Monthly Archives: November 2008

(Community Matters) STILL FOUNTAINS opened last night and we celebrated with lots of friends.

Michael Mitchell (playwright) & Katie Pearl (director)

Bryan Schneider (sound designer)

cast: Gina Houston, Jude Hickey, Douglas Taylor & Garry Peters

The cast really does include four of the best actors in Austin. As the show’s producer, I didn’t engage on the artistic side other than conversations about actor hires. Our director, Katie Pearl, had a keen sense of the professionalism and chemistry she was looking for and she certainly achieved it with these four. They deliver an outstanding performance in both Highway Home and Them. Michael’s character development is strong, Katie’s direction and the actors’ talents enrich his work.

Gina Houston & Jude Hickey, preshow

Jude & Gina

Good immediate reviews. The audience especially loved Them – the story, the dialogue, the surprise of how intimacy forms and unfolds.

The intricacy and circularness of Highway Home like a French movie, in that it isn’t American meat and potatoes, doesn’t follow the traditional template, might not be accessible to traditionalists expecting a definable story. It’s poetic memories that define families. High on wit and intricate psycho character development.

Steven & Stella Lucio (owner of Julio’s)

2Dine4 did an outstanding job at catering. Hank Cathey taught the bartenders how to make Fuse Box martinis – good gosh. Think I might be feeling them this am.

Daniel Montoya, Susan Ghertner & Jill McRae

Robert Torian & Michael Mitchell, Sr.

Martin Zimmerman & Kelly Howe

Melissa Henderson & Drew Valcourt

Gosh, I really am a bad party photograher. Way too many beautiful people I didn’t photograph including Tana & Joe Christie, Michael Barnes, Ron Berry, Jenny Connell, Steve Davis & Kent Portman, Stephen Dietz & Allison Gregory, Hector Eichelmann, Lynn & Chris Helms, Margaret Keys, Chris Long & Tim McCabe, Stephen Yelenosky, Sarah Meyer, Charles & Barbara Minshew, Annie & Jason Minshew, Betty Mitchell, Milinda Mitchell, Steve Moore, Donna Penn, Kirk Rice & Jodie Scheske, Priscilla Sample, Steve Serino, La Tasha Stevens, Kevin Thibodeau & James Wilcox, Kevin Tuerff & Kevin Jung, Stephen Walls & Denny Biggs, Barbara Wohlgemuth and Susan Zeder & Jim Hancock.

STILL FOUNTAINS runs every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 14 at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Road tickets here Box office proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Fuse Box Festival.

(Community Matters) A less pessimistic perspective

(Community Matters) Appears Democrats in NY are rescinding their promise to pass same sex marriage legislation this session, even after winning a majority in the Senate. The only folks with longer memories than elephants are gays, the gang of three won’t be forgotten.

(Community Matters) On behalf of low and moderate income families, I’m glad gasoline prices are down so significantly. And, I’m sad for all of our long term security and economic interests as the feasibility of alternative energy and our drives to be more fuel efficient are lessened.

(Community Matters) STILL FOUNTAINS opens tonight at the Salvage Vanguard Theater. Lots of friends and Michael’s family in from out of town. Tonight is sold out and the after-party is invitation only. Seats remaining for tomorrow’s matinee as well as rest of run (Thursday – Sunday) through Dec 14. tickets

(Community Matters) I woke up thinking about fire safety. Did a little research on fire extinguishers here and on a few other sites. We have a couple of very old ones. Decided we need new ones – general purpose fire extinguishers and a specialty one for kitchen fires. Breed & Company had what we needed, less than $80 for all three.

(Community Matters) So many of us celebrated yesterday and so many suffered terribly across the world. our prayers are with them all

(Community Matters) We hosted the Mitchell/Minshew family yesterday for Thanksgiving.

Several months ago, we expected Michael would still have one more chemo treatment left and we knew his play STILL FOUNTAINS would be opening this weekend. So, invited the clan to have Thanksgiving dinner at our place. First time we’ve ever hosted a Thanksgiving. Quite enjoyed it.

Milinda Mitchell & Jason Minshew really getting in to it
Barbara was even overheard signing along

Olli’s favorite word is Obama. Chanted it all night long. We LOVE him

(Community Matters) 10 of my reasons to give thanks

front row: Shaun, Dad, Mom, lil’ E, Eli, Paulina, Luci
back row: Eric, Bridget, me, Steven

(Community Matters) Paul Volcker is in. This is huge.

(Community Matters) Another fun part of my day was the ACF grants site visit at UT PAC, with Bertha Arellano & Sharon Chruchin from Del Valle & Judith Rhedin, Gail Giebink, Brenda Simms and Cathryn Seymour Dorsey from UT. Plus my ACF colleagues Mandy Dealey, Beverly Silas and Meagan Anderson.

Reviewed this very cool program which brings music, theatre and dance to over 1,800 economically-disadvantaged students. They partner with UT’s Language Arts curriculum so that the kids really learn as well as have fun – and experience UT and performing arts, which most never would or have. The Del Valle teachers gave testimonials of life changing results for their students. Super program, never enough funding. Congrats to all.

