Courtesy of Austin Fashion Week
Austin Fashion Week
Thursday 8 – Saturday 10, The Domain
Austin isn’t known as an especially fashionable city. We’re too attached to our flip-flops, tank-tops, and other hyphenated items that are really more about summer survival than looking fierce. This weekend, however, there’s a slate of stylish events to remind us how good we can look when we put our best people to the task. Highlights include a showcase of Austin Community College makers, a Black designer showcase, a show of upcycled looks courtesy of Goodwill, and more runway stylings to inspire future sartorial choices, preferably when you’re not worried about sweating through the couture. – James Renovitch
No Other Land
Thursday 8 & Saturday 10, AFS Cinema
The Israeli assault on Gaza didn’t start on Oct. 7, 2023. The brutal policy of forcing Palestinians off their own land has been ongoing for decades but was rarely shown on the screen. Palestinian activist Basel Adra had been gathering footage for years and teamed up with Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham (as well as Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal and Israeli cinematographer Rachel Szor) to create this Oscar-winning documentary about the endless assaults upon the people of the tiny farming community of Masafer Yatta. But it’s also the story of their friendship, a beacon of hope in these terrible times. – Richard Whittaker
PGraph
Thursday 8, The Hideout
Austin’s reputation as an improv comedy town has a lot to do with the trio of Kareem Badr, Kaci Beeler, and Roy Janik, aka Parallelogramophonograph (or PGraph, if you’re nasty). With over a thousand unique performances under their combined belts, they’ve taken just about every award possible for their approach to improv, which is a lot more than just zany sketches. With their longtime residency at the Hideout coming to a close later this year when the beloved Downtown coffeehouse/theatre closes, catch this Austin comedy royalty in their throne room every Thursday until then. – Richard Whittaker
Amaging!
Thursday 8 – Saturday 10, the Vortex
As program coordinator/“co-queerator” of aging-with-grace org Family Eldercare’s LGBTQ division Rainbow Connections ATX, World Famous *BOB* speaks about growing older so tenderly. An example: “I often say that hanging out with older people is like getting a postcard from your future, and who wouldn’t want to read that?” There’ll be “postcards” a-plenty at this three-show series, which features five older qmmunity members (between the ages of 65 and 91) sharing their stories onstage – with *BOB* in the director’s chair. To hear cast members Rev. Babs Miller, Glenna “Sparkle” Williams, Masha-Leah, Richard Rollin Gartner, and Anna Nguyen speak about their lives is to understand the incredible stories we’re all connected by. – James Scott
I Wanna Be a F*cking Princess
Through May 24, Ground Floor Theatre
This show scores one point for an extremely cathartic title, one that seems ridiculously fun to scream across the room. It scores five more for tackling the emotional pressure cooker of bridal parties and – brace yourselves – bachelorettes. Let’s add 10 points for putting that within a fractured fairy-tale format. I’m picturing something as fiercely fanged as the recent gal pals in White Lotus, but maybe with literal wolves? And finally, heap on about a hundred points for integrating this into the peri/menopausal exploration of HOT: the Exhibit, adding a whimsical performance aspect to an already-informative examination of an overlooked ordeal. Let’s talk about the changes women go through! Whether literally transformative, or just emotionally so! – Cat McCarrey
An Army of Women
Thursday 8 & Saturday 10 – Sunday 11, AFS Cinema
If you were a regular Chronicle reader in the late 2010s and early 2020s, then you already know about the city’s shameful rape kit backlog and the subsequent class action lawsuit filed by 15 rape survivors against the city, county, and criminal justice system. What director Julie Lunde Lillesæter and her team do so effectively is distill that yearslong process into a 84-minute documentary with an intimate lens on the survivors and lawyers at the heart of the case. Following Saturday’s screening will be a panel conversation with three of the plaintiffs and the head of APD’s Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence units. – Kimberley Jones
