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Ethos Staging World Premiere of :Humpty, Opening at VORTEX on April 6th

Updated: Friday, March 16 2012, 09:17 AM CDT
By Rob Faubion, Austin On Stage

Austin-based theatre group ethos will stage the world premiere of :Humpty, a twisted nursery rhyme spectacle, running April 6th through May 5th at the VORTEX Theatre. 

Directed by Bonnie Cullum, the dark tale with adult aesthetics, features a story by Melissa Vogt-Patterson and original music by Chad Salvata.

Loosely based on the nursery rhyme characters Humpty Dumpty, The Spoon, The Dish, The Cow, The Dog and The Moon, Vogt-Patterson’s story delves deeper into the simple tale than what appears on the surface of the nursery rhyme - uncovering a story of civil war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, slavery and the disparity of the wealthy and the poor.  Both a love story and a war tale, :Humpty invites the audience to peer into a mix of live action, music, video, movement and gossip.

 Humpty begins his journey as the washed out General of King Koray’s (Moon) army. On the anniversary of the last battle of the civil war, he discovers that his closest neighbor - the wealthy mage Sir Wedgewood (Dish) - has acquired a delicious new Mistress (Spoon) whom he keeps magically enchanted in the form of a silver spoon. Humpty’s lust for her knows no bounds, and he manages to steal her away from Wedgewood at the King’s celebratory ball.  Betrayal, magical armies and mortal combat ensue as the characters fight for their lives, loves and freedom.

The cast features Mick D’arcy, Betsy McCann, Jonathan Itchon, Gabriel Maldonado, Justin LaVergne, Melissa Vogt-Patterson and Jennifer Coy.  Scenic design is by Ann Marie Gordon, with lighting design by Jason Amato, costume design by Melissa Vogt-Patterson, and sound and video design by Sergio R. Samayoa. 

Performances will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $25 to $30 for priority seating, $15 to $20 for general admission and $10 for starving artists. 
Thursday and Sunday performances are 2-for-1 admission with a donation of two non-perishable food items for SafePlace. 

The VORTEX Theatre is located at 2307 Manor Road.  For tickets and more information, call (512) 478-LAVA (5282) or visit VortexRep.org.

(Photo by Bonnie Cullum)Ethos Staging World Premiere of :Humpty, Opening at VORTEX on April 6th