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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > January > 08
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Your A-List: Best Theater Company
They just netted a prestigious $25,000 National Endowment of the Arts grant for new play development. They opened the Long Center last year with an original play that was a sweet valentine to indie theater. And they still get very nervous before every show.
The Rude Mechanicals topped last week’s austin360.com A-List poll for Best Theater Company with 35 percent of the vote, from you, the reader.
“The Method Gun,” by the Rude Mechanicals. Photo by Bret Brookshire.
Since 1995 the Rudes — the original young bucks who are, like, all hitting 40 now — have been burning up the stage with their vibrant and always surprisingly original theater works.
The Sex Pistols, inventor Nikola Tesla, the Great West, a legendary theater teacher, a neighborhood, a family — these are just some of the subjects the Rudes have probed in 22 original productions.
The Rudes have toured the country with their shows — and toured to the UK and Europe. They do Austin — and Texas — proud.
Tune into their Web site to tune in their theater-making.
- Others receiving votes in the A-List:
- Zach Scott Theatre — 32 percent
- The Vortex — 19 percent
- City Theater — 4 percent
- Austin Playhouse — 2 percent
- Hyde Park Theatre — 2 percent
- Esther’s Follies — 1 percent
- Salvage Vanguard — .4 percent
- Greater Tuna — .3 percent
- ColdTowne — .3 percent
- Latino Comedy Project — .3 percent
- Naughty Austin — .2 percent
