Fuse Box: Supercharged

Ever seen a fuse box explode?

Head over to the Blue Theater this week, or any week in April, and you will, in a dazzling blast of sparks, not to mention words, music, and dance. The fuse box in question is the Fuse Box Festival, and in its third year, what was the Little Festival That Could, showcasing one or two events a week with a few out-of-town artists, has erupted into the Amazing Colossal Fest, with 20 events packed into 16 days: dance, theatre, screenings, site-specific performances, bands, and art showings by a mix of outstanding local artists and leading creators from across the country. It's so massive now that the Blue can't hold it all; the Fuse Box now is spreading to the Off Center, Creative Research Lab, Austin Studios at the former Mueller Airport, Else Madsen Gallery, and three whole blocks of Red River. Here's the lineup just for Week One:

Stalemate of the Boozefox, by Jules Buck Jones, Scott Eastwood, and Drew Liverman

"Dramatic reconstruction" of the prolonged struggle between the evil Boozefox and the U.N.N. Sans Lucas.

Opens April 13, at Mass Gallery, 916 Springdale

I/O, by Phil Soltanoff and Joe Diebes

Eight performers navigate a warehouse environment in which real-time sound and movement are processed electronically, then fed back into parts of the space.

April 13-15, Friday, 9pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8pm, at Austin Studios, Stage 5

For Forms

Austin percussionist Chris Cogburn in collaboration with dancer Scott Heron, poet Joshua Beckman, DJ Maria Chavez, and poet/visual artist Jen Bervin.

April 13-15, Friday, 7pm; Saturday, 2:30pm; Sunday, 6pm, at the Blue Theater, 916 Springdale

Phil Soltanoff Workshop

Workshop exploring theatre's relevance as technologies change the world.

Saturday, April 14, 10am, at Anna Hiss Gym

Love Story, by Aaron Landsman, photos by Cory Ryan

Downloaded MP3 and pdf file guide you on an audio walking tour that concludes in a live performance.

Saturday, April 14, 6pm; Sunday, April 15, 2pm, at Else Madsen Gallery, 411 Brazos

BLUE60

Sixty pieces in 60 minutes by 60 of Austin's top writers, performers, filmmakers, and visual artists.

Saturday, April 14, 10pm, at the Blue Theater, 916 Springdale

4Red Lines, by Spank Dance Company

Ellen Bartel's work for a nontraditional environment looks at how dance affects and is affected by the space, ambient sounds, and the audience.

Tuesday, April 17, 8:30pm, at Creative Research Lab, 2832 E. MLK

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Ticket prices are extraordinarily cheap – some events are free – and you can see everything with a Festival Pass for just $40! Such a deal, my head is exploding!

For the full schedule, call 927-1118 or visit www.refractionarts.org.