September 2009
Direct Object

DA! Theatre Collective is creating a new full-length version of their Best of Fest production to premiere at Salvage Vanguard Theatre on September 17th. This production, directed by Heather Huggins, was modeled after a famous Russian production, World of Objects and People, which was created by Stanislavzki Prize Honoree Andrei Borisovich Droznin and which has been running in Moscow and touring internationally since the early 1990s.

For this latest incarnation of the DA! debut that started it all, the Collective is very excited to welcome back founding member Robin Grace Thompson and to feature two new performers: DA! intern Wallis Currie-Wood and guest artist Jacob Trussell. The show also features Collective members Lisa del Rosario, Jude Hickey, Heather Huggins, Michelle Brandt, Kirk German, Scott Roskilly, and Stephanie Denson, along with a whole host of crazy objects including a rolling pin, an exercise bungee, a soccer ball, a backpack, a foot locker, a scarf, a picture frame, an umbrella, two coffee mugs, five cat toys, a dozen tennis balls, an Austin Chronicle, and who knows what else, all set to an original live score by Travis Cooper and Melissa Jurrens.

And after September, an abbreviated version of this show will be available for touring to middle schools and high schools throughout the school-year!

November 2009
Leave it to Beverly
Kirk German, DA!'s resident playwright, has been busy lengthening an old Frontera Fest '03 favorite, Leave it to Beverly, which originally debuted to great acclaim in Middlebury, Vermont in 1999. Leave it to Beverly subverts the classic sit-com genre through three interconnected acts: Leave it to Beverly, Trixie Knows Best, and Make Room for Lorraine. Each episode features an archetypal TV female confronting her artificial universe in hilarious and unexpected ways.

Directed by Kirk German and opening at the Off Center on November 5, Leave it to Beverly will feature the talents of all active members of the DA! Theatre Collective, with special guests to be announced soon!

February 2009
Mi Casa es Su Teatro

That's right! DA! will be participating in Frontera Fest 2010 by curating the ever-exciting Mi Casa es Su Teatro! Stay tuned for information on this Austin original featuring a variety of live performances in unusual settings, lots of good eats, and a celebration of all things Frontera!

2009-10 School Year
Heron and Crane

This traditional Russian folktale became internationally known in the 20th century due to the work of award-winning animator Yuri Norshtein; Norshtein created a short film based on the tale in 1974, and went on to receive numerous accolades for his animation.

Last year, our stage adaptation of Heron and Crane was a tremendous hit at over a dozen different venues, reaching over 6,000 students in the central Texas area. 3,000 of those students were able to see the show for free, thanks to our matching program which brings pro-bono arts education into disadvantaged schools. With generous donations from Target and private sponsors, we plan to take Heron and Crane to even more schools this season!

Kirk German, DA!'s literary manager, has adapted this folktale to bring to Austin-area elementary schools; he also serves as co-director for the production alongside DA!'s artistic director, Heather Huggins. The rest of the creative team includes resident choreographer Lisa del Rosario, designers Kerrill Brandt, Jamie Rhodes, Paul Davis, and Pam Fletcher-Friday, and local musicians Travis Cooper and Melissa Jurrens, who have created a charming original score. Jude Hickey plays the role of the rambunctious Crane, and Michelle Brandt is the elegant Heron. The show is entertaining, interactive, insightful, and ready to tour to more schools! Read more about our educational program here.