Photo by Ilya Pavlov via Unsplash
Coding Club: Career Edition
Thursday 8, Central Library
Not the best time for the once-thought-indestructible tech industry, with layoffs near constant and jerks starting company towns just a few miles from our Austin doorstep. Yet the skill most significantly involved – coding – remains a good tool to wield in our cybersecurity-obsessed world. Austin Public Library and Austin Community College offer this lesson on best career practices for tech from job search and interview tips to more specific educational pathways. Plus, APL adds that they “prioritize supporting all marginalized genders,” which puts them ahead of most big-name tech bros who shan’t be named. – James Scott
Jess Smith: Lady Smith
Thursday 8, Alienated Majesty Books
In her debut poetry collection, author Jess Smith – who also currently teaches at Texas Tech – digs into the relationship between women, their bodies, and the violent messaging they receive about those bodies. Having secured the 2023 Akron Poetry Prize for her non-standard narrative of healing, Smith heads to small-press impresarios Alienated Majesty for a book launch where fellow lyrical minds Jennifer Chang (Some Say the Lark) and Tomás Q. Morín (Patient Zero) pitch in poem readings from their own back catalogs. – James Scott
The Phantom of the Opera (1925) with Live Score by Invincible Czars
Friday 9, AFS Cinema
Seriously, if you’ve never seen Nosferatu or The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari with a live soundtrack from musical maniacs Invincible Czars, do you really even silent cinema, bro? Well, time to make amends for your failures with the Austin premiere of their latest son et lumière experience, a brand-new score for Rupert Julian’s epic and sumptuous adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s tale of terror and madness in the Paris catacombs. Lon Chaney’s legendary performance as the Phantom finally gets the music of the night it deserves. – Richard Whittaker
Blue Owl Rehatched
Friday 9, Blue Owl Brewing
The Blue Owl Brewing you knew is gone, but no sour faces. Co-founder and sour beer expert Jeff Young has found investors and fellow ale enthusiasts in new co-owners Tony and Ian Norris. So drop by and welcome them to the neighborhood with this day of their signature fruit-flavored sours, a PB&J eating contest, bingo, and the first chance to sip on their newest brews, Lunch Box and Lime in the Coconut. – Richard Whittaker
AANHPI Heritage Month with Sarah Doan
Friday 9, Twin Oaks Branch Library
Who among us doesn’t love to eat food? With culinary choices being chief among cultural heritage highlights – we all like being loud and eating a lot; it’s the WASPs who are wrong! – local illustrator Sarah Doan picks food as the subject for her AAPI Heritage Month workshop topic. Attendees need only bring their personal cuisine histories and passions, as all other materials are provided to create “cute food illustrations of dishes you ate growing up.” – James Scott
May Market
Through June 1, Blue Genie Art Bazaar
The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is an essential stop on your Christmas shopping list, but – lucky you – there’s no need to wait till Xmas to make your way back to the BG’s jam-packed aisles. Every weekend for the whole month of May, you can peruse more than 100 regional artists and artisans. Entry is free, the vibe is family-friendly, and the thrill at finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift or primo piece of art to make your house a home – well, that’s priceless. More of a web browser? There are plenty of handmade goodies to tempt you at the Blue Genie online storefront: bluegenieartbazaar.shop. – Kimberley Jones
Photo by Tony Spielberg / Courtesy of Ballet Austin
Ballet Austin’s Romeo & Juliet
Friday 9 – Sunday 11, The Long Center
Ballet Austin’s Romeo & Juliet? More like Stephen Mills’ Romeo & Juliet. Or rather, after 25 years of his tenure as the visionary behind the city’s premiere dance company, the two are in perfect harmony. Celebrate Mother’s Day and Sarah & Ernest Butler Family Fund Artistic Director Mills’ legacy with one of his signature works as a choreographer – the greatest tragic romance of all time – while Austin Symphony Orchestra fills the Long Center with the music of Sergei Prokofiev. – Richard Whittaker
