Y’all, we turned 30 this year (!)
For 30 years, you have shown up. Over and again. You find us. We find you. We make plays. Together. This is about as nostalgiac as we’re gonna get because the milestone isn’t how long we’ve been doing this. It’s that we have so much more to do.
30 for 30
We’re asking you to help us make what comes next. Give $3, $30, $300, $3,000 or whatever number you’d like. Take a walk with us to see how far we have all come together.
By the year 2000
We are toddlers – we just turned 4 years old.
We are prolific!
We made Pale Idiot, Lust Supper, curst & Shrewd, Crucks, Don B’s Snow White, Salivation, Prometheus Unbound, and WAR.
We performed Lipstick Traces off-Broadway. Some of you were there.
We were already “making theatre that matters,” according to Margot Jefferson.
We took over 3500sf of The Off Center for $600/month.
Some of you were there – hanging out with us at The Chili Parlor, mostly. We were so sloppy.
Baby Bush won the election.
By 2010
We are 14 years old.
We are prolific teens!
We built out The Off Shoot classroom and rehearsal space.
Grrl Action was 10 years old. Throws Like A Girl was badass.
We made The Method Gun, Get Your War On, Cherrywood, El Paraiso, How Late it Was, How Late, Match- Play, Requiem for Tesla, HYEBA, DD7: Revenge, Stadium DevilDare and Dionysus in 69 in 09.
You were joining our ranks, hanging out with us in The Off Center yard by the tree Steve planted.
Barak Obama won the election. Yes, we could.
By the year 2020
We can vote. We can drink. We are getting very sophisticated.
We are slow cooking and getting commissions. $$
We made and toured The Cold Record, Field Guide, Now Now Oh Now, I’ve Never Been So Happy, Not Every Mountain and Stop Hitting Yourself. Plus a boatload of Fixing Shakespeares and Grageriart.
We lost The Off Center.
We found Crashbox (with some sloppy AAS hand-me-down in the middle there).
You found us at Crashbox, thankfuckinggod. We thought we might lose you.
Trump won the election.
By 2030
We are so mature by now. Well into our 30’s by now.
We made an app called Cyrano. Yeah we did.
We will have made Drill, I Am Brothers, Contranyms, Art Tramp, Our Ton, Six Cuts, Farewell and who knows what else.
Andbygod, we will have created a permanent home for Austin artists.
You will be there as you always have, helping us make new works, support local artists, bring badasses to town and hanging out with us.
We will have elected a woman president.
By the end of this 30th anniversary season, you will have helped Rude Mechs to:
- collaboratively created and produced 43 original full-length plays;
- toured 55 times around the US and abroad with nine of our productions;
- produced six plays written/created by other people;
- co-presented shows by 26 solo-performance artists in our Throws Like a Girl series and Crossing Borders;
- co-produced 37 shows in our Rude Fusion and Second Stage series;
- hosted Black Arts Movement Festival for four years and Fusebox Festival for ten years;
- managed multi-disciplinary arts and culture venues in the heart of East Austin, providing the most affordable rental rates in town for 27 years;
- served as the venue for over 120 independent performances per year by local Austin theatre and dance companies and performers, with an annual audience total of roughly 16,000.
The 2026/2027 Schedule of Events
The company is overjoyed to have made it this far together, and we are commemorating our 30th year by making so much new work. Join us!
November: OUR OUR TOWN – a workshop
We are getting our first draft of a draft up on its feet and want you to come see and respond.
December: I AM BROTHERS – a world premiere
Join Kirk and Alex for the world premiere of Kirk’s new solo performance about the Wright Brothers.
December: THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER by Thornton Wilder – a staged reading
Join us as we mount a one-night-only staged reading of Wilder’s beautiful look at how we pass time.
January: CORPUS CHRISTI by Terrance McNally
Madge and Shawn are co-directing McNally’s retelling of the story of Jesus and the 12 Apostles for its second time to be seen in Texas.
March: FAREWELL TOUR – a workshop
Join Thomas for this workshop production examining the value of work.
April: SIX CUTS – a workshop
Join Lana and Mari for a new play from Lana.
June: DRILL – a workshop
This is not a drill. Get serious about disaster prep with Madge and Whitney.
We want to hang out with you.
