Great Space to see live theatre. FronteraFest always delights in Jan and Feb. Ken Webster does a great job of finding new plays that speak to both the actors and the audience. Most any show you see there is guaranteed to be well acted and directed. read more

Hyde Park Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Austin, Texas

Hyde Park Theater is one of Austin's true Gems. This tiny theater has no more than 50 - 60 seats making each and every show personally engaging and intimate. I recently saw "House" which was my fifth performance at this theater. The staff knows what they are doing and are extremely friendly. Ken Webster (their artistic director and actor) is a tour de force. When not acting in the show, he is at the front of the house, greeting audience members and showing them to their seats. I walked in one evening (my fourth show) and was giving my name to the ticket/bar counter when Mr. Webster walked in and finished my sentence, giving the staff member my last name and spelling it. THAT is intimacy with your audience AND service, folks! I cannot say enough good things about this theater. The plays chosen tend to be dark and funny, one moment causing you to laugh heartily with your neighbor and the next moment so silent aside from the emotions reeling through your tiny mind. Two out of the five plays highly engaged the audience, one of which brought the audience directly into the show itself. This is theater at its best. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Logistics: the shows tend to be short in duration (75 minutes) without an intermission which is good because momentum is not lost. The seats are not comfortable so the length is also beneficial for bum knees and legs. See you there! read more

I just had a fantastic evening over at the Hyde Park Theatre. Tonight's show was called "Bombs in your mouth". It was this extremely well performed dark comedy. I'm usually too busy drinking to do something "artistic" like go to the theatre but I just had the best time in this small intemant theatre. I am still laughting and crying as I write this review. There is one more night left for the "bombs". they have some reviews of the show here -http://www.hydeparktheatre.org/site/index.html BTW - Austin yelp's Susie G often performs at the Hyde Park theatre so check it out. It is an overlooked gem. read more

I am torn about HPT. On one hand, the quality of performances here has always been 5 star alone-but on the other...the theater itself is not an optimum environment for the quality of the performances it attracts. It's a strange relationship. I was watching a performance here last week of "A Steady Rain", which was incredibly gripping-but at various points the AC would kick on and I wasn't sure at first if it was part of the performance or not, realizing it wasn't, it took me out of the performance in front of me for a moment. On top of that, the seating could stand to be replaced, or maybe have a little more depth. Everytime I go I have to scout out a front row or an aisle seat, which other HPT veterans(or you know, people with mobility issues) have claimed already. Uncomfortableness aside, you owe it to yourself to look into the performances that routinely are put on here. read more

Rocks! No words do it justice. Hyde Park regulars (cast members) could make watching paint dry interesting. Xochitl Romero & Rebecca Robinson in Circle Mirror Transformation (2010) made my ribs hurt. Just go! read more

I went to see the XMAS Burlesque show. The show was very entertaining, and the intimate theatre made the high degree of customer interaction possible. During most of the show, they encouraged audience participation. While a smaller venue is always preferable, I normally am not a fan of old buildings crammed with a variety of uncomfortable seats. They have one cramped, smelly bathroom shared by men and women. They were handling the tickets by hand, and weren't sure how many seats were left. Here it worked, however. I talked to a lot of the people seated near me, and it felt almost like a small class rather than a performance with me as a spectator. Even waiting for the bathroom, everyone was friendly. They paused the show at various points and brought liquor out to our seats. It would not have been the same experience in a larger or more modern venue. read more

I love the Hyde Park theater. I love everything about it... the FronteraFest best of Fest shows were great, "Bombs in your Mouth" and "My Child..." were all winners in my opinion. Being that it is 2 blocks from my house, the Hyde Park Theater has been an ideal date locale. Really, my only bone to pick, if you will, is the lack of snacks. Here's how I do: I go to the Parlor on an empty stomach, like any good date I order a gin and tonic instead of food, because I figure we'll eat after the show... but then it's too early and I order another gin and tonic, or maybe a Guinness, because that's basically a meal, right? So anyway, I stumble in, ask Ken if he's got any popcorn in the back... he doesn't (please sell snacks at the concessions) and then I have to watch the "Bombs" cast eat tupperware containers full of spaghetti while their tormented tale settles a depressed (but darkly humurous) glum on my gin-laden psyche. Bottom line, snacks please! Peanuts, popcorn, pork rinds- whatever! read more

