Arts and Times

This review is going to be shorter than my usual fare, namely because this piece was not my favorite. I returned to the Filigree Theatre after being so impressed with their final show of last season, The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye   . I was excited to discover a new company that seemed to have fantastic taste in new work, and executed that work well - especially in terms of the caliber of talent they employed.  Filigree does three shows a season: one is a classic, one (I believe) is a work by a TX native or resident, and the third is a brand new piece. This season that new piece is Take Care of My Friend , a new play by Kathleen Fletcher, directed (as all their plays seem to be) by Artistic Director Elizabeth V. Newman. Unlike Illusionary  last year which was deeply moving, and intelligent, with (generally) fantastic performances (that show went on to win BroadwayWorld Awards for Leading Performer in a Play (star and writer Ashley Griffin), Best Play, Best New P...

Malcolm Stephenson (Edward) and Ashley Griffin (Claire), Photo by Steve Rogers The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye , a new play by Ashley Griffin, directed by Elizabeth V. Newman and produced by Filigree Theatre is the best work of art that I've seen in a very long time. Writer Griffin (who also plays Claire,) has a Broadway pedigree as a writer and performer, and I'm far from surprised. This is the kind of work that theaters should be investing in, and it is a rare treat for regional audiences to have the honor of experiencing a world premiere of this caliber. Austin residents are in for a phenomenal evening and will get lifelong bragging rights of saying they were the first to see this fantastic work. The piece is difficult to describe because, like the world of magic and magicians in which it is set, there are seemingly infinite layers upon layers of misdirection that, in this case, ultimately lead to a poignant truth. It is a meta show full of twists and turns that leaves a...