A good friend of mine reviews plays for the weekly paper Phoenix NewTimes. She has taken me to many shows over the years, great theater in the Valley of the Sun, found in sometimes strange places. For me, dinner shows are always a bit unnerving for more often than not, the whole premise is that the audience members become part of the show. Now, I was in a theatre company and for many years worked every night on a stage with a live audience, but to become part of the show with a moment’s notice is something that has always made me extremely uncomfortable.
She and I took a trip to Austin last summer. She had booked a great room in one of the Austin luxury hotels, compliments of the NewTimes. She was in town to review a company called the Capital City Mystery Players, and I was along for the ride. They have been performing in the city for years, each Saturday night at the Spaghetti Warehouse, and every third Sunday at the Cool River Cafe. We were there for one of the Spaghetti Warehouse shows. One of my culinary true loves is spaghetti and meatballs, and so while I was eagerly anticipating the meal, I was a bit nervous about the show. I did not want to be pulled away from my pasta only to become part of a show. She on the other hand, loved getting pulled into the show and had done so on many, many occasions.
On the bill that night was a comedy/murder mystery called “The Linguini Code”, and I must say it was a “who dunit” filled with laughter and incredible performances by the cast of characters, of which I am so happy to say, I was not a part of. After the show, we went backstage while she interviewed members of the company. This is not just a performance company, but one that conducts team building meetings using theater as the means. They have been instrumental in working with some of the top Austin corporations and businesses and are hired on a regular basis. Theater is their day job and their passion, a perfect combination. This is definitely a company to watch in the years to come.
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