Tender Rough Rough Tender

a developmental production by Sarah Saltwick | directed by Jess Hutchinson

produced by groundswell | a Rude Fusion production

Presented August 21 – 30, 2015 at The Off Center.

“Most impressive is how all of these Longhorn-heavy design elements combine to tell the story so vividly, and speaks to the level of quality currently pouring from UT’s theatre department and the Michener Center.” – Shanon Weaver, Austin Chronicle

ABOUT THE PLAY

It’s the hottest summer on record in Austin, Texas. Bell is at capacity, working to empty her life; Mike is trying to fill his up. As Bell serves pancakes at a 24-hour diner, she dissolves her troubles in drink – lots and lots of drink. Mike’s sorrow over losing a woman he rescued from her burning house feeds his need to conquer his loneliness and the wildfire blazing just outside of town. They meet at a party, but it takes the whole play for them to really see each other through sex, isolation, natural and unnatural disasters. TENDER ROUGH ROUGH TENDER asks us to look again at what we think we know, and asks us all to tell each other how we want to get the things we need.

FEATURING
Hannah Burkhauser
Joseph Garlock

COLLABORATIVE TEAM
Lighting Designer: Rachel Atkinson
Scenic Designer: Anne McMeeking
Costume Designer: Kelsey Vidic
Sound Designer: Toto Miranda
Stage Manager: Kenny Chilton
Crew: Olivia DeBeck & Whitney Davenport

ABOUT GROUNDSWELL

groundswell creates new, homegrown theatre. Supporting theatre-makers in and of Austin, Texas, we believe that live performance is vital to the evolving cultural conversation of our city and our country. We believe in gathering the forces around us in order to reflect and interrogate the world in which we work. We cultivate agility in our production and administrative processes, and create systems to specifically support each project we undertake. Artists who make work with groundswell believe in dramaturgical curiosity, close and rigorous collaboration, and that seeing a play should be a damn good time.

Rude Fusion is a program designed to develop deeper relationships with some of Austin’s finest theatre artists by offering material, financial and creative support for their new works, and by helping bring nationally acclaimed artists to town. Rude Fusion aims to help artists to take artistic risks, explore new ideas and keep their focus on artist pay and production values.