National Theatre Live: Vanya
Friday 9 & Thursday 15, Alamo Mueller
On film and stage, he’s played Hamlet, Ripley, Moriarty, and Hot Priest; here, he adds eight more roles to the canon, all within the same show. Andrew Scott plays the entire cast of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya – including the urbane Serebryakov, his much younger second wife Yelena, his dowdy daughter Sonya who’s been stuck running the family estate, the doctor Sonya loves unrequitedly, and poor old Uncle Vanya. This radical rethink – adapted by Simon Stephens, directed by Sam Yates – first ran in 2024 in London, which is where this live taping derives from. An Off-Broadway stint concludes May 11, so the film version is almost certainly the closest you’ll get to the swooningly received production. – Kimberley Jones
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Friday 9 & Tuesday 13, Alamo South Lamar
Michael Patrick Jann (The State, Reno 911!) quietly dropped his directorial debut in 1999, and it’s become something of a cult classic. With a mockumentary style, this black comedy about beauty pageants lampoons Midwestern life and the deadly lengths contestants will go to for the crown. Featuring Kirsten Dunst perfecting her Minnesotan accent later seen in Fargo season 2, Kirstie Alley and Denise Richards as a delightfully diabolical mom and daughter, and a glowing Amy Adams in her film debut – the whole thing is pitch perfect. For their Drafthouse series Cheesy Movie Night, Antonelli’s pros will intro the film and bring five artisan cheeses complemented by pickled veggies, chocolates, preserves, and cured meat. – Kat McNevins
Dirty Gold Theatre Presents: Venus in Fur
Through May 17, Sterling Stage
A seductive reconsidering of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s original novella, David Ive’s play gets reimagined once more by local theatre company Dirty Gold, who describe their work as “dynamic, provocative, character-based theatre that comments on contemporary society and our shared humanity.” What comments can they generate via Venus’ discussion of sexual power plays? You’ll just have to step into the metaphorical boudoir to find out. Special bulletin for Austin’s theatre pros: Wednesday, May 14, is Industry Night with promised ticket discounts both for presale and door tix. – James Scott
Hereditary
Friday 9 – Wednesday 14, All Austin Alamo Drafthouses
Ari Aster’s directorial debut set off a reinvigoration of arthouse horror and catapulted A24 to fame as the most relevant production company of the last decade. It also gave me an entirely sleepless night upon first viewing. Toni Collette’s performance as both a terrifying and deeply sympathetic grieving mother steals the show, but Milly Shapiro and Alex Wolff as her creepy children anchor the real horror of this family drama-turned-supernatural nightmare. The sharp, cacophonous saxophone score will linger in your ear, and one chilling scene will have you checking the corners of your ceiling long after the film ends. A true modern horror classic, it deserves to be seen in the theatre for the collective shock it elicits from first-time viewers. – Lina Fisher
O. Henry Museum Pun-Off
Saturday 10, O. Henry Museum
Let me say up front that this chunk of text will be without any intentional puns. You should be resting your groaning and head-palming muscles for the Pun-Off anyway. It’s the 48th year for this celebration of wordplay, and you know there will be some phrasing with more than one entendre. The event features two contests: Punniest of Show (prepared routines) and PunSlingers (improvised). Live music and a silent auction round out the day’s events. Stick around and see who ends up being cock of the talk. Dammit! – James Renovitch
Photo by Mamun Srizon via Unsplash
Fantasy Book Faire
Saturday 10, the Vortex
Pray thee beautiful Chronicle reader: Have thine eyes betrayed you? Is there really going to be a book fair centered on the fantasy genre this weekend? ’Tis true! Writing workshop wizards Austin Bat Cave throw a fest filled with fantastical costumes, book giveaways, storytimes, music, and more for free. Local author Miguel Briones pops up, too, as do performers Mystica Fiora, Devin Alfather, and Kaytee Jones. ABC asks only that you bring a gently used book to donate, as they’d love to give that pre-loved lit a new home. – James Scott
