Regional Premiere
from the creator of Sordid Lives & Souther Baptist Sissies
The Recipe Box
Written & Directed by Del Shores
Starring Emerson Collins
of "Southern Baptist Sissies"
PERFORMANCES
September 4th - 19th, 2026
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 8 PM
Sunday Sept 13th @ 2 PM
All performances take place at
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Rd #122, Texas 78702
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Opening Night - Sept 4
Opening Night Party
September 4th @ 8 PM
All Opening Night ticket holders are invited to join us for an exclusive celebration after the show! 🎉 Mix and mingle with fellow theatre lovers, meet the cast and creative team, and enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks, and plenty of fun as we kick off the run in style.
Want to make the night even more special? Add on a VIP Package (limited availability) for premium perks and an elevated experience.
Post-show Discussion - Sept 10
Post-show Discussion
September 10th @ 8 PM
All ticket purchasers are invited to stay after the performance for an engaging conversation with the cast and creative team! 🎭 This interactive discussion is a great opportunity for students, theatre programs, and anyone curious about the art of storytelling to dive deeper into the production. Ask questions, share your thoughts, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the themes, process, and artistry that bring the show to life.
Open to every audience member—because theatre is best when we experience and explore it together.
Industry Nights - Sept 10 & 17
Industry Night - 50% OFF
Sept 10th & Sept 17th @ 8 PM
Join us for an Industry Night, a chance to see our productions at half off while connecting with fellow performing arts professionals.
Industry Night tickets are 50% off general admission for anyone currently or recently involved in an Austin area theatrical production—actors, designers, producers, stage managers, crew, and general performing arts professionals.
We trust our community, which is why we provide the discount code below on an honor system. If you purchase using an email address associated with a theatre or performing arts company domain, no proof is required. For other email addresses, we may request verification of recent involvement in a production.
Use Code: INDUSTRY
*Code is only valid for tickets to our Sept 10th @ 8 PM & Sept 17th @ 8 PM performances
ASL Performance - Sept 11
ASL-Interpreted Performance
Sept 11th @ 8 PM
This performance will feature two professional ASL interpreters to ensure full access for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members. All ticket purchasers are invited to attend, with seating reserved to provide the best possible sightlines to both the interpreters and the stage action. We’re proud to offer this inclusive performance as part of our commitment to making theatre accessible for everyone in our community.
Austin Rainbow Theatre is incredibly honored to welcome the undisputed king of Southern queer comedy to ATX! This fall, legendary playwright Del Shores—the brilliant mind behind the ultimate queer cult classic Sordid Lives, Daddy’s Dyin’… Who’s Got the Will?, and Southern Baptist Sissies—is adding another hilarious, bittersweet masterpiece to his iconic lexicon of Southern queer theater with The Recipe Box. Del Shores himself will be right here in Austin to direct this brand-new work, bringing his trademark wit and fierce southern sass directly to our stage.
This limited engagement marks the Regional Premiere of The Recipe Box and only the second time this incredible new script has ever been produced. To make this theatrical event even more special, Del Shores will be joined by powerhouse actor Emerson Collins (star of the critically acclaimed film adaptation of Shores’ Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding), who returns to star in this phenomenal new piece.
About the show
Set on a lush, plant-filled Louisiana porch, The Recipe Box kicks off with an explosive breakup between a brilliant but emotionally walled-off math professor, Rick, and his cheating husband, Joah. When Joah storms out, he leaves behind his eccentric, sharp-tongued, 70-something mother, Lou Wanda, who has a gambling addiction and nowhere else to go. Armed with an old recipe box belonging to Rick’s late mother, an unconventional, hilarious, and fiercely protective chosen family begins to form. Infused with Shores’ trademark southern queer wit, this production balances devastating heartbreaks with laugh-out-loud Southern eccentricities.
By combining Del Shores’ unmatched ability to blend high-stakes family drama with wicked, laugh-out-loud dark comedy, alongside the magnetic talent of Emerson Collins, this production promises to be the most talked-about theatrical event of the season.
Whether you are a lifelong fan of Sordid Lives or looking for a deeply relatable, hilariously sharp story about the beautiful chaos of chosen family, The Recipe Box will leave you laughing, crying, and craving a slice of Southern comfort.
Meet the team
Del Shores
Director & Playwright
The King of Southern Queer Comedy
Del Shores is an award-winning playwright, director, producer, and screenwriter whose work has become a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ theatre, film, and television. For more than 30 years, he has been celebrated for stories that blend Southern humor, outrageous characters, and deeply human truths about family, faith, identity, and community.
Theatre/TV/Film
- Sordid Lives (play & film) — creator, writer, and director of the cult classic Southern queer comedy-drama
- Sordid Lives: The Series — creator and executive producer for the Logo Network television spin-off
- A Very Sordid Wedding — writer and director of the feature film sequel
- Southern Baptist Sissies — award-winning playwright and director; later adapted into a feature film
- Daddy’s Dyin’… Who’s Got the Will? — acclaimed play adapted into a major MGM film
- Queer as Folk (Showtime) — writer and executive producer for the final three seasons
- Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey — television writer and producer
Legendary Collaborators
Leslie Jordan • Octavia Spencer • Whoopi Goldberg • Olivia Newton-John • Rue McClanahan • Beau Bridges
Emerson Collins
Starring as Rick
Emerson Collins is an award-winning actor, producer, director, and television personality whose work has spanned theatre, film, television, and live events. A longtime creative collaborator of Del Shores, Collins has helped bring some of Shores’ most celebrated stories to audiences around the world while building a distinguished career both onstage and behind the scenes.
