Austin Rainbow Theatre

07/23/2026

Emerson Collins is joining Del Shores to bring The Recipe Box to life here at Austin Rainbow Theatre!

We are thrilled to welcome the talent that is Emerson to our stage and can’t wait for you to see what we create.

🎟️Get your tickets now!
VIP Experience available for an exclusive meet and greet with Emerson and Del on opening night!

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07/21/2026

✨ Meet the incredible cast of The Recipe Box! ✨

They’re funny, fearless, and bringing Del Shores’ newest Southern comedy to life in Austin.

🎭 Cast includes:
🥧 Emerson Collins as Rick
🥧 Cynthia Sanders as Lou Wanda
🥧 Chelsea Manasseri as Oona
🥧 Chris Skinner as Joah

Get ready for a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud story filled with family, gay dysfunction, and just enough sordid Southern drama to keep everyone talking.

This is the Regional Premiere of Del Shores’ newest play—only the second production ever—so you’ll be among the first audiences anywhere to experience this hilarious and deeply moving new work.

Running September 4–19
🎟️ Get your tickets now!

***rTheatre

07/17/2026

The benefits are endless!

A new study has found that going to the theater may keep your body young. Learn more at the link in the comments.

07/16/2026

✨ Pull up a chair. Spill the tea. ✨

In place of our Sunday matinee performance of The Recipe Box on September 6, we’re opening the front porch for something extra special—our annual fundraiser, Glitter & Gossip Social!

Join Del Shores, creator of Sordid Lives, and Emerson Collins for an intimate Southern-inspired brunch benefiting Austin Rainbow Theatre. Enjoy a front porch kiki filled with laughter, behind-the-scenes stories, and the kind of tea you won’t hear anywhere else. From tales of Sordid Lives to decades of theatre, television, and film, Del is bringing the stories—and Emerson is bringing the fun.

You’ll also enjoy a delicious Southern brunch, specialty cocktails, live entertainment from Austin Rainbow Theatre artists, and an unforgettable afternoon celebrating q***r storytelling and community.

📅 Sunday, September 6
🎭 On the set of The Recipe Box
💖 Every ticket supports Austin Rainbow Theatre and helps us continue amplifying q***r voices across Central Texas.

Seats are limited, so reserve yours today—we can’t wait to welcome you to the front porch!

***rArt

07/06/2026

Del Shores, the creator of Sordid Lives, is coming to Austin to direct his Regional Premiere of The Recipe Box with Austin Rainbow Theatre.

He shares why he’s so excited about this heartfelt this heartfelt Southern comedy! This is only the second production EVER, making Austin audiences among the first in the country to experience this hilarious and deeply moving new work.

PLUS join him and Emerson Collins for an intimate brunch on September 6th @ 1 PM! Join ART’s mailing list to be the first to know when tickets go on sale!

🎭 The Recipe Box
📍 Ground Floor Theatre
📅 September 4–19

Grab your tickets now and join us for this unforgettable theatrical event.

Glitter Social

An intimate brunch with Del Shores & Emerson Collins

📅September 6th @ 1 PM

07/02/2026

The Regional Premiere of The Recipe Box opens September 4—written and directed by Del Shores, the creator of Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies, and writer for Q***r as Folk.

Starring Emerson Collins (Southern Baptist Sissies, A Very Sordid Wedding), this heartfelt Southern comedy serves up laughter, family secrets, and unforgettable characters.

Opening Night VIP Tickets include an exclusive post-show Meet & Greet with Del Shores and Emerson Collins, making this a one of a kind experience.

Running September 4–19 @ Ground Floor Theatre

Reserve your seats now before Opening Night sells out.

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The Recipe Box Description

Set on a lush, plant-filled Louisiana porch, The Recipe Box kicks off with an explosive breakup between a brilliant but emotionally walled-off math professor, Rick, and his cheating husband, Joah. When Joah storms out, he leaves behind his eccentric, sharp-tongued, 70-something mother, Lou Wanda, who has a gambling addiction and nowhere else to go. Armed with an old recipe box belonging to Rick’s late mother, an unconventional, hilarious, and fiercely protective chosen family begins to form. Infused with Shores’ trademark southern q***r wit, this production balances devastating heartbreaks with laugh-out-loud Southern eccentricities.

06/12/2026

🏳️‍🌈TICKETS ON SALE NOW 🏳️‍🌈

+ SPECIAL PRIDE MONTH DISCOUNT 20% off

Austin Rainbow Theatre proudly presents the regional premiere of The Recipe Box, written by and directed by legendary playwright Del Shores (Sordid Lives), who is joining ART to personally directing bring his brand-new q***r southern comedy to life. The production also stars acclaimed actor Emerson Collins (Southern Baptist Sissies) in a featured role.

In celebration of Pride, Austin Rainbow Theatre is offering a limited-time Pride discount on tickets for The Recipe Box—Del Shores’ newest Southern comedy-drama. Don’t miss your chance to experience this world premiere at a special rate while it lasts.

Use Code: PRIDEMONTH

Set on a Southern front porch where family recipes carry generations of secrets, The Recipe Box follows a gay couple on the brink of divorce whose unraveling relationship collides with a family gathering full of humor, heartbreak, and long-buried truths. As old wounds resurface and secrets spill out like passed-down ingredients, nothing is quite what it seems—and everything is on the table.

✨ Opening September 4
✨ VIP Experiences available for every performance
✨ Fundraising gala on the set September 6 (details coming soon)

🎟️ Get your tickets now and be among the first to experience Del Shores’ newest work live on stage.

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06/09/2026

We had a cute evening celebrating the incredible theatre community here in Austin! Thank you to for putting together such a wonderful celebration of the artists, productions, and organizations that make our local theatre scene so vibrant.

A special thank you to the critics for their continued support of our community and the work being created across the city. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and winners—we’re honored to celebrate alongside so many talented artists. 🎭✨

Austin Rainbow Theatre was nominated for three categories this year at the ATX Theatre Critics Awards:

Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role (Musical)
Evah Destruction for Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Adam Adolfo for Sagittarius Ponderosa

Outstanding Lighting Design
Patrick Anthony for Hedwig and the Angry Inch

***rTheatre

05/29/2026

✨Casting Announcement✨

Big news at Austin Rainbow Theatre! We are incredibly honored to announce that we are teaming up with q***r theater icon Del Shores (creator of the cult classic Sordid Lives) for the Regional Premiere of his brand-new play, The Recipe Box. Del Shores himself will be right here in Austin to direct this heartfelt dark comedy starring Emerson Collins from Southern Baptist Sissies.

We are currently accepting submissions for casting through June 10th, in-person auditions will be held June 15th by invitation only. Austin Rainbow Theatre is dedicated to inclusive casting, and we strongly encourage people of color, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals, to submit for all roles.

To learn more about the process and to submit your materials click the link in our bio.

Audition Submission Deadline: June 10th

Roles:
✨LOU WANDA BAILESS (70s, any race) Lead
✨JOAH BAILESS (30s, any race) Supporting
✨OONA LA VECK (40s, any race) Supporting

We are also seeking talented production and crew positions to bring this premiere to life—if you are interested in joining the team behind the scenes, you can learn more and apply at the link in our bio as well.