“The Bard is just the beginning,” promise the irrepressible thespians of Austin Shakespeare; and now here they are, making good on their word with a play that showcases classic short works by Austin’s own William Sydney Porter – you know: O. Henry – to bring audiences at the Long Center’s Rollins Theatre an early-20th-century good time with “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Pimienta Pancakes,” “The Ransom of Red Chief,” and more. Bonus: Music and dance enhance the talented talespinning, and there are talkbacks with the director and cast after every show.
– Wayne Alan Brenner