Superior acting. Excellent variety of shows. Courteous attention to guests. Love it!read more

I adore this place!! After my first time here I'm a believer…read more I grew up in the North Valley and have seen this place more times than I can count. As I entered my adult years I always told myself that I should catch a show here some time. I'm happy to say that I FINALLY made it in. A couple of my close friends and I caught a Leading Ladies performance. The place itself is so quaint and charming. It was a packed house for sure!! I recommend showing up earlier than 10 mins before showtime. The performance was amazing. I had tears streaming down my face the whole first half. The actors were genius. Really threw themselves into their roles and engaged the audience with every word and facial expression. It was so good that I'm going back to see the same show again and plan on going to a couple of other shows scheduled this year. It was a great experience and I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

Size doesn't matter, they say. Which I think is total hog wash when it comes to the size of my…read morecandy bar, and I'd have to say I feel the same about theatre. Size is everything. A production in a huge theatre leaves out that intimate experience with the stage, the set, the tiny yet beautiful team effort and transition between acts; the things you wouldn't usually get to notice. I absolutely love the heart and soul I see behind a small theatre; throw in the raw skill of these locals and you wonder why you haven't escaped your typical night from Albuquerque to join the buzz of the Vortex more often. I have been here a few times, back when located on Carlisle, but this was my first time at the new location. The production: "The Real Thing"! I had heard tale of accents and from that alone I was sold ;) There were struggles of relationships (the monotony, infidelity, - real things, indeed) as well as a bit of insight into the writer's mind. What I personally took from the play was that without continuing affection/appreciation, love can easily wither, and you or your lover may find yourself in the arms of another, but even at that point, if you both fight back hard enough for your love, you can reclaim it. I will say that the theatre was quite ablaze on this particular Friday night - some issues with the cooling, causing our poor little programs to be beaten and destroyed back and forth for that teensy ounce of a breeze it may provide. After intermission they had the cooling situation under control thank gourd, and I was able to really give the dialogue my full attention. They have waters for a buck, sodas for a buck, reasonable and nice little refreshments. Believe you me did those come in handy after the first half :P This was an extremely talented set of people for this production and I was delighted to be a part of their audience. I have special kudos to give out to the lad who played Henry, for the ridiculous amount of lines he memorized was downright crazy. Sometimes I could barely keep up, let alone imagine remembering and delivering all of those words. Whew! Way to go! See ya again soon, Vortex!

We got out of work late and rushed downtown to catch "Shakespere in the Plaza" we were 6 minutes…read morelate. We were told they "held the show as long as they could" with a bit of annoyance. They had open seats, and, after we went back down to the parking garage, paid the parking and came back up, 10 min later they had still not started. Perhaps they do something special that no other production does, that absolutely requires people be exactly on time. Or maybe it's ran by pretentious so-and-so's. Who knows. **note: I was asked about the location. This review was in reference to a production they were putting on down town**

I'd rather pick-up dog waste rather than waste my time there. It's as bad as it gets…read more "Entertaiment" - NOT. Take rotten vegetables to throw.

Have always found Productions at Q Staff enlightning and inspiring…read more Agreat space and tickets are always priced reasonably!

What an awesome venue run by fantastic people I love this place and will be back frequentlyread more

Fascinating and unique art & theatre space. Whatever the original purpose was for this space the…read morebuilding angels planned on it being here for the duration. Built with good bones. Gorgeous floors. Excellent wall space for art. An ample stage for music & live theatre. Great central location. I'm sure there is something that some grumbly grizzly person will complain about, but not me. I love this venue.

Albuquerque Academy puts on amazing stage productions, and Simms is a great performance space for a…read morehigh school. The stadium seating gives you a splendid view of the stage from any seat, even the wings, and some spots even give you a good view of the orchestra pit. It should come as no surprise that this school's resources are outstanding, and the attention they give their performance departments is enviable. The sound and stage lighting are awesome and the usable space is really top-notch for this type (highschool) of venue. AA kids are well instructed and spectacularly talented. We just went to a production of the Phantom of the Opera and I was moved to tears more than once. The stars of the show couldn't possibly have been highschoolers! They were very nearly as good as any act I've seen at Popejoy and their voices were simply stunning. I love Webber's Broadway score and was really pleased to find AA was putting on that same version of the legendary story. Although they didn't quite match up to the amazing vocalists' performances, the school's orchestra (+ certain wind instruments) did a not-too-shabby job for a highschool crew replicating one of the (IMHO) most powerfully moving scores ever written.

