Shows are listed in performance order. 

Accidental Book Reviews for Future Robots by The Shameful Comforts - Version 2.4, by Michael Ferstenfeld. The term "FILK MUSIC" originated from a misspelling of "folk music" in an essay written by Lee Jacobs in the 1950s, "The Influence of Science Fiction on Modern American Filk Music." The editor refused to publish this article, but found the typo so amusing that he told numerous friends in the sci-fi / fantasy / horror fandoms, and it caught on like wildfire to describe the kind of music that honors and parodies those genres of fiction. But WE actually just heard of FILK for the first time after our performance in last year's FronteraFest, when an audience member came up to us after our show and told us about it. This year, having fully embraced our inner filk-sing, The Shameful Comforts present 3-4 all new songs to Hyde Park Theatre, with fantastical stories betwixt!

The Ride Across Barton Springs Road, by Hank Schwemmer. Solo storytelling, for better or worse.

You Barely Existed, written and directed by Mia King. Set in real time at the Drama Book Shop in NYC, You Barely Existed engages in a riveting conversation about Asian American representation in the theatre industry.

I Loved You Ever, by Pablo Munoz-Evers. A moment of Hamlet, re-imagined.

A Friendly Lady, by Max Langert. She used to be a category-five hurricane; now she's a gentle breeze. The thirty years in between are a blur, and I’m not quite sure how we got here.

Bill Carroll Comedy, by Bill Carroll. Standup and alt-comedy exploration of one man's 2/3rds life crisis.

Shows are listed in performance order. 

Morris & The Road To Spirit – Satan's POV, written, produced, and directed by Major Black. In this dark comedy, Satan tells the story of a wide-eyed boy from rural Mississippi who searches for himself, musical success, and the answers to life's big questions. Of course, Satan has other plans for such a bright mind. (Not religious).

The Cauldron by 1800CHANGEDMYLIFE. The improv troupe 1800CHANGEDMYLIFE performs the Cauldron, a long-form improv format that puts the audience in the driver’s seat from the start. We ask the audience for twenty words, which are written on a board for everyone to see. Over the next 25 minutes, our cast performs a fully improvised scene that must incorporate all twenty of those words in creative and surprising ways. Each time a word is spoken, it’s crossed off the board, so the audience can track the progress in real time. This structure builds playful tension and anticipation, as the crowd waits for their chosen words to appear. The end result is a high-energy, one-of-a-kind show where audience suggestions directly shape the story.

The Weight, by Norm Ballinger. Exploring relationship with a bag of sand.

A Great Relief, by Andy Tate (ScriptWorks Commission). It's 2046, and 75-year-old Don Fraser reckons he's lived a full life. But how full is full enough? When the government starts offering old folks big bucks to check out early, to ease the strain on the national budget, Don finds himself grappling with the ultimate questions: What is a life well-lived? What's it all for anyway? And why does cheesecake taste so damn good? Featuring Jeff Bush, Esther Park, Devon Ragsdale, and Kirk Scarbrough. Directed by Jason Sierra.

I’m a Dum-Dum (according to the research), a solo show written and performed by Pamela L Paek. An overachieving, over-praised Ph.D. embarks on a study to prove she’s a dum-dum (or is it dumb-dumb?). Results may vary.

Airplane Mode, by Erin Scott Kessler. A flight takes an unexpected turn into feminine resistance.

Shows are listed in performance order. 

Fractured! Musical Fragments From a Fairy-Tale World, by Ellerieh Lin. This show includes selections from a musical work in progress created by Ellerieh Lin, performed by Marie Giorda and Ellerieh Lin.

Are You Seeing Anyone? by Rhonda Kulhanek. A stand-up confession in which Rhonda Kulhanek traces decades of dating droughts, rigid rules, and unexpected intimacy—turning society’s favorite question into something far more complicated and hilarious.

The Manhole, by Max Stern. A short play about a young man forced to face his past loves, traumas, and memories while bouncing a bathroom door at a local gay bar.

La Cucaracha, by Demian Chavez Galvan + Dante Picante. In a hazy desert cantina, a musician drinks with the devil. Over the course of a few songs and many sips of mezcal, playwright Demian Chavez Galvan and drag artist Dante Picante explore, lampoon, and reimagine masculinity in the shadow of two unlikely Mexican icons: revolutionary General Pancho Villa and sentimental crooner Juan Gabriel.

