finally in the spotlight

Subversive Austin theater announces 2024 season with 3 non-mainstream premieres

Ground Floor Theatre presents Single Black Female

The Ground Floor Theatre brings marginalized stories to center stage. (Pictured: Ground Floor Theatre's production of Single Black Female)

Photo by Dave Hawks

An aptly named performance venue in Austin, Ground Floor Theatre (GFT), appeals to people who don't necessarily devour mainstream theater. And it just shared the first glimpses into its 2024 season, promising a slate of four relatable shows.

This ground floor in particular can be thought of as the first stop on the arts elevator, telling niche and marginalized stories before having to answer to the folks in the top-floor office. So it follows that the new season, according to a release, includes a "thought-provoking world premiere, two Austin premieres, [and] to a soon-to-be-announced groundbreaking musical."

“I am so excited about the 2024 season,” said co-artistic director Lisa Scheps in the release. “It is in line with our mission of producing works on historically underrepresented communities and is also some of the best contemporary theatre."

The following shows are highlighted in this season-opening announcement:

Always A Boy — February 15 to March 2, 2024
WORLD PREMIERE
Local author Jo Ivester started being more aware of the transgender community when she learned that her son belonged to it. Always A Boy, based on Ivester's multi-perspective "family memoir" chronicling Jeremy's transition and college renaissance, promises joy and humor along with the heavier themes. The influence of a real, accepting family is irreplaceable.
Clyde’s — May 16 to June 1, 2024
AUSTIN PREMIERE
Life after incarceration finds complexity in unexpected places — this time, in a truck stop. The "quest to create the perfect sandwich" becomes something bigger for the formerly jailed kitchen staff, who find in it metaphors about life, purpose, and dreams. All this from playwrite Lynn Nottage, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes.
Pass Over — August 15-31, 2024
AUSTIN PREMIERE
This complex religious-but-profane play takes inspiration from Waiting for Godot, the Book of Exodus, and "recent current events." Playwrite Antoinette Nwandu tells a story about being Black and dreaming of a Promised Land, which is an idea as much as a place. The New York Timessaid the Broadway version contained "unexpected joy."

There is no information yet on the musical except that it will take place from December 5-21.

This season, audiences still have a chance to catch Jenna and the Whale — about a girl supposedly stuck in the belly of a whale, and her town in her absence — until August 26. Next up from December 1-16 is Jack & Aiden, a gay and trans musical about a hookup turning into something more.

Pay-what-you-can tickets are available via each show's listing at groundfloortheatre.org. Season passes ($200) for 2024 are available now. Funds from these passes cover the flexible single-ticket prices.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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