I just saw, "My child, my child, my alien child" at the Hyde Park Theater last night. It's a one man play of the first 9 years with this actor/playwrite's first born son. He tells hysterically funny stories alternating with some gut wrenching slam poetry. For $18.00 it's a pretty good price for a live roller coaster ride and this coming weekend is your last chance. http://www.hydeparktheatre.org/site/index.html read more

This week is the Fringe Festival, and the short works are being produced at the Hyde Park Theatre. The space needs some serious donations, so please support this venue so they can get their seating, lighting, and artistic space some new equipment. I think I attended the Fringe on an off night. The plays were difficult to get through, some far longer than they needed to be. The acting was uneven at times, the writing struggled, but then again, this festival is all about artists getting works seen and helping hone their craft. I will probably try another night to see how if I just chose a weaker night. read more

After years of going to this place, writing a review for the Hyde Park Theatre is almost like writing a review of my wife. Not that Ken Webster looks anything like my wife... HPT is a delightful, tiny, and intimate spot that I love to enter for a healthy dose of passion, drama and entertainment. Quality is almost always top notch. And when it is NOT going to be top notch, they usually give you enough forewarning with taglines such as: "Work in Progress" or "Fronterafest". Over time, you get to know the score. read more

Austin is very lucky to have this small, low-budget, intimate theater. if you are used to Bass Concert Hall, you are in for a pleasant surprise. The small space means you will feel very involved with the actors on stage. Located north of the University is upscale Hyde Park, ticket prices are extremely reasonable (below $20) and parking is free on the street. Every play is worth seeing and so far 50 of them have gone national. Thank you Hyde Park Theatre for staying true to your roots!! ................... ps: some reviewers mention chairs: pls know that the chairs are fine, they are standard hotel lecture rooms. read more

Small cozy, all seats are good. In hindsight I would get reserved seats. We are seeing, Down the Drain. Play was good, and the actors pulled it off. Thank you Hyde park. read more

Hyde Park Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Austin, Texas

I really need to frequent this place more often. It's an incredibly intimate experience, and they have quite a way of re-doing the stage for each show. I've seen it look like a dirty motel, a pristine gym, and a living room of a house. The staff is amazing, very talkative and funny. They sell beer and wine and soda and water! Really, you are missing out if you haven't been here. You should frequent this place. You'll love it, trust me! read more

I went to Frontera Fest here and had a blast! It was just a bunch of theater people having fun and sharing their work with each other! Just another fun Austinish thing to do! I would recommend going over to NeWorld Deli before/after the show! read more

I've seen a local production here, and the venue is super cute. It's intimate but somehow manages a surprising amount of seating. If I was putting on a play, I'd want it to be here. read more

Do performers this skilled deserve a better, bigger space? Or is this kind of hole in the wall required to make us appreciate how wonderful these actors and directors are? I don't know. No martini and real estate crowd here. Not a place to be seen. It's just the real thing, like 100% agava tequila. A place to experience art, that's it, straight. There are so many plays they could slay you with. "Waiting For Godot" would kill here. So would "When you coming back, Red Ryder?" "Kafka's D*ck", perfect for this place. Life isn't fair. And Hyde Park Theatre proves it. These artists should be pulling down big salaries and getting interviewed by slick magazines. I really should not be able to afford to see them. Maybe that's the point. I went. They proved it to me twice. You want the real thing? You want quality? Here it is. Set 'em up, Joe. Give 'em a shot. read more

Wanted to buy tickets, but HPT's website is so antiquated that I couldn't do so. Seriously y'all. It's not that hard, update your site to allow access via mobile access. It's 2017. read more

I've seen a few plays here, and the quality of the shows have always been worth it, but the venue itself could use some updating to make it a better experience. read more

