Recent News

Faculty and student projects are featured in the department's OFF BOOK: A Theatre and Dance Blog's second summer update, detailing the projects happening over the summer months around the country and the world, from conference presentations and performances to research and fieldwork.

Since 2014, faculty member Katie Dawson and her colleagues have presented workshops on arts-integrated education in countries around the world. We spoke with Dawson about her efforts to empower educators with drama-based pedagogy through the Applied Drama Institute.

The past academic year saw the publication of multiple new books by Performance as Public Practice (PPP) alumni. 

After performing in Hamilton on Broadway, J. Quinton Johnson (attended) has returned to Austin to direct Alice's Wonderland, a musical adaptation he co-wrote with Julia Riew. Presented by Summer Stock Austin, this production features the work of multiple UT Theatre and Dance artists.

Alum kt shorb (Ph.D. 2021) spoke with staff members at Theatre Mu, one of the longest running Asian American and Pacific Islander theatre companies in the country. They discuss the flexibility and versatility that have helped the company thrive over the last few years.

In November 2022, faculty member Gesel Mason will participate in Gibney Dance Company's Imagining Digital program, a virtual forum where artists share vital perspectives and ideas. Mason will be in conversation with fellow artist Gregory King as part of Gibney's Deeper Duets series.

The Texas Theme Park Engineering & Design student organization is expanding the possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration on campus, one innovative project at a time. Sponsored by faculty members J.E. Johnson and Karen Maness, this group cultivates the creative problem-solver in each of its members, from engineers to artists to designers. 

Playwriting alumnus Drew Paryzer (M.F.A. 2018) delves into what he calls "playable plays" in a recent article for HowlRound Theatre Commons. Paryzer investigates interactive moments in theatre, arguing that leaning into experiential storytelling and technologies could deepen understanding of the human condition.

Current student Nelson Nwachukwu performs as "Benedick" in the TYA production of Much Ado about Quite a Lot as part of his acting internship with Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He can also be seen on stage alongside faculty member Quetta Carpenter in the festival's productions of King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing.

Faculty members Kirk Lynn (performer, writer) and Alexandra Bassiakou Shaw (director) will present Lynn's one-man-play The Cold Record at the 2022 Darwin Festival in Australia.