Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams Oct. 1 - Oct. 31, 2004 One of Williams' finest works, this masterpiece of American theatre tells the story of the rivalries and misunderstandings that tear apart a southern family as it gathers for the 65th birthday of its patriarch.

A Christmas Carol adapted by Don Toner and Ellsworth Schave, with original musical score by Allen Robertson Dec. 2 - 18, 2004 Our enchanting production of A Christmas Carol returns with some new surprises! This holiday favorite is a fast-paced musical treat for the whole family. Our production features Austin Playhouse favorites Tom Parker, Dirk van Allen, Jacqui Cross, Michael Hankin, Janet Hurley Kimlicko, Taylor Maddux, Ann McKelvey, Blake Simmon, Walter Songer, Lara Toner, Hans Venable, Anna Welch, Ben Wolfe and many more! A Christmas Carol is Directed by Don Toner with Musical Direction by Michael McKelvey. Adapted from the Charles Dickens' classic by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Don Toner and local playwright Ellsworth Schave, with an original score by Allen Robertson, this lively and heartwarming musical will delight audiences of all ages.

Enchanted April by Matthew Barber Jan. 13 - Feb. 19, 2005 NOW HELD OVER until Saturday, February 19th In this gloriously romantic Tony nominated comedy, four Englishwomen in the 1920s escape from post-war London to an Italian villa, finding romance, friendship, and the rediscovery of life's enchantments. Enchanted April features the acting talents of Austin Playhouse Company members Mary Agen Cox, Gray G. Haddock, David Stahl, and Lara Toner,  with Otis Danburg, Andrea Osborn, Lauri Raymond, and Marijane Vandivier. The play is directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Don Toner, with set design by James Barker, costume design by Buffy Manners, lighting design by Mark Novick, and sound design by Lou Rigler. On January 14 there will be a catered champagne reception following the Opening Night performance. Subscribers are welcome to make reservations for Opening Night. There is also a Special Valentine's Performance on Monday, February 14, at 8pm  with a champagne and dessert party. Tickets are regularly $35 for the Valentine's performance. Subscribers may attend for a $10 upgrade charge. Tickets are regularly $22 Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and $25 Saturday, there is a  $3 discount for subscriber guests, $2 discount for Seniors/Acot, and all student tickets are half-price ($11 Th/F/Su, $12.50 Sat).

Rumors by Neil Simon Music by Cole Porter April 1 - May 1, 2005 Neil Simon is well-known to theatre audiences for his comic plays such as The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, and Biloxi Blues. In Rumors, Simon creates a hilarious farce where laughter takes center stage.  The play follows a group of people who arrive at their friends' anniversary party to find the food uncooked, their hostess missing, and their host with a gunshot wound. People panic, doors slam, one-liners fly, and of course, rumors run wild! Bringing the non-stop comic action to the stage are Austin Playhouse veterans David Stokey (The Underpants), Andrea Osborn (Enchanted April), David Stahl (Enchanted April, The Dead Presidents' Club), Janet Hurley Kimlicko (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Tom Parker (The Dead Presidents' Club), Margaret Hoard (Travesties), John Hoff (The Underpants), Lara Toner (Enchanted April), and Michael Stuart (The Dead Presidents' Club, Kiss Me Kate). Rumors is directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Don Toner, with set design by James Barker, lighting design by Mark Novick, sound design by Lou Rigler, and costume design by Sarah Lankenau. Performances: Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm How Much: $22 Th/Fr/Sun & $25 Saturday Student tickets are half the regular ticket price. Discounts: $3 discount for Subscriber guests Tickets: (512) 476-0084

