Recent News

Tackling choreography in the style of contact improvisation seems nearly impossible in a time when physical contact is limited. In Dr. Rebecca Rossen’s Dance History II class, undergraduate students Ashley Stone and Lindsay Ball were tasked with exploring this style for a group presentation. As their class transferred to an online setting, the two had to find a way to incorporate aspects of contact improvisation, a form rooted in physical collaboration, while maintaining social distancing restrictions.

The members of The Fine Arts Diversity Committee (FADC) stand in solidarity with our students and colleagues of color.  We join Moody College of Communication’s Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Ya’Ke Smith, who recently sent this call out to UT Administration: “As we move toward creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all, and continue toward our goal of affirming those that have been historically marginalized, we must take a stance that acknowledges the impact of this kind of violence and racial profiling on our community, and we must make it crystal clear that we understand the pain caused to those affected.” 

Alumnus Andrew Aaron Valdez (B.F.A. 2017) was recently recognized by the Cleveland Public Theatre in their "CPT Artist Spotlight Series." Valdez, a 2019/2020 Premiere Fellow, actor, playwright and stage manager, was recently seen in Teatro Público de Cleaveland's Marisol and his original work Coyote was performed in part at Entry Point 2020. The CPT Premiere Fellowship recognizes artists whose work centers on new play development and original works. 

M.F.A. in Playwriting candidate and Michener Center for Writers fellow Jaymes Sanchez was recently awarded The University of Texas at Austin's Keene Prize for Literature for his play The Cucuy Will Find You. This prize is one of the world's largest literary prizes, awarding $50,000 to one undergraduate or graduate student each year in recognition of creations that exemplify "the most vivid and vital portrayal of the American experience in microcosm." Sanchez's play features aspects of Mexican-American folklore, addressing the balancing act that Latinx millennials face as they struggle between traditional Latin-American ideas and modern day aspirations toward individual success and the American dream.

SPACE on Ryder Farm has selected alumnus Isaac Gomez (B.A. 2013) as a writing resident for their 2020 season. As a member of The Working Farm writer's group, he has earned five non-consecutive weeks on Ryder Farm, providing him with a creative space to continue his work, three meals a day and opportunities for collaboration with fellow residents. The residency culminates in readings of their work to their fellow residents in special locations throughout Ryder Farm and then to the public later in the year.

Kimberly Belflower (M.F.A. 2017) has been selected as one of ten commissioned artists for Studio Theatre's 2020-2021 season. Championing new works, the Washington D.C.-based theatre seeks out new and established writers to develop plays for their stages. As a commissioned artist in their Studio R&D program, Belflower will receive support, time and resources to develop her work from inception to the first production.

Faculty member Kirk Lynn's novel-turned-screenplay Rules for Werewolves is slated as a highlight at Frontières Proof of Concept, a section of the Festival de Cannes as part of the Marché du Film. After premiering as a short film at SXSW online this year, Lynn and director Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux partnered again to expand the film to feature-length, starring Finn Wolfhard of Netflix's Stranger Things. At the film market, a teaser of Rules for Werewolves will be presented to potential producers and financiers in hopes of partnering and moving further along in the production process.

M.F.A. in Playwriting and Michener Center for Writers alumnus Travis Tate (M.F.A. 2018) was among four playwrights nationwide selected by Liberation Theatre Company to participate in their 2020-2021 Writing Residency Program. This residency, meant to support and encourage the growing works of new Black playwrights, will provide Tate with dramaturgical and early career support as they develop a new full-length play. Along with opportunities to meet established New York artists and playwrights, the residency will culminate in a public reading of each fellow's plays in collaboration with professional directors and actors. Tate was selected through a very competitive submission process to learn with and from an incredible group of artists.

Alumna Jelisa Jay Robinson (B.A. 2014) has been awarded a 2020 Maison Baldwin Residency fellowship, a writers residency in Saint-Paul de Vence, France where James Baldwin lived and produced some of his most enduring works. This program helps to realize Baldwin's dream of transforming his home into a writers' colony that supports new and emerging voices, offering writers space to pursue their current creative projects. When travel is permitted, Robinson will stay in La Maison Baldwin Residence for Writers for two to four weeks, immersing herself in and contributing to the literary culture of the same village that Baldwin drew inspiration from.

This year's Austin Latinx New Play Festival will feature the works of current M.F.A. candidate Jaymes Sanchez (The Cucuy Will Find You) and alumnus lily gonzales ((trans)formada). Other collaborators include Diana Guizado (B.A. 2019) and Brooks Laney (B.F.A. 2019), as well as current students Khristián Méndez Aguirre, Siri Gurudev, Jessica Peña Torres and Juan Leyva. Teatro Vivo, in partnership with ScriptWorks, will present this year's festival in a virtual setting, allowing the conversations around new Lantino theatre to continue amidst quarantine. Tune in Thursday, May 14 through Saturday, May 16 to join in on the conversation.