A Tribute To A Hidden Gem

Not all that far from the bustle of downtown and the university, past the tech companies on the surrounding hills, and just down the road a bit from some barbecue joints and the picturesque Pennybacker Bridge, lies a hidden Austin gem. A throwback to the early 17th century sits tucked away on the shores of the Colorado River: The Curtain Theatre.

The Curtain Theatre is an Elizabethan outdoor theater in the style of the Globe Theatre in London, scaled down to about a third of the size. Built by video game developer Richard Garriott and located on private property on the shores of Lake Austin amongst a large pecan grove, it seats up to 350 patrons in two gallery levels and one ground level. The intimate "Wooden O" design ensures that no seat in the house is farther than 25 feet from the stage. This allows audience members to directly connect with the actors on stage, and vice versa, upping the energy and making shows that much better. 

 

The original Curtain Theatre that is the namesake of this local one was London's second playhouse and the venue for several of Shakespeare's plays during the years that the main theatre was closed, including Romeo & Juliet and Henry IV Part I and Part II. The original Curtain was not a "Wooden O," though. That would come later when The Globe was built, and the Lord Chamberlain's Men would move there instead.

 

Since 2005, the Curtain has been the home of The Baron's Men, a theatre company that presents plays in the time and style of ancient Greece until about 1650 in a manner that is as historically accurate as possible.  The troupe, of which I've been a member since 2009, primarily performs the works of Shakespeare, but occasionally does things from some of his contemporaries or predecessors, and the occasional original work set in those time periods. While we're not a fully 'original practices' troupe, we do keep things to their period settings and language, and we take delight in showing that these plays can be enjoyed and understood just fine in their original forms if they are presented well.  

 

Having The Curtain as our stage to bring these works to life has been unlike anything else. Despite being able to host a few hundred people, the experience still feels intimate from both sides. With the thrust stage and the close gallery, the audience is never far from the actors – and all around them. Actors in the groundling area are literally close enough to reach out and touch the audience, fourth-wall-breaking asides can be delivered conspiratorially directly to faces you can see in the audience nearby, and we generally encourage light-hearted cheers and boos toward the heroes and villains of the stories. All of this blurs the line where the stage ends and makes for a special experience.

 

Over the years, the Curtain has been host to many other events as well, from Austin Shakespeare's children's summer programs to a number of weddings and proposals to court events for the Society for Creative Anachronism, and more. Many memories, shows, and good times have graced the stage here.

 

"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,

so do our minutes hasten to their end" –Sonnet 60 

 

Sadly, nothing is forever, and this fall marks the final season that The Curtain will be operating. If you happen to be in Austin during October, the final show will be Much Ado About Nothing, presented by The Baron's Men, and we'd love to share the experience with you one final time. If you aren't local, enjoy the pictures and memories here (or look the theater up on Google Maps and see many people's photos in the reviews). It will be sad for me to say goodbye to the place, and I'm thankful for the years that we've been able to walk those boards and play there. Our shows will go on elsewhere, but we'll always hold a place in our hearts for that "Wooden O."

 

"O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
the brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act,
and monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
But pardon, and gentles all,
the flat unraised spirits that have dared
on this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
so great an object." –Henry V, Act 1