Classified

Austin's Penfold Theater Company announces classics-packed 15th season

Penfold Theater Company actors during a production of Amadeus in Austin

The Penfold Theater Company is back with Shakespeare, a Christmas radiocast, and two historical figures. (Pictured: a 2022-23 performance of Amadeus.)

Photo by Kimberly Mead

It’s hard to determine the classics in art, especially in a place undergoing as much change as Austin. In the realm of theater, made to exist outside of its provenance, Penfold Theater Company has Austin covered. The company announced its 15th season on July 26, centering on “reimagined classic stories.”

This 2022-23 season is also the 10th of “Penfold in the Park,” a free summer series at the Round Rock Amphitheater.

"We have awakened from a pandemic hibernation and for Season 15, we are ready to soar,” said producing artistic director Ryan Crowder in a press release. “As a result, we’re launching exciting new initiatives: a focus on making old stories new again, a series of world premieres, an arts leadership apprentice program with Texas State University, and a ‘Great Plays in Great Places’ series that brings performances to iconic locations in Central Texas.”

Classic stories, to the Penfold Theater, may still remain untold — in these ways, anyway. That means it goes past Shakespeare, to annual favorites and new commissions of historic topics that could use a modern revival. The full schedule is as follows:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, September 29 – October 16, 2022
This play has survived more than 400 years in the classic theater canon, and all 10 seasons of Penfold in the Park. It’s all about wordplay, trickery, and the magic of the stage, so as long as there are new players, it’ll never get old. This time with help from a Texas State University apprentice program, all 21 characters are played by just four actors.

A Christmas Carol Classic Radiocast, December 8-17 and 22-23, 2022
This first leg of this live-foley, all-women broadcast takes place at two historic venues per the “Great Places” mission: the Old Settler’s Association of Williamson County in Round Rock, and the Driskill Hotel in Austin. The Charles Dickens story comes to life on theater with a behind-the-scenes look at both radio and Christmas magic.

Vincent, March 23 – April 8, 2023
Vincent Van Gogh captures hearts over and over in different media throughout history, this time in a play based on real letters between the lonely visionary painter and his brother, Theo. Penfold co-founders Ryan Crowder and Nathan Jerkins take turns at Austin’s Ground Floor Theater performing this one-person show about how art makes us feel brave and alive.

Box, June 23 – July 8, 2023
This historical fiction commission is the second in a series of Penfold world premieres over five seasons. Also shown at the Ground Floor Theater, it tells the story of Henry Box Brown, a real magician enslaved in 19th-century Virginia who mailed himself to abolitionists. Like the rest in the series, Box is meant to share “Penfold’s values of empathy and hope.”

The program this season is small but mighty, with plenty of opportunities to catch up on must-know stories, or the stage equivalent of comfort food for long-time theater lovers. Memberships for 2022-23 ($79), excluding A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are available now at penfoldtheatre.org. Individual tickets will be announced as the season nears.

downtown theater east-austin comedy openings families

Outside the Lines

Buda artist releases intuitive drawing book with fun prompts

Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Artist Ronald Gross creates an intuitive drawing with crayon, which he considers a "joyful" medium.

Buda-based artist and writer Ronald Gross released a book in November called Unlock Your Creativity: A Guide to Intuitive Drawing, which will walk aspiring expressers through drawing without worry. On December 6, he'll be on hand to help in an intuitive drawing demo at Buda Public Library's Holiday Open House.

The book is a hands-on guide that teaches readers how to lean into their own desires and intuitions when drawing, whether they feel like an artist or not. In this way, intuitive drawing should feel relaxing, meditative, and ultimately, beneficial for mental health. If you find coloring books relaxing and meditative, intuitive drawing may have the same effect on you.

"Intuitive drawing is the practice of creating art without a specific plan or outcome in mind," says Gross. "It’s about letting your hand move freely, guided by emotion, curiosity, or subconscious impulses; not about making something perfect."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Intuitive drawing is simple, joyful, and according to Gross can calm the mind much like meditation. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

This book presents exercises to access a mindful state: freeform doodling, blind contouring drawing, drawing from the imagination, and drawing from emotions. For artists feeling stuck, Gross also includes plenty of exercises for overcoming creative blocks and even discusses ways intuitive drawing can be applied to other creative projects and areas of life.

In the December workshop, Gross will give a quick demonstration on how to create an intuitive drawing using nothing but lines, shapes, and simple marks. Then participants can try it out with a variety of crayons, because crayons are "tactile" and can quickly transport people into a "playful, unselfconscious space," according to Gross.

"The workshop is all about creating a supportive, judgment-free space to explore intuitive drawing," he says. "Attendees will leave with tools to keep practicing on their own and, hopefully, a renewed sense of creativity and playfulness."

An intuitive drawing from author and artist Ronald Gross. In college Gross was taught how to take a doodle and elevate it into fine art.Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross's own journey into intuitive drawing started at a young age, when he would doodle and sketch throughout the school day. Years later at the Academy of Art University, a professor encouraged him to lean into this more intuitive and abstract style of art. Since then, Gross has been exploring intuitive drawing's ability to access a meditative state, as well as tap into the subconscious mind.

"When you draw intuitively, you’re fully present in the moment," Gross says. "Your mind quiets, and you become attuned to the flow of your thoughts, feelings, and physical movements. It’s akin to meditation, only instead of sitting still, you’re actively channeling your inner experience onto the page."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Gross's intuitive drawings each evoke a different feeling through his simple use of color and linework. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross adds that over time, doing some of the exercises included in the book may even help boost confidence, since intuitive drawing can help people learn to trust their instincts.

"Intuitive drawing can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with their inner selves," he adds. "It offers a space to process emotions, spark ideas, and break free from perfectionism or overthinking."

visual art drawing books