Nixon Resignation Party w/ Jack's Garage (7:30)

This is a one-night-only staged reading of a new choreopoem by Lisa B. Thompson, offering a spiritual mixtape, praise dance, community guide, self-help book, lullaby, road map, collective diary of prayers and lies, and love song for Black women and girls. Directed by Rudy Ramirez for the Vortex, and featuring performances by Nadine Mozon, Hayley Armstrong, and Sadé M. Jones.

The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body

The Vortex presents two nights of staged readings of Reina Hardy's dynamic play featuring people and puppets, set in the broken worlds of war-torn Kosovo, the Texas migration crisis, and the climate-ravaged future.: Directed by Rudy Ramirez, with puppet design by Glass Half Full's Caroline Reck.

Sunny Days

Get a first taste of scenes and songs from this newly devised work of dance theatre, conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum, with contributions from the ensemble and choreography by Toni Bravo, and writing by Sarah Saltwick.

MotherTree

The Green New Theatre Symposium centers environmental justice over four days of performances, panels, walks, and gardening, with artists, scholars, students, and activists joining to build networks of collaboration, exchange ideas, and work to align practices to face climate crisis in Central Texas.

Green New Theatre Symposium

ProyectoTEATRO, in collaboration with the Vortex, Escándalo! and other Latinx artists, invite you to jump back in time with this comedic and risqué time-traveling journey to discover the origins of the Latino world (well, at least their version of how it all began).

Cabarex: Origenes

ProyectoTEATRO, in collaboration with the Vortex, ¡Escándalo! and other Latinx artists, invite you to jump back in time with this comedic and risqué time-traveling journey to discover the origins of the Latino world (well, at least their version of how it all began).

The B. Iden Payne Awards Council invites the theatremakers and theatregoers of Austin to a convivial gathering as they announce and celebrate the nominees for the 49th annual B. Iden Payne Awards.

B. Iden Payne Awards: Ballot Announcement Party

The B. Iden Payne Awards Council invites the theatre-makers and theatre-goers of Austin to a convivial gathering as they announce and celebrate the nominees for the 49th annual B. Iden Payne Awards.

ProyectoTEATRO, in collaboration with the Vortex, ¡Escándalo! and other Latinx artists, invites you to jump back in time with this comedic and risqué time-traveling journey to discover the origins of the Latino world (well, at least their version of how it all began).

This is the Vortex’s big annual fundraiser, and the company's artists are joining together to create a gigantic extravaganza that will delight all your senses. Bring on your surreal and enter a performance installation cocktail party evoking and embodying Salvador Dali's aesthetic and artistry. Graze from elegant food art on naked bodies, designed with culinary magic and featuring vegan, meat, gluten-free, and dessert options by chef Nic Patrizi.

Salvador Dali's Naked Feast

Albert Lucio and Jake Cordero of the Austin Séance demonstrate tools used by working mediums and employ those tools in modern recreations of old-time séances.

The Austin Séance

The Wheel of the Year inspires this occult burlesque chantry of witches to revel in darkness, wherein all manner of devilry and mischief is allowed. Featuring performances by Blaise Ricin, Fig, Sigh, Mandy Mezcal, Magpie, Sunday Slaughter, Copper Penny, and Allegra Jade Fox.

Malum Malus Burlesque: Samhain

In Zona Gale's classic play – the first play written by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama – Lulu Bett lives with her sister's family and does all the cooking in the house. Spinsterhood seems to be her destiny – until an enthusiastic visitor proposes. Directed by Norman Blumensaadt for Different Stages.

Miss Lulu Bett

In Zona Gale's classic play – the first play written by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama – Lulu Bett lives with her sister's family and does all the cooking in the house. Spinsterhood seems to be her destiny – until an enthusiastic visitor proposes. Directed by Norman Blumensaadt for Different Stages.

This year’s cavalcade of canine capers stars brilliant and talented rescue dogs, including the show's newest stars, Dragonfly and Firefly. Darren Peterson brings his masterful juggling and unicycling, along with a talented cast that includes acro-artists Balyssa Ball and James Kent. The extraordinary holiday entertainmentfrom Circus Chickendog, now in its 12th year of pleasing crowds of all ages, is directed by Melissa McKnight.