Photo by Marek Studzinski via Unsplash
Eagle Queer Market
Saturday 10, the Austin Eagle
Have you yet made the trek over to Austin’s own Eagle? Located outside the unofficial gay “district,” aka the three gay clubs on Fourth Street, the Cross Park Drive dive features not just weekly gear nights, kink bingos, and steak dinner specials, but also a monthly market filled with local LGBTQIA vendors. There may even be talented out-of-towners slinging their wares, so show up, shop small, and enjoy yourself under the Eagle’s wings. – James Scott
Art-O-Rama
Saturday 10, Dougherty Arts Center
Collected through the artistic acumen of Dougherty Arts Center are a variety of unique creations from across mediums – all centered on a solarpunk theme. And you, dear sweet Chronicle reader, are invited to get in on the creative action: hands-on activities throughout the day include cyanotype printing, make-your-own-planters, a community-made stained-glass project, exhibits by the teen-centric Totally Cool Totally Art, and much more. Putting the fun in functional, DAC’s solarpunk shindig “envisions a sustainable future, built with creativity and cooperation.” – James Scott
“Meeting at the Edges: Testing Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Boundaries”
Through June 8, Link & Pin Art Space
Why are the edges always the most difficult? Almost all textile arts suffer in relation to cleaning up those untidy ends. This month, Link & Pin Art Space invites viewers to embrace the unruly threads of life. To shamelessly pull from artist Sam Elkins’ Instagram post (@samelkinstextiles), join Saturday’s artist reception for some “edgy” conversation with the creators involved. Elkins’ weaving work will rest alongside the fibrous textures of Gary Anderson’s art and Diane Sandlin’s mixed media marvels. Ponder, and maybe even come to terms with, life’s bumps and whorls through these artists’ explored space. – Cat McCarrey
Art by Gary Floyd / Courtesy of Prizer Arts and Letters
Gary Floyd Retrospective Exhibit & Concert
Saturday 10, the Pershing
A perennial Austin punk icon, Gary Floyd embodied glorious contradiction. A big-boned, openly gay Marxist fronting the ferocious, blues-based hardcore of the Dicks, Floyd’s howl and humor helped define the early scene. Following his passing last May at age 71, while hospitalized for congestive heart failure, a Gary-shaped hole gapes in the universe. Saturday, friends, fans, and admirers gather to celebrate the beloved provocateur with a retrospective art exhibit and musical performances from Pocket FishRmen and Jefferson Trout (featuring founding Dicks bassist Buxf Parrot). Expect tributes equal parts reverent and raucous, just as he’d have wanted. Proceeds benefit his widower. – Tim Stegall
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Saturday 10, Alamo South Lamar
Many were surprised at the 2022 Sight and Sound critics’ poll topper, which beat out Hitchcock’s blonde mindbender Vertigo and capitalist cautionary tale Citizen Kane to be crowned the “greatest film of all time.” Yet Belgian director Chantal Akerman’s film captures the cruel tedium of the misogynistic world without once letting up: presenting on film life exactly as it is. Yes, the world of widowed housewife Jeanne is one built from boredom – you’ve never seen so many potatoes cooked for such a spoiled adult son – but that is how women are expected to live, even now. Silent and constant, Jeanne moves through her life as less its owner than a worker in its machinery. She simmers in that sexist soup as the viewer does until, at last, neither you nor Jeanne can bear it any longer. – James Scott
Photo by Pete Weiler via Pexels
World Migratory Bird Day
Saturday 10, Hornsby Bend
Birdwatching is not just a fun hobby; it can be a lifestyle that takes you as far as the birds go themselves – all over the world. But Austinites are fortunate to have access to many of the world’s birds via the Hornsby Bend Center for Environmental Research, which began in the Fifties with a young birder who spotted some unlikely waterfowl in the area and phoned his friends to get more eyes on these rare birds. Get your own eyes on area birds at an outdoor day for everyone, with activities all day ranging from a beginners’ bird walk to a purple martin demo to a raptor show, and learn all about the fascinating feathered friends passing through the area. – Kat McNevins
