1534: John of Leyden proclaims himself the Favorite of Heaven, runs naked through the streets of Munster, Germany, and forms a society free of laws or private property.

1976: John Lydon proclaims himself an “antichrist,” helps launch a movement to ‘destroy passersby,’ and permanently changes popular culture. Coincidence?

A Narrator with a Ph.D. joins Sex Pistols’ manager and self-proclaimed mastermind, Malcolm McLaren, to recount an alternative history of the 20th century via the Sex Pistols, the Cabaret Voltaire, the May ’68 riots, and a handful of medieval heretics. Lipstick Traces is a physically ecstatic and intellectually nervy theatrical vision of “movements in culture that raised no monuments…movements that barely left a trace.”

Production Support
Lipstick Traces received no private foundation or government support. Thank you, arts patrons!

Arts Writing

2002  |  Ed Felien Pulse of the Twin Cities

The Revolution Will Be Staged

2001  |  Margo Jefferson, New York Times

How Can the Theatre Make Itself Matter Again?

2002  |  Scott Timberg, Los Angeles Times

Fall Preview/The Arts

2001  |  Jackie Demaline, The Cincinnati Enquirer

International Artists Head to Wexner (pdf)

September 2000  |  Ada Calhoun, Austin Chronicle

Everything is Possible…Again: The Rude Mechanicals’ ‘Lipstick Traces’ is Back

September 1999  |  Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle

Greil Marcus and the Mad Parade

Reviews

“LIPSTICK TRACES gets us to hear the ragged, raging voice of punk in the nonsense phrases of turn-of-the-century Swiss artists and the “work-is-sin” rantings of a German monk of the 1500’s. And it does it through a production that, remarkably enough, sings in that same voice. The scenes in this play are short, intense, irreverent, highly charged – qualities belonging to any good punk song. Director Shawn Sides kicks the show off with a fierce sonic explosion and never lets up. Zach Murphy’s crisp, searing lights and Gordon Gunn’s booming sound seize our senses while every cast member…grips us with a tightly focused, forceful performance.” – Robert Faires, The Austin Chronicle

“[Lipstick Traces] was the show that I told people who never go to theatre to see….It was the artistic chutzpah and pop culture savvy of the Rude Mechanicals operating on all eight cylinders.”– Sarah Hepola, The Austin Chronicle

“Sure, art feeds the critics. The Rude Mechanicals, Austin’s wittiest theater company, has reversed the flow of artistic nutrition by transforming a work of cultural criticism into a lively comedy.”– Michael Barnes, The Austin American Statesman

2001  |  CurtainUp.com

“Lipstick Traces” by Les Gutman

2001  |  New York Times

“THEATER REVIEW; A Lecture on Punk May Not Be What You Thunk” by Ben Brantley

2001  |  RollingStone.com

“Re-Staging the Sex Pistols: ‘Lipstick Traces’ adapts Greil Marcus’ unadaptable book” by James Sullivan

2001  |  The Village Voice

“Seventeen Liar Bodies: Lipstick Traces at the Ohio Theatre” by Jessica Winter

2001  |  Newsday

“A Johnny Rotten Curse Traced to Its Roots” by Gordon Cox

2001  |  Time Out New York
“‘Lipstick Traces’ – Review” by Jason Zinoman

2001  |  New York Post
“Traces of Anarchy, Sex Pistols” by Donald Lyons

2001  |  NY Theatre.com
“Lipstick Traces” by Ken Urban

2002  |  LA Weekly
“Rusty Pistols: The Foundry Theater’s Lipstick Traces, sans saliva” by Doug Harvey

2002  |  Offoffoff.com
“Tex Pistols” by Caraid O’Brian

2002  |  Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“‘Lipstick’ traces the trail of anarchy” by Regina Hackett

2002  |  Los Angeles Times
“Ode to Anarchy” by Reed Johnson

1999  |  The Austin Chronicle
“Lipstick Traces, It’s Only Rock & Roll…” by Robert Faires

2000  |  The Austin Chronicle
“Lipstick Traces: Rock on!” by Robi Polgar 

Awards / Citations

Austin Critics’ Table Awards

• Winner “Outstanding Comedy”
• Winner “Outstanding Adaptation” – for Kirk Lynn
• Winner “Outstanding Director of a Comedy” – for Shawn Sides
• Winner “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy” – for Lana Lesley
• Nominated “Outstanding Lighting Design” – for Zach Murphy
• Nominated “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy” – for Jason Liebrecht