Just Out Of Reach, by Sally Seitz. After a sexual mishap, Mary encounters some unexpected helpers.

The Bench, by Beth Leckbee and Ritika Bhattacharjee. Nikita and Anne have a chance encounter on a park bench where Niki used to meet her late fiancé, a bench dedicated to Anne’s late best friend. The two women discover what it means to live vibrantly while contending with grief. The Bench is a witty, heart-warming musical about the love that fills the spaces left by the people who leave us, and how the only way through grief is through authentic, vulnerable connection.

Shows are listed in performance order. 
MY Last Supper, by AveryAwakening Erickson. You never know what will flash before your eyes before death.  You just never know.  

An Oral History of the Beach Cabaret, by PoetKen Jones. An insider’s perspective on one of the most seminal clubs in Austin alternative music, featured on MTV’s Cutting Edge in 1985, home turf for legends as diverse as Daniel Johnston and Randy “Biscuit” Turner, and many, many more. PoetKen Jones was there as a poet and lead singer, befriending managers and musicians, bartenders and buskers, punks and patrons, now unlocking memories and memorabilia to share with old timers and newcomers alike before it’s too late.

Gorditas Like White Elephants, by Noah Masterson. A boy and a girl discuss their dilemma at a Taco Bell in Greg Abbott's Texas.

The Only Rehearsal of the Play-In-Progress Titled ‘The Past is a Flower’, written and directed by Emily Rolen. A play-within-a-play-within-a-rehearsal. When Emily and her friend Lauren arrive at Hyde Park Theatre for their one and only rehearsal of Emily’s show The Past is a Flower, it quickly becomes something else—a roast, a fight scene, some kind of horrible love story. There was only time for one rehearsal, so this is all you’re going to get.

Spyder Bytes, by Brian Wittenbrook. An out-of-work movie “scream queen" get the opportunity to represent a revolutionary technology that could change the world. To get the job, she may have to give up a souvenir, a part of Hollywood legend James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder—and something much more important to her. Spyder Bytes stars LB Deyo, Kelly Hasandras, Danu Mara, and Brian Wittenbrook.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Drawings: Scenes of Life, drawn, written, and performed by Marla Porter. The Three-Eyed Sun was written and recorded by Hank Schwemmer.

The Voyager, Unplugged, by Alex Garza. In his latest solo performance, actor and writer Alex Garza performs his original songs. He accompanies himself on a guitar, which he can't really play, but he tries. He also performs short monologues based on his true-life experiences that inspired the songs. Describing events from his life, ranging from his rocky teenage years to his sometimes rocky, but hopeful adult years, he sincerely shares through song the hills and valleys of his journey.

Confidence Lazzi 1: The Audition, by Elizabeth Doss. A new piece of dance and clowning that explores the hell and hilarity of auditioning for the part.

11 Miles to Earth, by Natasha Sanchez. Through songs, stories & sun prints, photographer/songwriter Natasha Sanchez reflects on insights alighted by her photographic road trip around the world. From the marshes of Venice (Louisiana) to the top of the Globe (Arizona), ultimately finding peace on Earth (Texas), this performance piece asks, What impression do we want to make in the world?

Miracle Baby, by Miracle Baby. Miracle Baby is a sketch comedy team. Catch them the last Sunday of each month at Fallout Theater.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Fucking Rehearsal by Haley Malin. Two actors arrive for an emergency rehearsal of their play's sex scene, only to discover their method-obsessed director's plans go far beyond what they expect. The festival selection presents the explosive finale of Act 1.

Unknowing, by Meredith Hoffman and cocreators. A magical realism story about four reunited college friends who must flee Texas for Mexico to escape their nation's authoritarian leader—and who discover ecstatic dance can transport them in their migration.

Wishing (You) Well, by Sally Blue. An excerpt from a larger work about making sense of growing up neither here nor there, but definitely in Texas. A woman’s unexpected death finally calls her prodigal daughter home to the harsh, magical incongruities of a girlhood on the Mexican Border—before walls.

