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AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS

DESCRIBE THE NIGHT

BY RAJIV JOSEPH | DIRECTED BY BEN WOLFE

JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 22 | AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE WEST CAMPUS

Describe the Night is a gripping historical thriller by Rajiv Joseph, tracing the blurred line between truth and fiction. 

Poland, 1920: a war correspondent befriends an officer of the Russian Red Cavalry. 

1989: a Stasi agent spies on a woman in Dresden and falls in love. 

2010: an aircraft carrying Polish government officials crashes in Smolensk. 

Connecting seven lives over 90 years, this Obie Award-winner is a powerful and timely look
at memory, misinformation, and how lies have the power to shape history in an increasingly unstable
world.

The cast includes Stephen Mercantel as Isaac, Tobie Minor as Nikolai, Andrea Osborn as Yevgenia, Brennan Patrick as Vova, Alyssa Hurtado as Urzula,  Devin Finn as Feliks, and Lara Toner as Mariya.
The play is directed by Ben Wolfe. The production team includes Mark Novick as lighting designer; Buffy Manners as costume designer, Mike Toner as scenic designer, Sarah Zeringue as properties designer, and Robert S. Fisher as sound designer.

Age Recommendation: This play contains adult language and themes. High School students with parental supervision and college students are welcome. Children 5 and under are not permitted.

Austin Playhouse has reserved seating. Seats are assigned by our box office. Please reach out to boxoffice@austinplayhouse.com for any special seating needs.

Special Events:

Friday, January 30

Opening Night Reception: Raise a glass to the opening of this Austin premiere! Join us after the show for light bites and a champagne toast with the cast.​​

Friday, February 6

Pride Night: Join us before the show for complimentary bites and sweets, and connect with fellow LGBTQIA+ theatre lovers for a night of powerful storytelling, connection, and community.

Sunday, February 15

Pre-Curtain Chat: Step into the world of the play before the performance begins. Dramaturg Jennifer Sturley will share historical and artistic context, offering insight into the play’s ideas and inspirations, with time for audience questions. Begins onstage approximately 15 minutes before curtain.

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Event Details

• Date: Friday, January 30, 2026 - Sunday, February 22, 2026
• Time: Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 P.M. | Sunday at 2 P.M.
• Venue: Austin Playhouse West Campus
• Website: https://www.austinplayhouse.com/describe

Ticket Information

• Cost: Starting at $21.00

Presenter Details

• Name: Austin Playhouse

Austin Playhouse is a professional regional theatre that was founded in August of 2000 by Producing Artistic Director Don Toner, with the support of over fifty of Austin’s leading theatre artists, administrators, and volunteers. 

Since its inception, Austin Playhouse has been affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, the national union of professional actors and stage managers. We’ve built an artistic company of the finest actors, designers, and stage managers in Austin. Our seasons are carefully curated to showcase incredible performances of entertaining new plays, thought-provoking dramas, side-splitting comedies, and moving musicals. Our intimate theatre space enhances the connection between actor and audience. 

Austin Playhouse has performed in many locations and is currently in a capital campaign to build a permanent venue. Our inaugural season took place at Concordia University. In 2002, we transformed a warehouse in South Austin’s Penn Field into a two-venue performance space with a 135-seat main stage and a 75-seat second stage, the Larry L. King Theatre. In 2010, due to unsustainable rent increases, we moved to a temporary location in Austin’s Mueller development, where we presented our 2011-2012 season in a huge, climate-controlled tent.

In 2012 we began a collaborative agreement with Austin Community College to renovate a storefront in ACC-owned Highland Mall, where we produced 45 shows over eight years. 

In April 2019, thanks to a generous donation, we purchased land to build a permanent facility for Austin Playhouse and Austin’s arts community. The site was fully permitted in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit. Pandemic uncertainty and skyrocketing construction costs paused the project. We’re actively working to fill the funding gap needed to build the performance venue.

Don Toner retired as Co-Producing Artistic Director of Austin Playhouse in 2022. Producing Artistic Director, Lara Toner Haddock, was joined in leadership by two Associate Artistic Directors from the Artistic Company, Ben Wolfe and Sarah Fleming Walker. 

In the summer of 2022, University Baptist Church invited us to renovate a performance space in their education building as an interim venue while the capital campaign continues. We’re grateful for the support of our community as we continue to work toward a permanent, sustainable home.

Venue Details