strange intruders and a chance to show what he is really capable of.

LEOS ENSEMBLE- 3X3: THREE SHORT SCENES FROM PRE-MODERN PLAYWRIGHTS

Directed by Nick Leos
Cast: Carissa Aguila, Taylor Mercado Owen, Blake Seabourn, Kelli J. Howard, Caitlin Chapa, Jon Garrard

A trio of powerful, passionate, political works by three trailblazing female playwrights and poets. This triple bill explores traditional themes of art, inclusion and identity from a decidedly feminist perspective and includes An Introduction by Margaret Cavendish, To Lady Anne by Æmilia Bass Lanier and Votes For Women! by Elizabeth Robins.

REDEEMER MINE-LILY & JOAN

Written by J.C. Pankratz
Adapted for Screen by Abigail Birkett, Emily P. Faith and J.C. Pankratz based on the play by J.C. Pankratz Directed by Abigail Birkett and Emily P. Faith

A virtual version of the National New Play Network offering and 2015 O'Neil National Playwrights Conference Finalist. Redeemer Mine focusses on Gloria,who returns home after her sister is caught cremating their mother, the prophet of a small-town doomsday cult. Spooky, heartbreaking, beautiful and sure to deliver a few shivers.

UP THE DOWN LADDER-LAUGHTER LEAGUE

Conceived and performed by Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley

Two eccentric humans deal with isolation by inventing an elaborate story about the infestation of their home by a royal family and their followers. Things soon grow frenzied and a series of farcical chases, violent arguments and ribald accusations ensue, culminating in a surprising, yet tender conclusion brought about by the eviction of these imaginary royals.

Tickets go on sale September 25 @ https://festivalofindependenttheatres.org/

$12 for 2 Show Block
$30 for a Festival Pass
viewing links provided with purchase

Check it out... HERE

DAYLAN HILLIS IN SPACE set to premiere Oct 8!

 Audacity is proud to announce a new digital "theatre" piece...

DAYLAN HILLIS IN SPACE

Jeff Swearingen is Daylan Hillis in this new sci-fi one-man show by Jeff Hernandez and Brad McEntire

Written by Brad McEntire and Jeff Hernandez

Directed by Brad McEntire

Featuring Jeff Swearingen

Playing as part of the 2020 VirtualFIT Festival.

Security guard Daylan Hillis feels underappreciated in his job at a top secret government facility. One night, his otherwise boring shift is interrupted by an encounter with strange intruders and a chance to show what he is really capable of.

Tickets go on sale September 25 @ https://festivalofindependenttheatres.org/

$12 for 2 Show Block
$30 for a Festival Pass
viewing links provided with purchase

Pics from CYRANO A-GO-GO at the 2019 Elgin Fringe Fest

All photos of Brad McEntire performing Cyrano A-Go-Go at the 2019 Elgin Fringe Festival at the Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin, IL. Photo Credit for all pics: Joshua Smith

Announcing CYRANO A-GO-GO at the 2019 Theatre Crude Fringe Fest

Cyrano A-Go-Go is an exploration of one restless theatre artist's fascination with the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. A chance encounter with the script at a suburban library at the age of fifteen leads McEntire into a wonderful, and sometimes elusive, calling. Mixing the personal, historical and literary into a journey through Rostand's play McEntire puts a funny, warm, insightful spin on the usual coming-of-age one-man show.
​
Friday, September 27 at 10:00 pm
Saturday, September 28 at 1:00pm

Playing at the...
The Capital View Event Center,
5201 N Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
[Map HERE]

Tickets $15 and can be purchased... online HERE or at the door.

More Info... HERE

Announcing CYRANO A-GO-GO at the 2019 Elgin Fringe Festival

Cyrano A-Go-Go is an exploration of one restless theatre artist's fascination with the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. A chance encounter with the script at a suburban library at the age of fifteen leads McEntire into a wonderful, and sometimes elusive, calling. Mixing the personal, historical and literary into a journey through Rostand's play McEntire puts a funny, warm, insightful spin on the usual coming-of-age one-man show.

​

Thursday, September 12 at 7:30pm

Friday, September 13 at 9pm

Saturday, September 14 at 10:30pm

Sunday, September 15 at 4:30pm

Side Street Studio Arts, located at 15 1/2 Ziegler Ct, Elgin, IL 60120

Tickets $10

Info... HERE

Pics from BEAST OF HYPERBOREA at the 2019 FIT

All photos of Brad McEntire performing The Beast of Hyperborea at the 2019 Festival of Independent Theatres at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas, TX. Photo Credit for all pics: Audacity Theatre Lab

Nice Write-up about HYPERBOREA on SharpCritic.com

Nice write-up from Christopher Soden on SharpCritic.com

This summer the annual Festival of Independent Theatres featured short plays addressing the theme of Coming of Age. The six I attended were: Leos Ensemble – small hours (Directed by Nick Leos) Lily & Joan Theatre Company– Marilyn, Pursued by a Bear (Directed by Emily Burgardt) Imprint Theatreworks – Dirty Dirty Night Squirrel (Directed by Taylor Mercado Owens) WingSpan Theatre, Co – Jo & Louisa (Directed by Susan Sargeant ) The Very Good Dance Theatre – The 1st Annual Gay Show (Directed by William Acker; Choreographed By Danielle Georgiou) Audacity Theatre Lab – The Beast of Hyperborea (Created by Brad McEntire). Some evinced better than others, though just as in past summers, each had its particular quirks, its peculiar charms.

