 "Photo: Peyton McGee/The Daily Texan")
I’ve been traveling to East Austin a lot recently.
It seems that people have been flocking to this part of town to become part of the burgeoning art scene arising on the other side of Interstate Highway 35. Smaller, alternative theater venues are popping up here and there. And it is here, on East Sixth Street just past the railroad tracks, that you can find Hot Mama’s Espresso Bar — and a tiny production of Toni Press-Coffman’s play, “Touch.”
The production has very limited seating, accommodating about 25 people. This seems to be another East Austin production trend: Fewer seats create a closer proximity to the action, which ultimately affects the audience’s emotional response to the drama.
It’s an ingenious method, one that gets results and facilitates a different kind of theatrical experience. At Hot Mama’s, “Touch” is staged outdoors under the branches of a huge oak tree, with only three small platforms and three flats — this was all that was needed to keep the audience’s attention for two hours.
“Touch” tells the story of a young man who tragically loses his first love and attempts to spring back from the depths of his depression to once again feel something. Andrew Varenhorst, who plays the protagonist Kyle, does a fine job of hooking the audience at the start of the production. He introduces a likable, realistic uber-geek character.
But just as we start to feel for him, the play rapidly nose-dives into something darker. I feel this is a test of Varenhorst’s range as an actor. He has the ability to be astoundingly lovable one moment and completely neurotic and despicable the next. Then, we’re delighted when we see he has gained some semblance of optimism and closure at the end.
Aaron Black lends a lot of charm to Benny, Kyle’s best friend and confidant. His boyish, down-to-earth quality is a nice counterpoint to our out-there protagonist.
But if I have one complaint about the production, it would be with some small mannerisms of the actors. While this is undoubtedly a minor complaint, it seemed like the actors spent a good amount of time “talking” with their hands, enough to be a distraction.
While most people tend to do this in real life, I felt these variances were lacking in some respects. What it did, more than anything, was accentuate the fact that we, as audience members, were listening to people recite lines. In a way, the characters became less tangible and lost a little of their complexity.
While my critique might be too nitpicky, the entire theatrical experience was still good.
The open, outside environment lent the production a unique feeling of intimacy. And when Kyle looked up at the sky, pausing contemplatively and staring off into space, you felt that much more connected because you were looking at the same stars.
“Touch” continues at Hot Mama’s until Friday.
