Ochre House Actors Take Wild Ride In Morphing

Theater Caps are bite-sized punch-packing capsule reviews by resident theater critic Elaine Liner. Use them as a reminder — or a teaser, if you procrastinate — of her full-length reviews in The Mixmaster’s weekly sister. Make Eugene O’Neill’s drama Long Day’s Journey into Night into a knockabout comedy? Who in…

Morphing Drama into Comedy

Just to shorthand it: If The Simpsons did Long Day’s Journey into Night, you’d have Morphing, the latest, funniest, most brilliantly perverse piece of original theater yet by Matthew Posey and his Ochre House gang. It takes a few ticks to realize that the characters in Morphing, written, designed and…

A Familiar Face

Though Brian Stokes Mitchell’s name may not be one you recognize on first mention, he has a face and a voice that you will surely recognize. For more than 30 years, the Tony Award-winning performer has taken to the Broadway stage (Kiss Me Kate), the silver screen (Jumping the Broom)…

Go Northeast for Northwest

Little has changed over the years when it comes to the thriller genre. A clueless everyman protagonist is pursued by daunting enemies for some unknown reason and is forced to work beyond his means in order to survive. It’s the basic premise of dozens of such films, from Marathon Man…

Hot Rod Heaven

James Dean, the epitome of ’50s cool, raced cars — a hobby that led to his death. Dean had a soft spot for the Porsche Spyder — one shared his nickname “Little Bastard” — which had a sleek, rounded body and eye-popping headlamps. Dean wannabes can glory in mid-century cars…

Soon to Have a Cult Following

We can’t tell you how often we’ve been watching the news over the past thirtysomething years and thought to ourselves, “Man, this crazy cult would make a killer cartoon!” Whether it’s the Peoples Temple or the Branch Davidians, Heaven’s Gate or the FLDS, you have to admit they’re all ripe…

Cool, But Not So Cuddly

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you’re asked to join your friend this weekend at the bunnies & dinosaurs exhibition? Perhaps you’re wondering if you’d really like to see an entire exhibition dedicated to bunnies and dinosaurs. Totally understandable, but no worries, that’s not what this is…

Holiday Blues

Bedford Labor Day Blues & BBQ Festival is a two-day Texas throwdown of good eats and bluesy beats. Featuring a performance from Buddy Guy and the people’s choice competition for best barbecue, this is one event even Momma wouldn’t miss. The finger-licking festival starts at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday…

Another Salt-Rimmed Sunday

After a long week of work, you’re tired, cranky and you just want to sit back, relax and suck down a delicious concoction of lemon-lime syrup and booze. For margarita lovers, there’s one day dedicated to the tequila-infused favorite of Texans. Sip, slurp and then vote for your favorite ‘rita…

His Bum Is at the Improv

You might remember him from the films Road Trip and Freddy Got Fingered, but you most likely remember him as the human version of the Aflac duck. Anyway, when he wasn’t getting punched for taking it too far, Tom Green was rolling into soccer games wearing a bubble and claiming…

Arresting Comedy

The Guard (2011), written and directed by John Michael McDonagh in his feature directing debut, is a comedic cop story set in Ireland. The film stars Brendan Gleason (who thrilled critics and audiences in In Bruges, directed by Martin McDonagh, John Michael’s brother) as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, an unorthodox small…

Hometown Heroes

Since the end of the Super Bowl, the decision of football’s fate has been killing us. Luckily, we were spared from shedding tears when players and owners finally came to an agreement. We anxiously await the start of the NFL season, with TV remotes in hand, but to keep us…

A Labor of Love

Looking for a fun way to work off the holiday weekend barbecue overload? Monday morning, you will have the opportunity to do just that in the Labor Day 15K and 5K at White Rock Lake Park. The race begins at the Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive, at…

Sponsored by Powdermilk Biscuits

Garrison Keillor is by far the most difficult card to play in the game Apples to Apples. Unlike Helen Keller and Bill Murray, which are reliable trump cards, Keillor usually elicits an exasperated sigh when drawn from the pile. Not so when it comes to the radio, however. Keillor and…

Can’t Catch Her …

The Richardson Theatre Centre, now it its 21st season, is back with perhaps one of the more forgotten plays that Neil Simon wrote. The Gingerbread Lady, written in 1970 by the iconic playwright, profiles a once-great cabaret singer whose life has been destroyed by alcoholism. The play begins upon her…

Pure Americana

When artists talk about the “American experience,” it’s hard to say what they really mean anymore. Being American used to mean that you were living a dream of relative financial stability, unmarred by the fear of going hungry. That may no longer be the case. Not that there weren’t pockets…

Clearly for Art Lovers

We know you fancy yourself an art aficionado. You probably take periodic trips to the big local collections to see the classics, and while those Salvador Dali reprints hanging between movie posters in your house are cool, you’re probably tired of looking at them. If so, you shouldn’t miss the…

Fashion by the People

Celebrities are always attending red carpet premieres where they flaunt their chiffon dresses and skinny black ties. If you’re a believer that these trendy socialites are current with the latest fashions because they pick up a copy of Vogue every day, get real. They have stylists who are paid to…