The Neill-Cochran House for the Performing Arts!
Scene from The Filigree Theatre performance of The Lady From the Sea. (Left to Right) Mike Ooi, Molly McKee, and Derek DeAtley.
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it is already 2023. As we all ring in the New Year, we at the Neill-Cochran House Museum are kicking up our feet and relaxing after the busiest fall season we have ever seen.
2022 was an incredible year for the Neill-Cochran House Museum in general, but the fall was truly special thanks to the four performing arts groups that made us their home for the season: Beerthoven, The Filigree Theatre, Bottle Alley Theatre Co., and Ventana Ballet. These four groups brought this historic house alive in ways that highlight the beauty of the site, while bringing new visitors to the Museum who might never have stepped through our doors otherwise.
We have slowly been bringing new performing arts groups into the Museum over the years through partnerships with groups such as Hidden Room Theatre, Penfold Theatre, and Opera for Earth, and have even been home for summer concert series with Austin Camarata and Austin Chamber Music. However, the fall of 2022 helped to prove that the Neill-Cochran House Museum is the perfect unique space for the performing arts as we welcomed these four special groups back-to-back (and in some cases on the same day!) from October through December.
The magic of performances at the Neill-Cochran House Museum is that the house becomes a character within the story. The Filigree Theatre’s production of The Lady From the Sea, and Ventana Ballet’s The Watchmaker’s Song both utilized the house as a character within the story, as they led audiences around and through the site. Each space set the scene to begin telling a piece of the story, be it a stroll through a park, an exciting holiday party, or a Bollywood performance. Performing arts groups who come the Neill-Cochran House Museum allow it to tell its own story, while simultaneously telling their story.
This has of course led to some pretty crazy things happening within the Museum, from pasta being thrown around the room, disintegrating paper falling from the balcony, murders throughout the house (all pretend of course), and a lost bathroom lock. Instead of turning us off inviting groups in, we have adapted and adjusted, and continue on our policy of saying yes (Though we did say no to the fire spinning and tossing of cinnamon sticks.). This policy of saying yes allows us to do and create all the amazing experiences we have here at the Neill-Cochran House Museum, and brings in new and diverse audiences.
The fall of 2022 may be over, and we may be taking a much-needed rest, but don’t worry, we will have more coming very soon. Beerthoven and Ventana Ballet have already promised to return this year, and we also have a series of three Harp and Oboe concerts, featuring Dua da Capo this spring. Their first concert will be on Valentine’s Day (Tuesday, February 14) where we will gather in our beautiful Double Parlors for a romantic and intimate evening celebrating the day of love. Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here. We are also always looking for new performing arts partners and are ready and willing to discuss the possibility of bringing your performing arts dreams to life, be it music, drama, dance, or even mime. If you have an idea reach out to us at info@nchmuseum.org.
We look forward to another exciting year of music and theater at the Neill-Cochran House Museum. Stay tuned!
