Eddie Is The Soul of Wit

Actor Eddie Izzard plays everyone in Hamlet in extended Austin run

Eddie Izzard tackles every role in Hamlet to great critical acclaim.

Eddie Izzard/Facebook

Actor, comedian, and other multihyphenate Eddie Izzard has added two additional performances to the run of her solo show The Tragedy of Hamlet at the State Theatre in Austin. The two new dates are Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14. All five performances that were already announced, taking place February 4-7, sold out.

Izzard adapted The Tragedy of Hamlet from the original Shakespeare play Hamlet — it is essentially the same play, but Izzard plays all 23 characters. The Seattle Times explains it with a metaphor: "To ask Eddie Izzard why she’s performing a solo version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” feels much like asking a mountain climber why they’re tackling Everest: Because it’s there."

Although the idea may sound messy, critics have praised the result, and even Dame Judi Dench praised the work as "spectacular," according to a press release.

Izzard is no stranger to a chaotic, absurdist concept, and audiences have more than met her where she is, selling out performances in San Francisco and Seattle before Austin. The New York run was extended three times. Before the Hamlet adaptation, Izzard tackled Great Expectations.

For a brush-up on the plot: Prince Hamlet seeks to avenge the death of his father, the King of Denmark, at the hands of Hamlet's uncle. Much plotting ensues, and Hamlet often waxes philosophical, including the famous monologue in which he holds the skull of the dead court jester Yorick.

One actor does play all parts, but more people behind the scenes helped get the play up and running. They include director Selina Cadell; producers WestBeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, and John Gore; and design by Tom Piper, Tyler Elich with Anthony Forchielli, Eliza Thompson, Tom Piper and Libby DaCosta, and Didi Hopkins.

Tickets for the newly announced Friday and Saturday shows are available via austintheatre.org. Both shows start at 8 pm.

shakespeare theater plays

Museum Mashup

2 Austin galleries join San Antonio art fair selling thousands of prints

Photo courtesy of the McNay Art Museum

Galleries from all over the country are coming together for this art celebration.

The McNay Art Museum, a leading arts institution in San Antonio, is celebrating 30 years of an important community art fair, and two Austin galleries are stepping in. The milestone McNay Print Fair will be held March 7-8, with 14 dealers from around the country selling thousands of prints of drawings, paintings, and photographs.

It's fitting that the San Antonio museum would reach beyond the limits of its own city for the annual fair. It was the first modern art museum in Texas in 1954, and it now welcomes 200,000 visitors a year.

The participating galleries are:

Armstrong Fine Art (Chicago, IL)
Center Street Studio (Milton, MA)
Conrad R. Graeber Fine Art (Riderwood, MD)
Coronado Print Studio (Austin, TX)
Flatbed Press (Austin, TX)
Foltz Fine Art (Houston, TX)
Kim Schmidt Fine Art (New York, NY)
Kitchen Table Puppets + Press (Houston, TX)
Mary Ryan Gallery (New York, NY)
Ruiz-Healy Art (New York & San Antonio, TX)
Stevens Fine Art (Phoenix, AZ)
Susan Teller Gallery (New York, NY)
William P. Carl Fine Arts (Durham, NC)
William R. Talbot Fine Art (Santa Fe, NM)

For this year's fair, the McNay promises "extended programming, fresh curatorial energy and a new leadership vision for the future," according to a release. Some of that is thanks to Elizabeth Kathleen Mitchell, the new head of curatorial affairs. She curates prints and drawings, and wants to imbue the fair with new energy going forward.

“It is an honor to continue the McNay Print Fair, a tradition that our community has come to expect and love over the last three decades,” said Mitchell in the release. “The anniversary year promises a renewed commitment to our community and a celebration of critical voices in the print world.”

Here's what's new at the print fair:

March 5: A live recording of the Platemark podcast with host Ann Shafer and special guest Jim Stroud, master printer and founder of Center Street Studio near Boston, Massachusetts.
March 6: Raffle for color etching “El Sueño del Pez” (2003) by Irma Guerrero, donated by Ruiz-Healy Art from San Antonio and New York. Proceeds will help the McNay’s Prints and Drawings department acquire new art.
Limited-edition products the museum's store, including a 30th anniversary McNay Print Fair tote bag.

“The McNay Print Fair is an opportunity for our visitors to engage with experts, discover new artists and connect with our vibrant community of art lovers,” said Matthew McLendon, director and CEO of the McNay Art Museum. “We hope both experienced and new collectors will take the opportunity to explore the world of prints and learn about artists from all stages of their careers.”

Attendees can RSVP to the fair for free at mcnayart.org. Museum admission covers entry to the fair, and members enter for free. The McNay is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursdays from 10 am to 9 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from noon to 5 pm.

visual art galleries museums