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One of Austin’s longest-running festivals, a legendary vehicle for theatre artists, actors, musicians, poets, and performers of all types, FronteraFest returns for its 26th year of showcasing some of the wildest – occasionally brilliant, frequently delightful, and almost always original – entertainment you're likely to see. It's a collaboration between that professional thespian powerhouse called Hyde Park Theatre and ScriptWorks and anyone who's got what it takes to put their act on a stage. The Short Fringe showcases performances of 25 minutes or less, and runs the entirety of the festival. Here's the main thing to know about the Short Fringe, in case you're not familiar with the whole FronteraFest deal, yo: The weeknight shows are a mixed bag but usually crowded with folks there to see friends do their stuff onstage; each Saturday "Best-of-the-Week" show is sure to be worth your time, but it sells out fast, so plan accordingly; the final week, the "Best-of-the-Fest" week, which is always the primo live-performance shit in town and is already completely sold out – we warned you about this, like, weeks ago, right? – except for the wild-card Staff Picks night on Thu., Feb. 14, 8pm, which has a few tickets still available.

This play was written by Gabriel Jason Dean as a direct response to the true story of the U.S. government’s textbook propaganda contributing to the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. This play draws a line from the Cold War to the war on terror and is a story of healing, grace, and connection. This play stars Lowell Bartholomee, Kareem Badr, and Kacey Samiee – directed by Rudy Ramirez for the Vortex. And here's the scoop on the playwright and the play's origins. And here's what our Robert Faires says about the show.

The book may be Hollow – it's the new paperback edition of that well-received novel that won the PEN Southwest Book Award, in fact – but you know the author is solid. And he's throwing this release party tonight, to celebrate with live music from Hospital Ships and The Swift Drag.

This bluegrass comedy brings its "irreverent, heart-warming, toe-tapping show" to Austin before heading across the country. Imagine a sort of Music Man in a Southern coal mining town, as a charismatic preacher, saucy stripper, and greedy Hollywood production company show up to create their own version of the American Dream. Directed by Michael Myers for Austin Playhouse.

There’s one sure way for art to make a lasting impression: When the marks comprising a work are made transferable and forced into contact with another surface. Then, suddenly, look – born from an industrial matrix still wet with ink, it’s a print! It’s the product of a woodcut, an engraving, an etching. It manifests as a mezzotint, an aquatint, an image of drypoint. Hell, maybe it’s one of those screenprints that concert promoters use for pimping their bands, a bold AF poster created with the same sort of process that, when displayed in a Very Serious Museum, is called serigraphy.: There are so many different kinds of prints, we confess, that it’s better to direct you to Wikipedia for detailed background. But we wouldn’t be surprised if an eye-popping majority of those kinds – to say nothing of the abundance of subjects depicted, the profusion of styles engaged – were available for viewing during the sixth annual PrintAustin celebration.: This year’s iteration of PrintAustin runs from January 15 to February 15 and features a wide diversity of events throughout the city – including exhibitions, artist talks, demos, workshops, and more. We’ll be highlighting several of those in your Chronicle's visual arts listings as the fest continues, of course, so keep your eyes peeled this-a-way.

The bestselling author of The Informationist returns with a new thriller about a mother who trains her twins in weaponry, surveillance, and sabotage, and sharpens their minds with nerve-wracking psychological games, and … we reckon you can guess what sort of compelling mayhem ensues.

The Austin-based artist Eliza Thomas works with ink on kozo paper, exploring the beauty of decay. This results in a visual dynamic of strength and unexpected calm that dominates Thomas’ large-scale works.

Teodora Pogonat's provocative series of photography depicts women overcoming struggles, hardships, and setbacks through the use of a 30-pound pink military-grade parachute.

Three artists, three strong views of this complex life. And now our journo-about-town Brenner has reaped the visions that Erika Huddleston, Amy Scofield, and Tammy West have sown – and here's his report.

The Julia C. Butridge Gallery is now accepting exhibit proposals for 2020. Located at the Dougherty Arts Center in the heart of the arts district, the JCB Gallery is known for its diverse exhibitions of artists and their work.

This is a solo show by the celebrated graphic designer Dave McClinton. Can faces, bodies, and historical references be used to tell stories? You bet your bold narrative hooks they can, citizen.

Here's Part 1 of a two-part exhibition by Jade Walker, investigating the human body in collision with disease. The concept of healing runs deep through the installation, with each stitch connecting back to the body and how we as humans fight to heal, grow, and evolve.

This part of Print Austin features work by leading female figures from the past and future of Austin's own Flatbed Press, including Alice Leora Briggs, Suzi Davidoff, Sandra C. Fernández, Annalise Natasha Gratovich, Sandria Hu, Sharon Kopriva, Mary McCleary, Melissa Miller, Celia Munoz, Liliana Porter, Linda Ridgway, Julie Speed, Sydney Yeager, and more. And, oh look, our Robert Faires gives you a fine preview right here.

The wonders of PrintAustin are heralded in the excellent grayDUCK space, with Emmons presenting his records of informal temporary structures and ingenious vernacular designs, with Nam offering images of man-made environments and objects and cut flower arrangements, with a two-person show that complements and contrasts across the common ground of expert printmaking.

You know this guy from HBO's Bored to Death, or because he was a regular on the Opie and Anthony radio show and Fox News' RedEye, of course. Now let him show you how funny he is onstage in this new year at Cap City.

Mas PrintAustin aqui? Indeed, as La Peña presents a group show of different themes and techniques, featuring work from artists in México, Chile, Perú, Guatemala, and Texas.

Through straight-forward animation and accompanied by a Sylvia Meyer music score, vintage figurines perform in humorous, absurd, and moving vignettes in this Liliana Porter video. It'll be screening, accompanied by Porter's Labor forzada installation, through February.

Forged of glitter, curves, and steel, this burlesque show has the bodacious Jigglewatts teasing out their favorite rock & roll and hair metal routines. Featuring Ruby Joule, Something Blue, and Ruby Lamb – and the troupe's first new member since 2015, Alexander the Great.

Different Stages presents Lillian Groag's comedy about a young woman growing up in a family of European immigrants who surround themselves with art to fend off the realities of Juan Peron’s Argentina after World War II. Directed by Norman Blumensaadt.

New Manifest Theatre Company begins its inaugural year with Idris Goodwin’s "break beat play," a coming-of-age love story set to the beat of hip-hop history, directed by Simone Alexander.