Greetings from the Land of Rubber!

Before we're completely overtaken by the rigors of egg nog season, we thought we'd give you an update of all that is happening here at Rubber Rep HQ.

1) GRANTS AND GREENBACKS. For years, Rubber Rep has funded shows with loose change and a smile. While there's something liberating about being completely self-sufficient, it's stopped us from following some of our more elaborate fantasies (like having sets!). All of this may change soon. Maybe. We hope. You never know. We met with a distinguished representative from the Rockefeller Foundation yesterday. Over orange sodas at Spider House, she told us about their grant programs, we told her about Rubber Rep, and she responded with lots of energy and encouragement. So consider us ENCOURAGED to stand up on our tiptoes and start looking for free monies to pay people what they deserve, work fewer day jobs, and make shows more rubbery than you can possibly imagine. It won't be easy. We need to find a not-for-profit to fiscally sponsor us in this endeavor. And, of course, everyone says that grant applications are NO FUN. If you'd like to help, even if its just through words of wisdom and experience, please email rubberrep@gmail.com.

2) A THOUGHT IN THREE PARTS. Preparations are well underway for the Rubber Rep treatment (and U.S. premiere!) of Wallace Shawn's A Thought in Three Parts. This scandalous little play will be at the Vortex in May. Matt and Josh are directing, hopefully joined by their old friend Mr. Carlos Trevino. According to one critic, A Thought in Three Parts "stands as a permanent challenge to anyone who has the attitude that anything can be revived... the play can now almost not be read." Let us know if you'd like to audition. We've also heard a rumor that Wally himself will be visiting Marfa, TX in March to attend some sort of festival/retrospective being held in his honor. Road trip? Say yes.

3) RED CANS RESURFACE. There have been several red can rumblings in the last week. First, we were flattered to hear that a teaching assistant at the University of Texas devoted ALMOST AN ENTIRE LECTURE PERIOD to describing the show to his class of 350. And even better, we hear it was a GOOD lecture and that the students were actually engaged. Secondly, our cylindrical troublemakers put on some bow ties and caused quite a stir at last night's B. Iden Payne Awards. The show received a special award for outstanding theatrical innovation, and of course those wily cans insisted on receiving it themselves (as well as knocking over a chair or two, disrupting the podium, stealing the shoe of one Buzz Moran, and terrorizing the young hostesses). Pictures soon.