B. Iden Payne Awards

Winner “Outstanding Director of a Comedy” – Shawn Sides

The Austin Chronicle’s “Top of the Year” • January 7, 2000

• Top 10 Theatrical Productions of 1999 by Sarah Hepola: #1. Lipstick Traces (Rude Mechanicals)
• 10 Shows From 1999 Theatre Transported Me by Robert Faires: #1. Lipstick Traces (Rude Mechanicals)
• from The Austin American-Statesman’s Arts Favorites/Best of 1999: #6. Lipstick Traces (Rude Mechanicals)

Nominated for The New Play Award from the American Theatre Critics Association which honors important and new voices in the American Theatre.

January/February 2002

• The Wexner Center (Columbus, OH) – Jan 10-13, 2002
• The Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN)
• Legion Arts/CSPS (Cedar Rapids, IA)
• DiverseWorks (Houston, TX)

Touring Cast: Ehren Christian, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Michael Mergen, Robert Pierson, Jason Phelps

Touring Stage Manager: José Angel Hernandez

September/October 2002

• On The Boards (Seattle, WA)
• UCLA Performing Arts (Los Angeles, CA)

Touring Cast: Henry Stram, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Ohhh dangit, T. Ryder Smith, James Urbaniak

Touring Stage Manager: Sarah Richardson

July 2003 – Szene Salzburg (Salzburg, Austria)

Touring Cast: Henry Stram, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Michael Mergen, Robert Pierson, James Urbaniak

Touring Stage Manager: José Angel Hernandez

It’s been too long to remember – need playbills for credits if you got ’em, share ’em. If this is wrong, don’t be pissed, just let us know.

August 1999 – The Ice Factory Festival, Ohio Theatre – New York City

Workshop Draft 40 minutes long

• Development Team: Brad Beckman, Ehren Christian, Jose Hernandez, Lana Lesley, Kirk Lynn, Michael Mergen, Gavin Mundy, Robert Pierson, Shawn Sides, and other people we know aren’t included here – we are looking for the documentation! Let us know if you were at that table in Travis High School working with these folks but aren’t listed here.
• Director: Shawn Sides
• Writer: Kirk Lynn
• Ensemble: Ehren Conner Christian, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Michael T. Mergen, Gavin Mundy, Robert Pierson
• Scenic Design: Gavin Mundy, Lana Lesley + Shawn Sides
• Stage Manager: José Angel Hernandez
• Costume Design: Marit Aagaard
• Lighting Design: Us? + Brian H Scott saved our tushes with a slide projector and probably fixed everything else
• Sound Design: Jimi Gunn with opening cue by Darron L. West

Sept 9 – Oct 2, 1999 – The Off Center – Austin, TX

World Premiere

• Director: Shawn Sides
• Writer: Kirk Lynn
• Ensemble: Ehren Conner Christian, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Michael T. Mergen, Gavin Mundy, Robert Pierson
• Scenic Design: Gavin Mundy, Lana Lesley, Shawn Sides
• Costume Design: Marit Aagaard
• Lighting Design: Zach Murphy
• Sound Design: Jimi Gunn with opening cue by Darron L. West
• Stage Manager: José Angel Hernandez

Aug 31 – Sept 17, 2000 – The Off Center – Austin, TX

Remount for MWAC in Austin

• Director: Shawn Sides
• Writer: Kirk Lynn
• Ensemble: Ehren Conner Christian, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Michael T. Mergen, Gavin Mundy, Robert Pierson
• Scenic Design: Leilah Stewart
• Technical Director: Madge Darlington
• Costume Design: Marit Aagaard
• Lighting Design: Zach Murphy
• Sound Design: Jimi Gunn with opening cue by Darron L. West
• Stage Manager: José Angel Hernandez

May 2 – June 10, 2001 – The Ohio Theatre, NYC

Produced by The Foundry Theatre

Off Broadway Premiere

• Director: Shawn Sides
• Writer: Kirk Lynn
• Featuring: David Greenspan, Lana Lesley, Jason Liebrecht, Ean Sheehy, T. Ryder Smith, James Urbaniak
• Lighting Design: Heather Carson (aka “Clipboard”)
• Sound Design: Darron L. West
• Set Design: Jim Larkin
• Costume Design: Rachel Carr
• Production Stage Manager: Sarah Richardson

Big love and forever thanks to Greil Marcus.