How I Learned to Communicate with Astronauts, by Angela Greco. Ana lives with her eccentric mother, Dolores. She was home-schooled until now, 9th grade, when she embarks on her first year of public school. Sensing a prodigious ability, her science teacher enlists Ana to participate in the annual Science Olympiad competition.

How to Grow a Man, by Nicole Cortichiato (ScriptWorks Commission).  An introductory course on the delicate art of growing a man. Soil, pots, and man seeds provided.

Shows are listed in performance order.

12 Steps to a More Dysfunctional Part 5: This Time It's Personal, by Rob Nash. This year at FronteraFest, Rob presents Part Two of Dysfunctional 5, a one-man-nightmare of love, faith, sex, addiction, activism, and family denial. Mildred misses sex. Fred misses Marcus. Margot welcomes Matt, just in time for the surprise appearance of Tank, unseen for fifteen years. Reverend Bob struggles to keep his vows intact. Windsong races to raise ten million dollars for early childhood development while Moonbird commits to helping women cross state lines for safe abortion care. Ashley steals Billy’s gun. Father Freddie considers walking away from the priesthood. And the twins keep their secret as they stare at their unborn child on a sonogram. One family. One night. No one gets out untouched.

Dad’s Last Cigarette, by Trista Ross. A family of seven children argues over their deceased father’s most magnificent work, a painting containing all of their memories, while having to reconcile their own memories and emotions about their father.

Colorful Deceptions, by Dylan Love. Dylan Love's magical performances have been sought out by companies like Google, HBO, Porsche, and many more. Join him for a theatrical exploration of mystery that's sure to stay with you long after you leave the theater.

The Fighter and The Fawn, by Meredith Yarbrough. A dark romantic comedy told through movement and boxing. Penelope and Quentin, newly in love, have just moved in together, and moving in too are their overactive amygdalae (the survival part of the brain behind fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). When stress knocks out their rational minds, love takes a beating as the living room turns into a boxing ring and the amygdalae into unfiltered ringside announcers. A funny, physical dive into the absurdity and the pain of fighting with the person you are trying to love.

Puck, in Epilogue by Amber Elby. A one-mortal play.

Shows are listed in performance order.. 

Slurred Speech, by Justin Trudeau. Come on an intoxicating trip in this slurred one+person performance about addiction, recovery, and the power of we-based personal narratives. 

The Customer is Always Right? by Jeremy Sweetlamb and Mike D'Alonzo. The triumphant return of Austin comedy veterans Jeremy Sweetlamb and Mike D'Alonzo to the Hyde Park stage. It is sketch comedy for the frustrated, confused, and malaised populace that works its way through the slow death of capitalism.

He Said, She Said, by Camden Factor. This fresh, young play cuts to the nerve of how truth gets forged in real time, who controls the narrative, and what happens when teenagers are pushed to choose not what’s true, but what’s survivable. In a world where status is fragile, attraction and power decide what accountability looks like after the “headline moment” passes—and what consequences remain. More at HeSaid-SheSaid.org.

The Knuckleball Now, by The Knuckleball Now. Established 2004, these local legends of improvised comedy, the Knuckleball Now, bring their high-energy, fast-paced, smart scene work to life, based on audience inspiration.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Texas Book of Beasts: Year of the Skink, by Jeff Irvin. Comic melodrama where a twentysomething woman hero learns to organize diverse elements of the community (including the audience) to save the habitat of an endangered toad from a large development.  With signs and clickers.  Parental warning:  implied amphibian sex.

The 40 yr aha, by Edward Melcher. A one-person performance of how childhood experiences unconsciously shape our adult life and the journey to unwind their influence.

No Safety Meeting, written and performed by Jack Darling. In 1990's Texas, a local devil-worship rumor turns into a Halloween prank at a hidden riverbed called the Spiral Staircase. Forty teens follow into the dark. Torches appear. Panic erupts. Funny, brutal and unforgettable. It becomes an origin story about learning where chaos belongs, and where it doesn't.

Todd, by Todd Mein. Todd is a person! He will bring a cart full of magic and music for entertainment and humor! Part improv, part absurdity, philosophical, and abstract! Themes may include life, death, rebirth. Experimental, noise adjacent, poetic!