Union
Sunday 11, Hyperreal Film Club
In an absurd way, the fact that this worker-focused doc came out the same year (2024) as another Marky Mark slopfest with the near-exact same title (Union vs. The Union) shows just how dire our entertainment landscape is. However, as presented by everyone’s favorite anti-capitalist bookshop MonkeyWrench, the Stephen Maing and Brett Story-led feature follows the fascinating journey of Staten Island Amazon workers as they take steps to unionize their warehouse. Every member of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) proves braver than Wahlberg even in his wildest 9/11 fantasies, as they’re facing the Bezos-created beast for real. HFC’s Sunday screening also includes a post-movie Q&A with Union’s producers. – James Scott
Austin Pride’s Big Gay Brunch
Sunday 11, the Brewtorium
Does a city Pride org throwing a drag brunch reinvent the wheel? Nay, but also why would you need to do so? The wheel is great! As is this brunch, which brings back competition chaos with Kelly Kline’s Drag Survivor where those who believe they can “slay the stage and snatch the crown” go head-to-head. Kline also plays host to this boozy morning meal featuring a full menu, 14 beers on tap, frozen cocktails, mimosa buckets, and ice-cold AC just in time for temps to hit the high 90s. – James Scott
Courtesy of ACL Live
Alton Brown Live: Last Bite
Sunday 11, ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Where would culinary television be without Alton Brown? Famous for his hit Food Network show Good Eats, which ran for 16 seasons starting in 1999 and broke cooking down to a science, Brown has since gone on to appear on seemingly every cooking show there is (Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Chopped, to name a few). This live variety show offers funny food songs, commentary on his decades in the media, “mega-hacks,” and other gustatory goodies presented with Brown’s trademark wry humor, for a foodie dream date Downtown. – Kat McNevins
Fantasy Figure Drawing Workshop
Sunday 11, Tiny Minotaur Tavern
Sultry greetings to you, Chronicle reader, and a question: Have you ever wanted to draw a nude person? Do so this weekend within the magical confines of one Tiny Minotaur, who offer their venue as setting for a figure drawing workshop taught by local visual/mixed media artist Studio Kollisions. Hark, however, that this be a “fantasy” figure, so expect to see flower crowns, fairy wings, and other mythical minutia near the naked professional. Entry is $15 and you’ll be needing to BYO art supplies. – James Scott
Blanton All Day: Bring Mom to the Museum with Annabelle Chairlegs
Sunday 11, Blanton Museum
Flowers and breakfast in bed are overdone. Why not celebrate your mom with something fun, like fine art and live music? This Mother’s Day edition of the Blanton’s monthly Blanton All Day event – free for museum members, $20 for adults – features guided tours, a cardmaking activity, (not free) massages, and music from Annabelle Chairlegs. The local mainstays have long charmed national audiences with surfy, lightly psychedelic garage rock; latest album Gotta Be in Love turns five this year, but a “new album will drop this year swear to bob,” singer Lindsey Mackin promised online last week. – Carys Anderson
Inspire Victorious Wrestling Presents: Kill Them All
Sunday 11, Empire Garage
From the indie wrestling promotion ashes of Inspire Pro and Inspire A.D. rises a new beast: Inspire Victorious, blasting forth with the Mr. Inspire title tussle between Jak Calloway and Will Allday; a mixed-gender grapple between Raychell Rose and Shimbashi, who currently holds the Lawless Darkness title; and a real-deal pro-wrestling wedding between Danny Orion and Maya World. Plus plenty more ringside riots, including the anime-adjacent Neon Genesis Elimination Bowl. As the poster states, “Kill ’Em All! Let Inspire Sort ’Em Out!” – James Scott
Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what’s happening now or in the coming week.
