KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD: WHO YA GONNA CALL?

GHOSTBUSTERS!

My daughter had two best buds when she was little. One was Chase, the son of our good friends Paula and Tim.  The other was little red-headed Pete --son of our friends Lynn and Ken, and the cutie in the cowboy hat below.

Well, Pete is all grown up and living in Austin now, and one day, when Pete and his girlfriend Lucy were sitting around with their rather large group of friends, they came up with the idea of putting on a play together, just for the fun of it. The result was Princess Bride: The Play, performed last year in one of the Austin parks. Un-fortunately, I didn't see it. Fortunately, they had so much fun and it went over so well, they decided to do it again. This time, they've done Ghostbusters: The Play, and this time, we made a point of getting there!

Directions to Metz Park

The "orchestra" -- all volunteers, but remarkably good!

Pete's dad, in the hat, and the audience.

Pete's Mom, Miss Lynn

Slimer

The dead are rising, and they like to boogie!

That's Pete in the white shirt. He plays Tully, the nerdy neighbor who gets turned into The Key Master.

The face-off with Zule!

What a hoot. See that last photo, with all the little kids running around and climbing up onto the stage? Well, when the Sta-Puff monster got vaporized, bits and pieces of him flew everywhere! (apparently bags of mini-marshmallows had been planted throughout the audience ahead of time) All the kids in the audience jumped up and ran after them, eating them right off the ground!

So, no, it wasn't the finest theatrical performances we've ever seen. It was even better. It was just. Plain. Fun! Best of all, it was free, (though they do pass the hat at the end, to help recoup some of their out-of-pocket expenses) and that's what I love best about Austin -- that it's populated with so many people like these, who would go to all this work in their spare time (they all have day jobs), and contribute money out of their own pockets, just to spend time doing something creative or meaningful with fellow enthusiasts, and to bring a little sunshine into other people's lives. What a great way to Keep Austin Weird!

P.S. If you live in the Austin area, there will be repeat performances today, 3/4, at 5:00pm, Sat. 3/10 at 6:00pm, and Sun 3/11 at 5:00pm. Metz park is east of I-35, near the intersection of E. 1st St. and Pedernales. Bring a blanket to sit on.