Five Local Arts Events Using the Human Form as Inspiration
Fascinations of the flesh, from portrait to burlesque
By Wayne Alan Brenner, Fri., Aug. 12, 2022
Meat puppets, flesh hotels, corpuses delectable: all these frangible and time-fraught bags of bone and blood that house and inform our protean sense of identity. How relentlessly we explore the ramifications, the commonalities and differences, the thick resonances of our moist mammalian vehicles and what we use them for! Like, for instance, in these five shows.
Lammas B-Movie Burlesque
The ever-turning Wheel of the Year inspires the occult-based burlesque performance art ensemble Malum Malus to offer this sexy af prelude, created by Blaise Ricin, to the rituals for Samhain this fall. Bodies, bodies, bodies, in a diabolical dance of erotic power.
Thu.-Sat., Aug. 11-13, 8pm. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd., 512/478-5282. $15-37. vortexrep.orgArtworks Gallery: In the Flesh
The depiction of the human body in its purest form is challenging in most media, but that's what Austin artist Arye Shapiro has been driven to do for the past 20 years – most recently focusing on oil paintings of the human figure.
Through Aug. 13. 1214 W. Sixth, 512/472-1550. artworksaustin.com
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's kickass genderqueer musical is a glamorous spectacle of life and longing, here starring Buddy Novak as Hedwig and Susannah Crowell as Yitzhak. Directed by Jeff Hinkle, with musical direction by Audrey Barrett.
Aug. 11-27. Thu.-Sat., 8pm. Extra show: Sat., Aug. 20, 2pm. Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd., 512/974-4000. $20-$25. thestageaustin.comJudith
In Katie Bender's "delightfully off-kilter" new play, Judith, dressed as a man, moves to London to stand trial in her absent brother's place, and – when the trial goes badly – begins to write plays to please the Queen and restore her brother's good name. This solo show about ambition, artistry, love, and Shakespeare features Taylor Flanagan as Judith and is directed by Madge Darlington. Through Sept. 3. Thu.-Sat., 8pm. Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd, 512/479-7529. hydeparktheatre.org
Sage Studio: Body Work
An exploration of all things anatomical and automotive, with two-dimensional art reflecting on human bodies and three-dimensional sculptures created around the theme of auto bodies. The show features pieces from 12 artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities – artists from Austin, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and California.
Through Sept. 17. 916 Springdale Bldg. 2 #103. sagestudioatx.com
