Is Shakespeare’s Bloodbath Our Own?
Shakespeare’s first tragedy, initially performed in 1594, is a real bloodbath. Thus, it is fitting that there is a literal bloodbath on the set in this production of Titus Andronicus…
SISTINE CHAPEL EXPERIENCE in Austin
Spanning a huge space in the old Sears store at Barton Creek Square is something extraordinary: a close-up look at the painted images in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The ceiling…
The Choice of Odysseus or Penelope?
Image: Monteverdi This important contribution to Homeric studies is entitled The Choice of Odysseus. Due to reasons I will explain below, I added Penelope to the title in my headline.…
Poetry is the Handmaiden of Philosophy
One of the world’s great books is The Decameron, written by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). He is one of the iconic ‘Three Crowns’ of Italian literature. His life largely overlapped with…
The English Were Mathematically Obsessed
Image: John Collins (1625-1683) While some Continental advances in mathematics are covered, this book is largely about the practice of mathematics in Great Britain. By the late 18th and early…
Christmas Rocks!
The Rockin’ Holiday Revue at the Bastrop Opera House was a great way to celebrate Christmas. Instead of the solemnity of much music surrounding the holiday, this went all the…
THE CHOICEST GIFT OF HEAVEN and The 250th Birthday of Jane Austen
December 16 marked the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. This is the third article published in Sun News Austen to commemorate the event (see below) Professor Janet Todd (Univ. of…
SICILY: Emblem of Empire
“Sicily, it its peculiar relationship to the mainland, in its literary portrayal, in its history as a site of civil war and as reputed first province, stands as an emblem…
SXSW: KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND FEATURED SESSIONS FOR THE 2026 CONFERENCE
South by Southwest® (SXSW®) has announced Aza Raskin, co-founder of The Earth Species Project, as a Keynote Speaker for SXSW 2026 (March 12-18), as well as the second wave of…
Winter Wonderettes
Christmas cheer is in the air at Hill Country Community Theatre (HCCT). Their current production, Winter Wonderettes, is a fun-filled romp through some very old Christmas music classics. When was…