Right On Time! Austin American Statesman reviews Falsettos

Michael Barnes reviewed our production of Falsettos while reflecting the resurgence of modern gay classic theatre pieces being revived in the 2020s.

“[Turner] and his team have firmly and imaginatively placed the action in 1979 and 1981, just before and just after the onset of AIDS. Yet a subtle sense of accrued wisdom in this staging seems to say: “We’ve been here before. Remember it.””

— Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman

Read more about our ‘perfect staging’ of Falsettos and the rest of the recent revivals of LGBTQ+ musicals and plays here.

KOOPs Off Stage and On the Air: Falsettos!

Falsettos was featured on KOOP’s Off Stage and On the Air radio program on 12/4/24! The interview included myself as the director of the piece as well as Jacob Rosenbaum and Nicholas Hunter who play Marvin and Whizzer, respectively. Listen to the full interview here!

Falsettos on Fox 7 Austin

I was interviewed on Fox 7 Austin’s morning show about Falsettos opening this weekend! Click here to watch the interview!

Jack & Aiden - Austin Chronicle Review

After going through my previous posts I realize I neglected to include the Austin Chronicle’s review of our premier of JACK & AIDEN. A show ‘so nice [they] saw it twice’!

“…my initial reaction to Jack & Aiden only grew stronger on a repeat viewing: This play totally rules.”

Jack & Aiden Nominated for 10 B. Iden Payne Awards

JACK & AIDEN was nominated for 10 B. Iden Payne awards, which serve as Austin’s greater theatre awards. Ground Floor Theatre was also nominated 27 times across various categories. Here’s what we managed to snag:

• Outstanding Production of a Musical

• Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Trace Turner)

• Outstanding Lead Performer in a musical (Justin P. Lopez & Laura Leo Kelly)

• Outstanding Small Cast

• Outstanding Feature Length Script (Lane Michael Stanley)

• Outstanding Original Score (Tova Katz)

• Outstanding Intimacy Direction (Andy Grapko)

• Outstanding Set Design (Gary Thornsberry)

• Outstanding Media Design (Micah Mabey, Zac Crofford)

Thank you so much to the BIPA Council for the nominations and congratulations to all the great artists in Austin who were also nominated!

Meet Trace Turner

I was honored to be interviewed by CanvasRebel about my directing career thus far, favorite projects, and some reflections on previous projects. Check it out for the full scoop!

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!