Produced by the Subterranean Theatre Company in October 1999 at the Hyde Park Theatre, Austin, Texas. Directed by Ken Webster.

About the plays
'The Collection,' written in 1961, is Pinter's witty early examination of marital infidelity, memory, lies, and the shifting, unknowable nature of reality--a territory he would later develop more fully in his full-length play Betrayal.

1983's 'A Kind of Alaska' is Pinter's eerie and moving vision of a woman who wakes from a 29-year sleep to find herself a teenage girl in the body of a middle-aged woman. Based on the plight of the real-life victims of encephalitis lethargica as described in Oliver Sacks' Awakenings.

What the critics said . . .
"Anybody looking for a great escape from reality should run straight to Hyde Park Theatre to see the one-acts The Collection and A Kind of Alaska. This unreal Subterranean Theatre Company double-feature is well-directed by Ken Webster . . . Pinter's script [of The Collection], soaking in witty dialogue, is worthy of Oscar Wilde, and this performance deserves several awards. . . .
"[In a Kind of Alaska], Deborah's mind flits around like a frightened sparrow, and Catmull delivers a masterful performance. She switches from age five to fifteen to eleven to the present with birdlike speed and grace. . . . Given the small scope of [their] supporting roles, both Jones and Williams fill them with nuance. Even Jones' stony restraint and the slight whine in Williams' voice tell volumes about their suffering.
"It was hard to tell who was under a stronger spell--Sleeping Beauty, the 'prince,' the sister or the audience. Silence reigned for a full three seconds before the audience snapped out of it."
The Daily Texan

"[In 'The Collection,' Harry] was played by David Stahl with stylishness and exacting conviction. . . . Joey Hood was at his acting best--ambiguous, soaking up energy from other performers and from the audience. Michael Miller lent the injured party in the other couple a penetrating willfulness, but the real find in the cast was Vanessa Llach, who began prim, businesslike, but grew in power and beauty . . .
"[In 'A Kind of Alaska,'] what a role for Katherine Catmull, who fluctuated among a staggering number of childliike and more mature reactions, while looking pale on a large white bed. David Jones remained correctly mysterious as the kindly, bearded doctor of few words but strong emotions, while Cyndi Williams provided a solidified contrast to the evanescent Catmull.
"There is much good to report about Ken Webster's orchestration of these plays, but credit goes to his earliest decision--to collate two short Pinter plays . . . A good turn for one of our greatest living playwrights."
Austin American Statesman

Honors and Awards

Austin American Statesman top ten arts events of1999: runner-up.

Named in the top ten theater events of 1999 by all four Austin Chronicle theatre critics:

10 Shows From 1999 That Transported Me (Robert Faires) "A winning pair of Pinters from director Ken Webster and an exceptional ensemble. Though wildly different in subject and tone, these two one-acts made a complementary whole here, a provocative meditation of how we seek to know what we don't know, sometimes to our ruin. Absorbing stuff."

Top 10 Theatrical Productions of 1999 (Sarah Hepola) "Of the many Pinter productions to choose from this year, Ken Webster's engaging double bill was my favorite, if only for the impeccably acted and rarely staged The Collection . . . "

Top 10 for 2K (Robi Polgar) "A Kind of Alaska (Subterranean Theatre Company): This remarkable and disturbing production, more than any other I saw this year, left an indelible mark on me. Katherine Catmull, pawing at her face in that bloody big bed, is an image never to be shaken off."

Top 10 Performance Things in 1999, Considering That I Didn't Start Reviewing Until Fall (Ada Calhoun)

Awards and Nominations
Critics' Table Award
Joey Hood for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama

Critics' Table Nominations
Nominated as Best Drama 1999-2000
Katherine Catmull for Best Lead Actress in a Drama
David Jones for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Vanessa Llach for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

Casts

'The Collection'
Harry . . . . David Stahl*
James . . . . . Michael Miller
Bill . . . . . . Joey Hood
Stella . . . . . Vanessa Llach
Understudy . . Jamie McNatt
* Appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

'A Kind of Alaska'
Deborah . . . . Katherine Catmull
Hornby . . . . . David Jones
Pauline . . . . Cyndi WIlliams

Designers and Staff
Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken Webster
Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chase Staggs
Costume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diane Morrison
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Day
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Freedman
Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie McNatt
Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tammy Whitehead