Night of 1000 Jennys: A One-Woman Talent Show, by Jennifer Rosario. Showcases the various hobbies, hyper-fixations, and “talents” Jenny Rosario has dabbled in throughout her life. From singing and dancing as a kid to fashion, comedy, and witchy stuff, Jenny has tried a lot of things, and now she wants to show you. Spend the evening with a jack of all trades and a master of absolutely none.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Moving Forward, written and performed by Adriane Shown. Having relocated cities 19 times, living in over 40 abodes, Adriane explores the sense of an internal home and self, in what baggage we box up to carry with us. We are ghosts of previous selves in this single life, but we are also the haunted house itself. An echo of who and what we choose to leave behind as we continue moving forward. 

The Inspector's Gift, by Raymond V. Whelan. One pesky Montreal police officer intrudes upon a young married couple in their home during the October 1970 crisis which involved the Front Du Liberation Quebec, British Trade Commissioner James Cross, and Quebec Deputy Premier Pierre LaPorte.

One Day on the Camino, by Rupert Reyes, with Lesley Clark. In the summer of 2025, I walked a portion of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain and came across a pilgrim from England. It was a day of struggle, a day of empathy, a day of compassion, and a day of shared experiences. This is a moment I’ll never forget. I feel that the experience was an answer to a question that I am continuing to explore.

Some People I Met In Arkansas .by Natasha White. Aone-woman play based on memory and imagination of the voices of those who colored my upbringing in the South. Through ten vivid monologues, I embody the people I’ve met—some tender, some troubled, all achingly human. From a long-winded waitress to a gas station manager stuck in his own prejudice, each story reveals a piece of my first home.

An Introduction to Software Development, by Nick Ivons (ScriptWorks Commission). Step into our world and learn how the sausage gets made.

Shows are listed in performance order.

The Jollyville Chronicles, written and performed by Gracelyn James. After her father's passing, Gracelyn James is compelled to fill in the blanks of her ancestral history that unfolded in a tiny, forsaken Texas town called Jollyville. Podcasting from her closet studio in the big city, she brings listeners on her journey of discovery and hope for intergenerational healing through stories, family archives, and a mysterious radio that seems to bend the waves of time . . . .

Unwitnessed: the Search for Identity After Leaving a Cult, written and performed by Michael Lovestrong. An account of a lifetime in a high-control religion and the road to authenticity after leaving.

Maria’s Breath, by Christian Huey. Short bio-play about the life of Belarusian political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava.

Sound Safari, by Neil Dorsey. Embark on an exploration of sound and absurdity. Join your host, Sir Raginoll Queffington, on an improvised music comedy expedition to discover true authentic sounds hidden within the audience and distill them into certified bangers.

Over the Lege, by Stephanie Chiarello. The number-one, and some say only, political comedy show based solely on the Texas Legislature. Think SNL but laser-focused on Texas politics. Created by Stephanie Chiarello, co-directed by Tom Booker, and written by local writers, it's a real-time look at the shenanigans of the Texas Legislature.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Vernal Roost, a short parable play by Candyce L Rusk. On the evening of the Vernal Equinox high above a gigundo H-E-B parking lot, sharp-tongued grackles convene and consider vengeance on the human beans below. Vernal Roost premiered at TUBU Fest (2025), was selected for Miami’s City Theatre's curated short play reading series in October 2025, now returns with most of the original TUBU cast under the direction of Insha Iqbal.

A Reunion, by Lance Elliot Osborne, Directed by Zell Miller III. On an early morning phone call, two former classmates—one Black, one White—reconnect for the first time in 50 years. What begins as a simple high school reunion invitation unfolds into an unflinching, tender conversation about race, memory, and what was left unsaid. A Reunion explores how old wounds, deep truths, and unexpected kinship can emerge in the most ordinary moments.

The Sleepover Show, by Mackenzie Jaquish. Winner of Best Script at the DUMBO Comedy Pride Festival, The Sleepover Show is a narrative-driven variety show that follows the adventures of six young women at a '90s-style sleepover! Combining elements of storytelling, original music, and dance, The Sleepover Show is a nostalgic ride from start to finish!

Confessions of a Boomer in Remission, by Scott Silverman. Ramblings from a guy who helped ruin everything. BASED ON A TRUE STORY.

The Floor is Lava is a comedy sketch group that performs regularly at Fallout Theater. They will be performing a few of their best sketches from 2025!