. . .

Brad McEntire’s The Beast of Hyperborea features an accountant who is horns-waggled into a trip to a remote island in search of a legendary monster. Like poor Bilbo Baggins, he’s not the least interested in risking physical and/or emotional harm for the sake of mind-bending adventure. Beast is a fairly traditional narrative souped up by McEntire to appeal to contemporary audiences. There’s a strong, able-bodied lady, who smokes cigars, and embraces danger with gusto. There’s a misogynistic, stuffy buffoon, a Baron proficient in the martial arts, and a Captain who’s more about canny nerve than bloviating. McEntire knows how to blend the touching with the fanciful, the astonishing with gravitas. While he sometimes seems to be winking at us, at other times his credulity gives this vivid monologue substance and humanity.

The Bath House Cultural Center presents: The 21st Annual Festival of Independent Theatres: Coming of Age, playing July 12th _ August 3rd, 2019. 521 East Lawther Drive, Dallas, Texas 75218. 1-800-617-6904.       www.festivalof independenttheatres.org

See original post... HERE

Frank Garrett weighs in on BEAST OF HYPERBOREA

Local Dallas critic and translator Frank Garrett writes on his blog MyCrashCourse.net...

"The Beast of Hyperborea" - Audacity Theatre Lab - Brad McEntire is a talented performer and a staunch supporter of solo performers in the area. This play wraps an interesting adventure story in a great retro aura. The slideshow at the end of the performance feels tacked on; I think it'd be more effective if it were used throughout the show.

See original post... HERE

FIT Review: The Beast of Hyperborea

A "ripping yarn" in the grand old tradition, from Brad McEntire of Audacity Theatre Lab.

by Jill Sweeney | TheaterJones.com
published Sunday, July 21, 2019

Warning: Spoilers!

Dallas — The Beast of Hyperborea, presented by Audacity Theatre Lab, takes its inspiration from fantastical works by the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle and H. Rider Haggard. Creator and performer Brad McEntire (the driving force behind this cutting-edge “theatre collective”) has put together a truly ripping yarn in classic Victorian style for his one-man entry in the Festival of Independent Theatres.

McEntire plays Edward Joseph Reade, a mild-mannered accountant and sole survivor of a doomed 1895 expedition to the mysterious isle of Hyperborea—fictitiously north of Scotland and south of the Arctic Circle—and home to the titular Beast. Presenting his tale as a sort of lecture to an "unseen" audience, Reade recounts how, after answering a newspaper advertisement seeking a bookkeeper, he was swept up into a series of ever-more dramatic and larger-than-life adventures.

All the characters are portrayed with dazzling nuance by McEntire: famed aeronaut Captain Saltwood; expert mountain climber and martial artist the Baron Frichte; and big-game hunter and all-around adventuress Marie Clemeneau. The daring crew, led by Saltwood, sets out to explore the mysterious and uncharted island where Saltwood’s comrade (and Marie’s father) met his end at the hands of the Beast, leaving behind him a journal detailing his discoveries. The trio of adventurers and the reluctant Reade begin to grow closer as they speed toward their destination, likening themselves to Dumas’ Musketeers. How tragic, then, that Reade alone survives the perilous journey and the violent confrontation with the Beast, and must shoulder the duty of presenting proof of the island’s (and the creature’s) existence.

On a simply lit stage with minimal set and sound design, McEntire commands the space and deftly avoids the common pitfalls of a one-man show. Each character he portrays is distinct without tipping into cartoonish excess. While his Reade is a quiet, self-effacing sort, ill-suited for adventures (as the Hobbits would say, “nasty, dirty, uncomfortable things—make you late for dinner”), Captain Saltwood is a bluff, squinting man’s man. Contrast them with the effete Baron (presented with a competent, if slightly obscure, Germanic accent) and the cool, daring Marie, who dispatches misogynists and monsters with equal élan. The audience was spellbound, reacting with gasps and laughter, and was a hairsbreadth away from outright cheering at an unexpected resurrection. (From the start we know all but one are doomed—but McEntire leaves room for surprise.)

The show’s final, silent moments, accompanied by a cleverly period-accurate slideshow, was unexpectedly poignant. Bravo to McEntire for bringing not only the thrills to his tall tale, but heart as well.

This one’s a “can’t miss” in my book.

