Austin Rainbow Theatre presents the regional premiere of Del Shores' southern dark comedy, a hilarious exploration of chosen family and love.
Austin Rainbow Theatre is bringing The Recipe Box to Ground Floor Theatre in East Austin, and it's the regional premiere of a new southern dark comedy by Del Shores. If that name rings a bell, it's because he's the one behind Sordid Lives, and he's often called the 'King of Southern Queer Comedy.' He wrote and directed this one himself, so it's coming straight from the source.
The play is set on a lush, plant-filled Louisiana porch. It follows Rick, a brilliant but emotionally walled-off math professor, and his cheating husband, Joah. Things get complicated when Joah's mother, Lou Wanda—a sharp-tongued 70-something with a gambling addiction—shows up carrying an old recipe box that belonged to Rick's late mother. From there, it turns into a story about a hilarious and fiercely protective chosen family.
Shores is joined on stage by Emerson Collins as Rick, who starred in the film adaptation of Southern Baptist Sissies, and Cynthia Sanders as Lou Wanda, known as Nurse Sample in A Very Sordid Wedding. Sanders has called Lou Wanda her favorite character ever, so she's coming into the role with a lot of affection for it.
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Ground Floor Theatre has been a home for diverse voices in East Austin since 2015, and its Black Box is dedicated to work by and for underrepresented communities. The Recipe Box runs from September 4 through September 19, with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM, plus a Sunday matinee on September 13 at 2 PM. Reserved seating is $60, general admission is $45, and students and educators get in for $22.50. There's also a $50 VIP package you can add on.