The Mutt-Cracker (Sweet!)

Thelemagick calls the Starman's spirit to the Vortex stage with the help of local drag & burlesque talents. Featuring Hibiscus Bloom, Banshee Rose, Good Lucifer, Jack Rabid, Luna Night, Matt Knife, Mutha Goose, Sir Maxim, Louisianna Purchase, and Ginger Snaps.

Tribute to Bowie

Honor the spirit and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with host Ebony Stewart and the community onstage at the Vortex for an open mic night. Bring your poetry to share, or simply come and witness the free-flowing words of others.

MLK Day Open Mic Poetry

ProyectoTEATRO, in collaboration with The VORTEX, returns to the stage with their most recent project, a cabaret trilogy that explores Latin-American history through theatre, dance, musical numbers, sketch comedy, and drama.

CABAREX #2: Revoluziones

Nobody’s suggesting that youth is overrated, but the Eastside’s ever-sizzling Vortex Theatre and World Famous *BOB* unveil a poignant show focused on stories of elders of the queer community. The evening features a cast of five, all over the age of 60, who share 10-minute stories of their personal experiences that invite the audience to discard preconceived ideas of aging. This production is an outgrowth of *BOB*’s Campfire Queer Storytime, hosted monthly at the Vortex, and is sponsored by Rainbow Connections ATX, a program of Family Eldercare. –Wayne Alan Brenner

Amaging!

My face when it’s night and there’s too many poets: U_U. However: My face when I remember April is National Poetry Month and all these poets are here on account of the Library Collective, a group dedicated to supporting the next generation of librarians, library workers, and library stakeholders, and that among the poets performing are Harold Whit Williams, Michael Perret, Faith Gómez Clark, Chelsea Li, Gina Bastone, Sam Trevino, and many more: 0u0. Much to consider, wouldn’t you say? – James Scott

A Night of Too Many Poets

Black cultural studies scholar Lisa B. Thompson’s “theatrical love letter to Black women and girls” premieres to a sold-out crowd this Friday at the Vortex. The choreopoem – which incorporates music, movement, and design, and culminates in an audience dance party – is “about embracing the ‘soft life’ for Black women, whose labor and dedication has sustained people, communities, and institutions,” says Thompson, who conceived of the idea during her 2021 MacDowell artist residency. The show was subsequently developed during a 2023-24 Texas Performing Arts and Fusebox residency, and includes songs co-written with composers Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. and Vince Anthony, as well as collaborations with choreographer Sadé M. Jones. The show runs Thu.-Sun. through May 4, and tickets are selling fast! – Lina Fisher

Past, present, and … Futurx, the latest and final installment of ProyectoTEATRO’s cabaret trilogy covering 500 years of Latin American history. In this part, the multi-talented cast brings to life “the political-toxic relationship between the United States and Mexico, the American Dream, the druglord underworld of Latin America, and the mysterious mermaids of the gulf of Mexico,” as the event copy states. How do they do it? Why, through theatre, music, sketch & improv comedy, and dance: elements which blend together and create an out-of-this-world spectacle inspired by very of-this-world history. – James Scott

Cabarex 3: Futurx

There’s not a single situation on Earth that can’t be made better by puppets. Avenue Q and Team America: World Police prove my point. For some more family-friendly puppet improvements, check out the all-ages production of La Maleta de Maebelle, Glass Half Full’s creative telling of Tricia Tusa’s picture book Maebelle’s Suitcase. It tells the story of a young girl and her bird friend, both of whom yearn to return home to Colombia. With Colombian music by Kiko Villamizar and incredible puppets, made and handled by master puppeteers, Glass Half Full offers a perfect production for all. – Cat McCarrey

Glass Half Full Theatre Presents: La Maleta de Maebelle

The Vortex is a bastion for fearless theatre. For over 30 years their summer youth program has passed that torch to middle and high school students, teaching them to explore the boundaries of what live performance can deliver. This year the talented teens have diligently worked on Thrive, or What You Will, a Shakespeare-inspired introspection on identity. Main character Jeanne changes actors throughout the performance in this feminist take on taxonomy, botany, and one’s place in the world. What a perfect chance to glimpse the universal adolescent struggle. – Cat McCarrey