» The Beast of Hyperborea is performed:

• 8 p.m. Thursday, July 25
• 8 p.m. Saturday, July 27
• 5 p.m. Sunday, July 28
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3

» The 21st annual Festival of Independent Theatres runs through Aug. 3, 2019 at The Bath House Cultural Center. For more information, visit www.festivalofindependenttheatres.org or call 1-800-617-6904.

To see a breakdown of the groups and shows, go here.

To see reviews and more coverage of FIT, see our special section here.

NOTE: The spelling of character names have been corrected from the original article.

Original article... HERE

The Beast of Hyperborea at the 2019 FIT

Brad McEntire presents the festival-premiere of a thrilling and humorous new one-person show. This Victorian adventure tale concerns a fabled beast, a mysterious island and the brave team of explorers who set off to discover them both.

Playing as part of the 2019 Festival of Independent Theatres,
At the Bath House Cultural Center,
521 E. Lawther Dr. Dallas, TX 75218

July 13 - August 3, 2019

Performances on:
Saturday, July 20, 2019 @ 8 pm
Sunday, July 21, 2019 @ 5 pm
Thursday, July 25, 2019 @ 8 pm
Saturday, July 27, 2019 @ 8 pm
Sunday, July 28, 2019 @ 2 pm
Saturday, August 3, 2019 @ 2 pm

Tickets available... HERE

Pics from the 2019 Dallas Solo Fest

Brigham Mosley performing Critical, Darling!

Sacha Elie performing Who You Calling a Bitch?!?

Justin Lemiuex performing Girl Dad

Erin in the box office

Shea leading Mel Moseley thru tech

Jaye Lee Vocque performing Based On Actual Events

Brad McEntire performing his show Cyrano A-Go-Go

Box office table in the Theatre Too lobby

Sacha Elie performs Who You Calling a Bitch?!?

Carmel Clavin performing The Marvelous Mechanical Musical Maiden

Jeremy Julian Greco in Keeping Up With the Jorgensons

Press from the 2019 Dallas Solo Fest

PRESS / MEDIA MENTIONS FOR THE 2019 DALLAS SOLO FEST

• Solo Fest Review: Keeping Up With the Jorgensons [TheaterJones.com | Jill Sweeney | June 20, 2019]
• Solo Fest Review: Girl Dad [TheaterJones.com | Jill Sweeney | June 20, 2019]
• Solo Fest Review: Sexology: The Musical!  [TheaterJones.com | Martha Heimberg | June 20, 2019]
• Solo Fest Review: Critical, Darling! [TheaterJones.com | Martha Heimberg | June 20, 2019]
• ​Solo Fest Review: Based on Actual Events ​[TheaterJones.com | Martha Heimberg | June 20, 2019]
• A Father of Five Goes to See Theatre Three's Girl Dad, Just in Time for Father's Day [D Magazine | John Gempel | June 12, 2019]
• Reasons To See The 2019 Dallas Solo Fest [YouTube | June 8, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Sacha Elie [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | June 7, 2019]
  Dallas Playwright Brigham Mosley Gets Musical, Dragged-Up and Personal in His Latest One-Man Show
• Dallas Playwright Brigham Mosley Gets Musical, Dragged-Up and Personal in His Latest One-Man Show [DallasNews.com | by Dan Singer | May 7, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Brad McEntire [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | June 4, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Carmel Clavin [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | June 4, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Brigham Mosley [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | June 3, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Jaye Lee Vocque [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | June 2, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Brad McEntire [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | June 1, 2019]
• 18 Can't Miss Shows in Dallas-Ft. Worth  Theater in June [Culture Map Ft. Worth | Lindsey Wilson | May 31, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Justin Lemieux [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | May 31, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Brigham Mosley [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 31, 2019]
• Solo Fest Q-and-A: Melanie Moseley [TheaterJones.com | Haley Nelson | May 29, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Sacha Elie [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 24, 2019]
  ​Dallas Solo Fest @ Theatre Three [GuideLive.com | listing | May 20, 2019}
• ​Dallas Solo Fest @ Theatre Three [GuideLive.com | listing | May 20, 2019}
• TSP Q-And-A with Justin Lemieux [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 21, 2019]
• Audacity Theatre Lab presents 2019 Dallas Solo Fest [Culture Map Dallas | staff | May 17, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Carmel Clavin [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 17, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Jaye Lee Vocque [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 11, 2019]
• Heads Up: 2019 Dallas Solo Fest Announced [TheaterJones.com | JMark Lowry | May 9, 2019]
• Dallas Solo Fest in the Quadrangle [VisitDallas.com | listing| May 8, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Mel Moseley [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 7, 2019]
• Audacity Theatre Lab presents 2019 Dallas Solo Fest [ BroadwayWorld.com | BWW News Desk | May 7, 2016 ]
• 2019 Dallas Solo Fest [Art&Seek | listing | May 7, 2019]
• Keeping Up With the Jorgensons at the 2019 Dallas Solo Fest [VisitDallas.com | listing | May 7, 2019]
• TSP Q-And-A with Jeremy Julian Greco [TheSoloPerformer.com | Grant Knutson | May 1, 2019]