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes May 27 - June 26, 2005 Music! Comedy! Murder? Mystery! The final production of our record-breaking 2004-2005 season is the Tony Award-winning musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood! Featuring a powerhouse cast, this crowd-pleasing musical hit is the perfect cap to our finest season ever. Audience members are invited into London's Music Hall Royale, where a Victorian theatrical troupe is staging Charles Dickens' unfinished last work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. As the action reaches the point where Dickens "laid down his pen forever" the audience comes to the rescue and helps solve the mystery by casting votes. With hundreds of possible endings, Drood is a musical romp that keeps audiences and performers caught up in the action! We've assembled an incredible cast led by Jill Blackwood, recently seen in our production of Kiss Me Kate, as Edwin Drood. Jill is joined by the tremendous talents of Jacqui Cross, Tom Parker, Corley Pillsbury, Rick Roemer, Tim Blackwood, Brian Coughlin, Amy Downing, Kristina Horacek, Huck Huckaby, Ann Richards-McKelvey, Blake Simmon, Walter Songer, Michael Stuart, Jennifer Sublett, and Hans Venable. Drood is directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Don Toner, with musical direction by Michael McKelvey, choreography by Carlos Ferreira, set design by James Barker, lighting design by Mark Novick, and costume design by Sarah Lankenau. On May 27th there will be a champagne reception following the Opening Night performance. Subscribers are welcome to make reservations for Opening Night. Drood performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm, with a Special Saturday Matinee on Saturday, June 25, at 2pm. Single Tickets are $25 Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Saturday matinee, and $30 Saturday night, with a $5 discount for subscriber guests and half-price tickets for students. The best seats are available for the first two weeks of the run. Call (512) 476-0084 or e-mail austinplayhouse@aol.com to reserve your season tickets today. And don't forget, renew your season tickets by May 26th and receive last year's subscription rates! Performances: May 27 - June 26, 2005; Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm Special Saturday Matinee: June 25 at 2pm Tickets are $25 Thurs, Fri, Sunday, and Saturday matinee, and $30 Saturday evening Student tickets are half the regular ticket price. $5 discount for Subscriber guests. Tickets: (512) 476-0084

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! The Dead Presidents' Club by Larry L. King August 5 - 28, 2005 Austin Playhouse is proud to bring back the original cast of our most popular comedy for a third term! Larry L. King's "divine" comedy, The Dead Presidents' Club will run on our main stage August 5 - 28, 2005. Tickets are on sale now. In this comic gem by the famed Texas playwright best known for The Night Hank Williams Died and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, four former presidents - Richard M. Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Calvin Coolidge and Harry S. Truman- find themselves in an exclusive holding pen outside heaven awaiting the decision of an admissions committee. "Just who is on that committee?" asks the recently arrived Nixon. "That's the problem: a buncha narrow-minded damned saints!" Johnson replies. As the sanctified weigh the leaders' good deeds against their sins of omission and commission, "Landslide Lyndon" and "Tricky Dick" plot to get around the bureaucracy and go straight to the Boss. The all-star original Austin Playhouse cast is back! The cast includes David Stahl as Nixon and Michael Stuart as LBJ, with Tom Parker as Truman, Michael Hankin as Coolidge, Hans Venable as the Heavenly Bureaucrat with a special appearance by Jacqui Cross. The Dead Presidents' Club is directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Don Toner. This show is rated PG-13 due to somewhat "salty" language (mostly LBJ's). Who: Austin Playhouse What: The Dead Presidents' Club by Larry L. King When: Return Engagement: August 5 - 28, 2005, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm Where: Austin Playhouse at Penn Field, 3601 S. Congress Bldg. C How Much: $25 Sat. $22 Thurs., Fri., Sun. $2 discount for seniors, all students half-price. Half-Price Tickets for Subscribers! Tickets/Information: (512) 476-0084 HELD OVER ON OUR SECOND STAGE! A Texas Romance by Ellsworth Schave August 12 - 28, 2005 HELD OVER TO SEPT 4 Austin Playhouse is proud to present this wonderfully quirky romantic comedy by local playwright Ellsworth Schave. In a small town near San Antonio in 1928, a recently widowed woman dreams of a second chance at love. When a young man comes calling she sees her opportunity, but will she be brave enough to seize it? A Texas Romance was originally produced with great success by Live Oak Theatre in Austin, Texas under the direction of Don Toner. We’re proud to bring back this heartwarming story by one of Texas’ most talented playwrights. A Texas Romance will be performed on the Austin Playhouse Second Stage while Larry L. King's The Dead Presidents' Club runs on the Main Stage. A Texas Romance features Cyndi Williams as Daisy, Janet Hurley Kimlicko (recently seen in AP's Rumors) as Doris, and Southwestern University student Cliff Miller as Garland. Austin Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Lara Toner will direct. Who: Austin Playhouse What: A Texas Romance by Ellsworth Schave When: August 12 - 28, 2005, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm Where: Austin Playhouse at Penn Field, Second Stage, 3601 S. Congress Bldg. C How Much: $18 Thurs, Fri., Sun., $20 Saturday. $2 discount for seniors, all students half-price. Tickets/Information: (512) 476-0084