The Scottish Rite Theatre recently debuted a new family play called Ashes, Ashes that runs through Sunday, May 23. Our pal Quel from HomeGirl Blog had a chance to see it during opening weekend. Read all about it…

Review of Ashes, Ashes

Ashes, Ashes is an award-winning, steampunk dystopian-themed play about a girl named Nini who refuses to forget — in a world that believes all things lost are better off forgotten than hoped for or remembered ever again. Memories are literally extracted from the living and thrown into a black hole of forgotten things. Things like the sun and flowers, and time markers like day and night, are of the distant past. In a world veiled with ashes, a coal-burning factory generates artificial day light, life is lived by the tick-tock of the clock as outlined in a big operation manual for life.

Scottish Rite Theater’s production of  Ashes Ashes is absolutely transcendent. There is an expectation when you go to the theater to take a journey to another time and place, and Scottish Rite nails it this time—they take you there. It’s hard to pinpoint the moment, but at some point you’re not in Austin anymore. You’re in this dark world where the air is thick with coal dust, the ground is thick with heaps of ashes. Then you’re in a power factory, full of gears and workers dressed in re-imagined objects in true steampunk fashion (who take a surprisingly modern, refreshing musical turn). Then everything goes dark and you’re in a magical place of creepy bones and forgotten things including an old-old woman who is an intriguing and terrifying hybrid monster-fairy godmother type of character who cackles and speaks in riddle.

All the elements of this production are extremely well done. The acting, the costumes, the staging –especially the music, lighting and singing all make Ashes, Ashes awesome and otherworldly.

Be forewarned, this is a dystopian tale, so it goes dark. Some parts of this play even gave me goose bumps. It’s recommended for kids age 6 and up. If your kid could handle the darker parts of the Harry Potter movies, or even some of the live-action Disney remakes like Into The Woods or Maleficent, then they should be fine. If you have a kid who maybe scares easily or asks to sleep with the light on after hearing a ghost story, you might want to consider a prep-talk and reminder that these are all actors and maybe give them a heads-up about the creepy hole.

Ashes, Ashes is awesome and entertaining and highly recommended for kids who love of sci-fi and monsters and fantasy.

— Showtimes:

• Saturday, May 9 – 11 a.m.
• Sunday, May 10 – 2 p.m.
• Saturday, May 16 – 11 a.m.
• Sunday, May 17 – 2 p.m.
• Saturday, May 23 – 11 a.m.
• Sunday, May 24 — 2 p.m.

— Tickets: Ticket prices are $12 adults, $8 children 12 and younger. Get your tickets online here.

For more information, you can visit the Scottish Rite Theatre’s website.

Enjoy!