Selected Credits
- A Very Sordid Wedding — producer and starring cast member of the feature film sequel to Sordid Lives
- Southern Baptist Sissies — producer and lead actor in the award-winning film adaptation of Del Shores’ acclaimed play
- Sordid Lives: The Series — actor (“Max”) and producer for domestic distribution of the LOGO television series
- The People’s Couch (Bravo) — featured cast member for four seasons
- RENT: Live (FOX) — appeared as Steve in the televised production
Notable Highlights
- Named to the OUT 100, recognizing influential LGBTQ+ voices in culture and entertainment.
- Co-founder and Executive Director of the Del Shores Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ storytellers, filmmakers, playwrights, and theatre artists.
Michael Reyna
as Hedwig
Cheeki Performance Dates
ADJUSTED Performance Dates:
Thursday, April 9th @ 8 PM
Friday, April 10th @ 8 PM
Saturday, April 11th @ 8 PM
Evah Destruction
as Hedwig
Evah Performance Dates
Thursday, April 2nd @ 8 PM
Friday, April 3rd @ 8 PM
Saturday, April 4th @ 8 PM
Sunday, April 5th @ 2 PM
Juni Nguyen
as Hedwig
Juni Performance Dates
ADJUSTED Performance Dates:
(PREVIEW) Friday, March 27th @ 8 PM
Saturday, March 28th @ 8 PM
Sunday, March 29th @ 2 PM
Sunday, March 29th @ 7 PM
Sandra Bates
as Yitzhak
Director
Clinton Williams
Assistant Director
Brady Faucette
Stage Manager
Iridessa Lewis
Music Director
Andy Hegger
Choreographer
Ritzy Bitz
Lighting Designer
Patrick Anthony
Sound Designer
Johann Solo
TICKET INFORMATION
BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
PERFORMANCES
September 4th - 19th
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 8 PM
Sunday Sept 13th @ 2 PM
Location
All performances take place at
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Rd #122, Austin TX 78702
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office the night of the show. We recommend purchasing in advance to secure your preferred performance and seating.
Accessibility needs: If you require accessible seating or accommodations, we are happy to accommodate. Please note this during checkout in the “reservation notes” section or contact our Box Office directly.
Ticketing Tiers
Reserved Seating $60
Reserved Seating
Available for all performances
*There are a limited number of reserved seat available for each performance date
Experience the magic of queer theatre with the comfort of knowing your spot is waiting — just for you. Rest assured you’re getting the best views in the house.
Reserved seating is assigned by box office staff on the night of the performance and is located in the first two rows of the theatre. While specific seats cannot be reserved should you have a preference for right side, center, or left side please note that in your “reservation notes”. We cannot guarenttee all requests but will do our best to accommodate.
If you have questions please email info@austinrainbowtheatre.org
What to Know:
- Seats are reserved in the first two rows
- Specific seats cannot be accommodated in advance
- If you prefer, you may add a reservation request to be seated in a different section or outside the first two rows.
- Groups purchasing tickets as one order will be seated together.
- If purchasing separately, please include the name of the other party in the Reservation Notes at checkout so we may seat you together.
- Doors open 30 before the performance.
- Your seats will be reserved with your name. Please check in with the front of house and an usher will show you to your seats.
- All guests must have a valid ticket (digital or printed) for entry.
General Admission $45
General Admission Tickets
Available for all performances
Our mission is to keep theatre affordable for everyone. With our general admission tickets you get access to the best queer theatre in Central Texas.
What to Know:
- Seating is first-come, first-served. Arrive early for the best choice of seats.
- Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. We recommend arriving at least 15- 20 minutes early.
- All guests must have a valid ticket (digital or printed) for entry.
- Late arrivals may be seated at the discretion of house management and may not have access to preferred seating.
Student & Educator $22.50
Student & Educator Tickets
Available for all performances
We encourage you to attend our Post-show Discussion performance on Sept 10th @ 8 PM
We’re excited to welcome students and educators to experience our productions! These tickets offer 50% off the regular price for general admission, providing an affordable way to enjoy the magic, energy, and queer storytelling.
What to Know:
- A valid school ID is required for admission
- Tickets cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.
- Seating is first-come, first-served. Arrive early for the best choice of seats.
- Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. We recommend arriving at least 20–30 minutes early.
- All guests must have a valid ticket (digital or printed) for entry.
- Late arrivals may be seated at the discretion of house management and may not have access to preferred seating.
VIP Experience Add-on(s)
VIP Package Add-On $50
VIP Package Add-on
Add a VIP package on to any ticket purchase to see this production in style and know you are supporting bold, queer theatre while getting the best seat in the house — plus a meet & greet experience!
IMPORTANT:
This is an experience add-on only and does NOT include admission to the show; one VIP Package must be purchased per person wishing to participate. A separate General Admission, Reserved, or Student ticket must be purchased for the same date to participate.
VIP Add-on Includes:
- Meet & Greet w/Del Shores (OPENING NIGHT ONLY)
- Meet & Greet w/Cast
- Behind-the-Scenes Tour
- Photos w/Cast on stage
- Swag Bag
- Signed Poster by Del Shores and Cast
- Pride in amplifying queer voices
*All sales are final. Exchanges must be made 48 hours in advance of purchased performance and subject to availability.
Read our full Ticket Policy & Safe Space Policy
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns please contact us.
- 512-387-2763
- tickets@austinrainbowtheatre.org