Tonight’s show was cancelled due to delays caused by cold weather. The shows originally playing tonight have been rescheduled for other nights of the festival, and are now listed on this page under those dates.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Seize Me, by Liz Ross (ScriptWorks Commission). Henly takes us on their journey with epilepsy from childhood to adulthood. She shines a light on the ripple effect her seizures have on those around her and how it impacts her relationships.

ZAP, by Patrick Aziz. We don’t know much. But between madness and sanity lies the breath of presence as we conspire tonight for some light in a dark theater..

Birthday Gifts: A Peri Tale, by Angela Marie Tolle. A tale of the reawakening of one woman's sexuality and increased libido affected by the onset of perimenopause symptoms. The playwright's dream is to create a showcase where various women can share about the various stages of menopause.

More Than Dirt, by Claire K. Redfield and Elizabeth Crecente. It’s been 20 years, Jen is back and ready to tell it all with her Harry Potter glow in the dark pen! Told in collage, journal entries, and comedic vignettes, More than Dirt is based on the true life and murder of high schooler Jennifer Crecente. This spring, catch the first glimpse of this original show devised in collaboration with Jen’s mother, Elizabeth Crecente, and an ensemble of Austin artists.

United Colors of Booty: The Story of the Sugarfoot Hustlers, by Ellen Stader. A reading/ storytelling experience written and performed by Ellen Stader, telling a tale alternately heartfelt and hilarious about the 12-woman dance troupe she assembled, trained, choreographed, costumed, performed, and built a sisterhood with (and only paid once!) during the 2000-2010s.

Shows are listed in performance order.

Bloom, by Sandy Lam. Through music, movement, and devising, Bloom tells the story of the Tsang family: three women, three survivors, bound in a cycle of love and hurt. An exploration of intergenerational trauma, healing, and growth. This project contains select scenes from the full stage play.

The Jane Byrne Stream of Conscience, by Raymond V. Whelan. The first female mayor of Chicago delivers her inaugural address in poetic fashion.

What to Expect When You Were Expecting to Be Raptured, by Teresa Johnson. Some guy said the Rapture would happen in September 2025. There’s usually some guy saying things like that, but this time, some people believed him. Some woman tries to figure out why and what to do about it, through her relationship with God, her history in the Christian church, and her spoken word poetry. You may be enraptured—you won’t be raptured.

The Luddites, by Marty Shambles. A play about job automation.

2 Nite Stands, written and performed by Rosanna Turner. A One-Woman Bedroom Comedy. Spend a night (or two) laughing at the bedroom shenanigans of a woman who has had one-too-many one night stands. This solo show includes hilarious stories about Craigslist meet-cutes, the challenges of hooking up in a twin bed, and how to turn a one-night-stand into true love.

Hot Bev, by Heather Coffee and John Turlington. Hot Bev is a high-energy improv show featuring two longtime collaborators who serve up spontaneous situations and wild stories. With no scripts and no boundaries, every performance is a fresh, unpredictable journey filled with quirky characters, bizarre explorations, and nonstop hilarity. Hot Bev brings fun, laughter, and off-the-cuff moments that leave audiences questioning the fundamental realities of the universe -- such as whether a hot dog is a sandwich (it is not).

Shows are listed in performance order. 

Real Americans, by Christa French and Laura Freeman. A satirical musical comedy wherein Modern American Man visits the circus!

Last Days of Nikola Tesla. by Daniel Berkowitz. Oscillators, ziggurats, coils, and contraptions. Nikola's weird, wired world is on the brink of breaking through.

Through the Woods, a staged reading written and performed by Pamela L. Paek and Tristan Young Mercado, narrated by Jonna Juul-Hansen. Some would call us over the hill, but we ain’t goin’ to grandmother’s house like the song says. We’re going where most won’t. We’re talking burning bridges and saying what needs to be said. In the ways things need to be said. You’ll learn what it takes to go through the woods. Get ready.

I’m Going to Touch You Now, by Madison Laird and Tracy Hooper. She is searching for hope. The doctor is searching for the cervix. All feels out of reach. Directed by Madison Laird, produced by Tracy Hooper.

Shadow Work, by Dale Markowitz. A traveling shadow puppeteer searches for the source of his creative block. Directed by Rebecca Maag, performed by Nick Ivons.