Rude Mechanicals (theater Company)

Rude Mechanicals (sometimes referred to as Rude Mechs) is a collaborative theater company operating out of Austin, Texas, USA. Founded in 1995, the company has created 25 original plays and produced another 25 premieres and workshops. Since 1999, they have run a theater space called The Off Center, where they premiere all of their work. The company first garnered national attention with their original adaptation Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century, based on the book by Greil Marcus. This fast-paced, irreverent examination of 20th Century politics and art and the Sex Pistols brought a great deal of attention to the company, as did a New York production of play in 2001, two subsequent national tours, and an international tour. Since, the company has garnered more and further-reaching notoriety with plays such as Requiem for Tesla (Fresh Terrain Festival), an adaptation of James Kelman's novel, How Late it Was, How Late (Philly Live Arts Festival), an adaptation of David Rees' internet comic strip Get Your War On (Total Theatre Award, Edinburgh Festival), and their original production The Method Gun (Humana Festival 2010, NYC production run 2011, national touring). With six Co-Producing Artistic Directors guiding the collective of 29 members, the creation of the work springs from a dedication to collaboration and physical theater.