I'm reviewing the short fringe of Frontera Fest, which is a must see in January/February. Eclectic mix of performances and at less then 25 minutes they are sure to keep anyone's attention. As far as the venue, it's a typical black box theater. Frontera Fest is a gem. read more

In my opinion, this is the only playhouse in Austin to attend for their entire season. They work closely with Capital T which is an amazing production company-- not afraid to push the boundaries. Ken Webster truly cares about the experiences of his patrons and works hard to maintain their great reputation. Forget about the campy Zach Scott and come here instead. Bravo! read more

I hate to be the nay-sayer here among all the gushing, but somebody has to do it because as fantastic as many of the productions have been at Hyde Park, the theater itself is one of the most uncomfortable venues in Austin. Still, these really are some of the best productions in town. Creative, risky, challenging, intriguing. What they need is a generous donation put toward renovation by a patron who understands the value this theatre adds to Austin. read more

LONG LIVE THE BLACKBOX! I am a theater-going person. I have seen all types of plays and symphonies at all types of venues (from Boston to Austin, from Dallas to London), and by far and beyond my favorite plays are those performed in tiny, hole-in-the-wall, black box theaters. My Dad and I saw Thom Pain at this particular tiny theater last night. I didn't love the play, it was mediocre to me, although the actor was fantastic (I just didn't care for the story line... or was there one?). Anyway, what I loved about the experience was... we arrived in laid-back Austin style - jeans, T-shirts, and on a Harley Davidson - and just had a really great, chill evening together in an environment that was conducive for that. The ticket prices were very reasonable (Dad says that some nights are "make an offer" night). Dad and I both grew up in Hyde Park, and it was just great to hear from him the history of the building. He remembers it as an old post office, and it got us talking a lot about the neighborhood and memories from growing up. So... maybe it was Dad more than the theater itself, but I really enjoyed going to the Hyde Park theater last night, seeing the play, and the community feelings that are so specific to blackboxes. I would have loved the art gallery across the street to be open, as I've been to a blackbox attached to an art gallery in Dallas that was awesome, but maybe another time! Dad and I will be back (he's a regular anyway), and when my kids are a little older, or grown, I will take them to this theater, too! read more

I've gotten used to the seats and the air conditioning and appreciate all that Hyde Park has to offer.

We had a great time at Fronterafest last night. Really neat venue. We will definitely include this place in our going-out repertoire.

I just dig this place! It's a small theatre with a neat atmosphere. Each play that I've seen here has been wonderful...from the music, to the sets, to the acting. It's one of my favorite places for date nights, so gentlemen-- check this theatre out to impress your lady! :) read more

Saw a pretty wild play here and the actress was hot. It's kinda small, and you should probably get something to eat over at The Parlor across the street first. They have some wine and stuff if you want, just in case the play gets boring, but it seems like they have less boring crap here and more edgier, interesting stuff. read more

Just another wonderful evening in Austin! I had the pleasure of viewing The Collection last night and it is in my top 3 fave performances Hyde Park Theatre has produced. So get off your hiney and check it out. Suddenly I am craving an olive read more

One week left for Thom Paine. save your money. Any other performance they put on will be better (well, maybe excluding performances where actors actually cut themselves on stage.) read more

Love their irreverence! Frontera Fest can not be beat!

I have driven past this little "house" a hundred times... I GUESS I saw that there was a marquee .... but it never really registered... I was invited to see Detroit here... the unfortunate part was it was the performance before the closing night... why was it unfortunate? IT WAS FANTASTIC... the play took a very unexpected DARK turn in the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed it ... I would have told all my friends to see it... (I checked with the box office and closing night was sold out...) The acting was great!!! And the staging was superb... BUT back to the theater... it is a quaint little space...nice size lobby and a cute little box office. A lot of small theaters are called "intimate" and that usually means cramped... that is not the case here... the theater is intimate... being you feel as though you are part of the action... whispers the actors share with each other (as part of the play) can be heard... the "look" shared between actors can be seen .... there is not a bad seat to be had in the "house." Will I go back OH YES.... this will not be my last play at the Hyde Park theatre.... BRAVO!! (OK BROVE was a little cheesy on my part but.... what can I say.... grin) read more