A fine little playhouse in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque at a convenient location in the…read morecenter of town, The Desert Rose seems ideal for small productions with its cozy theater that seats about 50. I'm here tonight watching "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" on an appropriately stormy night. This play, written about twenty years ago by Paul Rudnick, has been brought back at a perfect time in American Cultural history by director Dagmar Garza. The play is a reinvisioning of the creation story familiar in the Bible in the expected way for a queer-revisioning: with Adam and Steve. The play is much more complex, however, than just making a statement about homosexuality. We the audience watch as the characters discover the world and grapple with philosophical questions as if they were children, unaware of dogma. The play also includes an interesting narrative style, with the "Stage Director," a character in the play, providing the kind of narration traditionally supplied by a chorus. The play is mostly funny and bawdy. As far as being philosophically insightful, it lacks any powerful punch that might elevated it beyond the level of entertainment. Nevertheless, the show is well acted, timely, and interesting. I recommend you see it before it closes on the 28th. PS. Billy Mallard really stole the show as gay Santa. And as for The Desert Rose: I'll be back. :)

I went to see the Sally Struthers/Patsy Cline show on 9-29-18. Our group of 4 was not allowed to…read moresit together because we bought our tickets separately. The director had taken stickers with you name on it and placed it on the chairs. She had a list at the door of who went where. When we complained it was to no avail. We were all mixed up in different locations. The tickets were expensive and nothing was said about assigned seats. I attend community theater frequently and have never seen anything like this. The theater is not very nice and the acoustics were terrible. I would not recommend this theater and certainly would not go to the venue again.

I really enjoyed the hot sauce festival! We rolled up Saturday just before 11 and stood in line…read morefor about 5 mins. When we left just before 1, the place was at capacity and the line was stupid long. There were a ton of hot sauce companies, too many to sample tbh! It was nice to mix it up with rubs, salsas, popcorn, chocolate, cheese and pickles. Our favorite was Down to Ferment, they make all their hot sauces with kombucha instead of vinegar! Also got some bomb chili crisp with seaweed that I didn't think I would have liked, but it's super good! If you come earlier, they give our tote bags, but we missed that, so we were happy to have a backpack to lug around our purchases. You can buy tickets in advance for $12 cheaper. We bought ours day of for $16 each plus online fees. You can buy them at the event with cash and no fees. All the vendors I bought from took credit cards. Didn't feel too packed, didn't bump into anyone and hardly stood in line. Also, they had free beer tasting too! But the line was too long for us.

This is THE event for me every year. No matter what, I always ask for time off to attend. Several…read morebooths with vendors from all over the country letting you sample and purchase their products. If you're a spice or chili (or chile in NM) head, this is perfect for you. There are a handful of vendors selling products like clothing, accessories, etc, but I come for the hot sauces, salsas, and other spicy snacks. There's alcohol to purchase that you can drink while you walk around. There are cooking demos outside. I look forward to it every year.

I've been back in ABQ for 5 years now. Thought I knew most, if not all, art centers, theaters,…read moregalleries, etc. Well, I was wrong. Here is this beautiful Gallery within just a few blocks of my house. It is in a strip mall like area. I pass it at least two or three times a week . . . and yet I had no idea. It took a friend inviting me to an opening performance on their stage to hit me across the back of my head. What a lovely space! And it is not small. Not hidden. I am just oblivious, I guess. Please don't be. I hear rumors that they may be "going away". What a shame, if it is true. Get out there and see the wonderful sculptures and paintings that are currently on display. Perhaps take one home for a holiday present for someone you aren't sure what to surprise them with this year. My introduction to VSA Arts / North Fourth Arts Center was to a performance of "All is Calm, The Christmas Truce of 1914" performed by Mother Road Theater Company - on the Road. Performance was fantastic; Fourth Street Arts Center (and Gallery) was a "duh" slap across the back of my head. How could I have not known about this wonderful space before now?

Also know as North Fourth Art Center, this is a great, small performance space and reception area…read more Acoustics are very good and inviting. Pretty much any seat in the house is a good one. Of course, depending on the production, you may want to sit in the front row or way in the back. I came here for a Revolutions International Theater Festival performance of a one-woman play. The place was packed, and I bet it was sold out. The performance space seemed quite spacious, though the actress, also the producer, had a creative and elaborate set. She pretty much used the entire space. Before and after the play, Revolutions had an informal reception in the front lobby, an open space, which offers a certain sense of intimacy and hipness. The overall venue is a place I hope to visit again for any kind of event, but most of all fun, experimental theatrical productions.