(Community Matters) Rats, not enough time to make the detailed posting I’d planned. Perhaps back to this one on Friday. Jack McDonald and I had breakfast with Dr. BJ Stanberry, the CEO/founder of HelioVolt. BJ’s got degrees in mathematics, physics and chemical engineering. He’s passionate and visionary about alternative energy. HelioVot manufactures a solar thin-film which can be layered on construction materials such as glass, steel, metal and composites.

Jack and I both trying to get our heads around various clean energy intiatives underway and begging attention from Austin’s business and political communities – Jack as chair of the technology council of the Chamber; me as CEO of Entrepreneurs Foundation.

BJ’s vision and knowledge is impressive and includes a smart grid (electrical power delivery system) as well as a clean energy park. The former is the Pecan Street Project which Brewster McCracken spoke about a couple of weeks ago.

In the late afternoon, again Jack and I met with two other really smart guys who have been thinking about this for a long time and who are significantly engaged in public policy. I won’t say who because I forgot to ask their permission to blog about our meeting. Interesting complimentary and opposing thoughts. Interesting questions including whether clean (alternative) energy is even feasible now that we’re at $50ish/barrel oil. Which reminds me of an earlier conversation where a very smart and knowledgeable friend forecasted $30 to $60/barrel oil and reminded me that the currently sustainable price is relative to coal. I failed to ask if this forecast was dependent on the economic downturn.

There are other initiatives out there, including a state laboratory. More homework to be done. Is this a huge economic development opportunity for Central Texas, even Texas? If so, which path, who to back, how much can we raise & invest, probabilities of success?

(Community Matters) Prof Peter Frumkin, director of the RGK Center, and his colleague Prof Josh Busby hosted last night’s dinner for Matt Flannery, the founder of KIVA.

Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Matt created a website allowing individuals to lend $25 and up directly to entrepreneurs around the world. These entrepreneurs are working with some of the best microfinance institutions.

I enjoyed visiting with Matt – Peter was thoughtful enough to move Matt around the table during the night and, at one point, we were seated next to each. Haven read his blog, I knew he’s opened up his website to social networking and that they’d recently increased the funds’ liquidity by making interim repayments to lenders. About 30% of Matt’s 300,000 lenders are engaging in the networking – especially forming lending teams – and the interim repayments are rapidly being deployed as new lending for other entrepreneurs.

Guess what folks are getting for Christmas this year – Kiva gift certificates. Our nephews, nieces and godchildren will learn a lot.

Peter pulled together a super group including Lynn Meredith, Nav Sooch, Philip Berber, Ken Gladish, Chris Earthman, Mary Ellen Pietruszynski, Norma Van Horn and Mitchell Medford. Nav and Philip already fund microfinance in India and Ethiopia, respectively.

(Community Matters) Well, maybe I spoke too soon about being caught up. Actually, I am mostly. Now just keeping up. Full and productive day, including a site visit to the Austin Children’s Shelter.

Met with ED, Gena Van Osselaer; development director, Steven Anderson and April Kevwin. They house 30 kids in their 2 West Austin houses. Unfortunately, they turn away children almost every night. Thanks to Dick Rathgeber and several very generous donors they’ll have 8 new buildings at a Robert Mueller Airport site by Fall 2009, allowing them to serve 580 kids per year, rather than current capacity of 300.

Of their $13.6 million capital campaign, they’ve raised $13.3mm. In the final lap and have to raise an additional $300k for a $700k Kresge match.

I’ve spent the rest of today at EF offices working on admin, our CSR conference, a new newsletter and details for this weekend’s opening of STILL FOUNTAINS. Yikes, I never got to creating a shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner. Though, I did preorder my smoked turkey and a natural, fresh bird (the latter from Wheatsville).

Dinner tonight with Matt Flannery, founder of KIVA.org, as a guest of Peter Frumkin of the RGK Center.

(Community Matters)

Michael Mitchell’s STILL FOUNTAINS opens this week at Salvage Vanguard Theater. Tickets here

Highway Home is about four people who circle each other on the terrace of a crumbling family home playing a dangerous game with uncertain rules. Match point becomes the breaking point when barbed wordplay and emotional land mines mix with unwelcome vulnerability and attempted honesty. The fountain hasn’t worked in years and now it belongs to them.

Them – “We don’t use names at the fountain.” A hook-up at a public fountain turns from an expected cat-and-mouse game into unexpected connection as two men uncover layers of each other’s longings. Is it possible to find home at the fountain? Is it possible to lose it?

Steven and I are producing the show through ABPorter.org, a 510(c)(3) fund at the Austin Community Foundation. Box office proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Fuse Box Festival. Sponsors include: Invermundo Financial Services (underwriter), KCL Foundation, Kim & Kyle Hughes, Michael & Betty Mitchell, Lew Aldridge & Jim Lommori, Tana & Joe Christie, Eugene & Steven, Margaret Keys, Stephen Davis & Kent Portman, Katherine & Chris Helms, Christopher Long & Tim McCabe, Robert Torian & Jim Frasier, Steve Serino, Melissa Henderson & Drew Valcourt, Kevin Thibodeau & James Wilcox, Richard Hartgrave & Gary Cooper, Milinda Mitchell, Donna Penn, Kirk Rice, Infinity Bay Investments, Susan Ghertner & Daniel Montoya, Charles Santos & Rickie Bond, Stephen Walls & Denny Biggs, Susan Zeder & Jim Hancock, Rebecca Yerly & Jon Hockeynos