The VORTEX Celebrates 30 Years

One of Austin’s cultural treasures turns 30

Words by Erin McWilliams Photos by Errich Petersen and Daria Marinelli

This January, The VORTEX will be celebrating 30 years as a performing arts venue and as an East Austin cultural treasure.

The 30th Anniversary season, endearingly referred to as 30 Years of Truth and Thunder, kicked off with a champagne toast, ending 2017 with a bang and beginning 2018 in celebration of the last 30 years. This year, 23 theatrical events were selected to commemorate the memorable years of entertaining Austin locals. “Each show presents unique programming, stimulating thought and conversation, and dares to dream the world in which we want to live,” explains The VORTEX founder Bonnie Cullum.

Showing now until the 20th of January is the opener of the season, The Way She Spoke: A docu-mythologia, written by Isaac Gomez, the winner of the The David Mark Cohen New Play Award from the Austin Critics’ Table in 2013 for his first play, The Women of Juarez. Don’t miss the next show, 893 | YA-KU-ZA, beginning on the January 26 with an opening-night reception at 9:30 PM that you won’t want to miss. Come toast the hard work of the actors and crew, and be entertained in the process. Tickets can be purchased here.

The VORTEX is a permanent arts complex tucked away on Manor Road that houses The VORTEX Rep, a producing, presenting, artist-owned non-profit theatre company that has produced 30 successful seasons of theatre and dance. From its earliest days as a brainchild of UT Austin grad students to its present day, the crew remains committed to presenting innovative, edgy theatre that engages patrons and visitors in the human experience. The VORTEX built a name in the Austin community for its groundbreaking LGBTQ theatre and remains to this day a creative home and producing partner for Austin’s underserved multicultural creative community.

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Their extended programming includes the popular Summer Youth Theatre program, which provides tuition free opportunities for teens to learn and gain experience in acting, directing and technical theatre, not to mention the many local non-profit organizations they partner with to present diverse, cultural performing arts. While their focus is primarily on performing arts, they have evolved their business to include The Butterfly Bar, a separate revenue generating business that supports the arts-focused mission and programming of The VORTEX. This performing arts business continues to thrive and remain relevant while Austin and its creative community have dramatically changed. Thanks to a smart marketing and community engagement, The VORTEX has created an entertainment destination that is beloved in Austin, with continued support from artists, patrons and the community at large, it has become an essential part of Austin’s identity that locals have come to know and love.

Contact: 
The VORTEX
(512) 478-5282
2307 Manor Road