BWW Reviews Aurora

Lynn Beaver said some beautiful things about our world premiere of Aurora. You can read the whole review here.

“Trace Turner’s direction is seamless, clear, and true to the material. His use of the outdoor space at Paper Plate Gallery focuses the audience on the actors with pinpoint accuracy.”

“Bottle Alley Theatre is undoubtedly Austin’s most creative theatre company. From their incredible scripts to their out-of-the-ordinary performance spaces, they can take a thread of thought and weave a singular moment in time for their audience.”

Austin Arts Watch calls Aurora a 'poignant examination of loneliness'

Read the whole review on Austin Arts Watch’s blog here.

“Fontanes and Turner trust both their actors to convey the deeper truths of these viscerous actions, and their audience to comprehend the subtle nuance of the (at times literal) dance on display, a subtlety that is at times missing from this type of drama.”

“I would have loved to spend more time in the universe that Fontanes, Turner, and their cast and crew have created, but that’s hardly a knock against them. Like the best things in life, the time spent with Aurora was well worth the sorrow of having to leave it, and its an experience that will linger in my mind for some time to come.”

Thank you Ryan Johnson!

Aurora · Austin Chronicle

Austin Chronicle’s glowing review of the premiere of AURORA by Chris Fontanes can be found here. Thank you to Cat McCarrey for your kind words and for seeing the show.

“Performance-wise, it’s a deft three-hander where director Trace Turner has characters bounce off each other in ways that enhance the story.”

“Such an Austin setting makes Aurora truly special, a creation that could only blossom here. That specific connection to place makes the art tangible, something we can access and be part of.”

“Aurora works as a play and an encapsulation of what makes Austin special. It’s off the beaten path in a laid-back way. Do you yearn to actually keep Austin weird? Because Bottle Alley is furthering that cause.”

'Always a Boy' AC Review

In the beginning of 2024 I had the pleasure of being in the cast of the world premier of Jo and Jeremey Ivester’s ALWAYS A BOY at Ground Floor Theatre. Check out the article here!

“…intense warmth radiates through Always a Boy, softening even the most dramatic moments of conflict. ... There’s not an ounce of bleakness in this play. Rather, this production oozes comfort from its very core, displaying a sweet sensitivity beneath fear and doubt.”

JACK & AIDEN BWW Review

A lovely review from BWW writer Joni Lorraine! She calls a J&A a must see so as not to disappoint your future self.

“Director Trace Turner (He/They) keeps the pace and staging snappy. …Ground Floor Theatre’s bold Co-Artistic director Lisa Scheps, who commissioned this work, should be solidly proud of JACK & AIDEN. The cast and crew are superior, the script and music excellent, the direction is seamless.

Read the rest of the review here!

'Wraith Radio is a scrappy punk masterpiece'

A glowing review from Austin Arts Watch about Wraith Radio.

“As Bottle Alley’s fine fable of loss and grief played out, it felt less like a work of theatre and more like a communal ritual, a ceremonial rite bursting with youthful vigor and punk exuberance that left its audience sweat-drenched, tear-stained, and breathless.”

Read the entirety of Ryan E. Johnson’s review here.

Wraith Radio BWW Review

BroadwayWorld reviewer Lynn Beaver reviews Wraith Radio! Read the whole review here.

“Director Trace Turner magnificently stages the production in a greenhouse…His choice of in-show music is on point, perfectly placed and helps the audience to catch a glimpse into the character’s minds.”

Wraith Radio CTX Review

Wraith Radio opened in Austin, TX on a stormy night on June 16th and closed on July 2nd, 2023 at Pink Flamingo Plant Co. Produced by Bottle Alley Theatre Co. Below is a vivid review by Michael Meigs for CTX Live Theatre.

“Turner's 2023 edition of Wraith Radio expands the 2016 concept by providing more ample backstories, delivered in a style both fantastical and naturalistic…The reveals, when they come, are well foreshadowed and satisfying . . . .”

“The playwright and adapter/director Trace Turner have crafted vivid lines, clearly  intenional [sic], that the actors deliver casually, thoughtfully, almost improvisationally, lending an aching reality to their uncertainties. Turner's careful, subtle blocking of movement between the files of seats along two sides of the rectangle keeps us engaged with them as the story develops.”