2025 New Works Festival Excomm Committees

The Executive Committee of The Cohen New Works Festival is made up of students, faculty and staff who are instrumental in making the festival a reality. All positions are open to currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin with the exception of the Student Producer position, which is only open to graduate students. 

2025 Executive Committee Available Positions:

Student Producer 
Education/Community Engagement and Dramaturgy Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)
Applications and Casting Committee Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)
PR and Marketing Committee Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)
Guest Artists and Events Committee Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)
Production and Technical Direction Committee Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)
Operations and Front of House Committee Committee Chair (Co-Chairs)

APPLY TO JOIN THE 2025 NEW WORKS FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (working closely with producers to manage all aspects of the festival)
Reports to: Festival Producers: Corey Allen, Nanette Acosta, Michael Avila, Megan Bommarito, Rusty Cloyes, Erica "EG" Gionfriddo, Kirk Lynn, Patrick Shaw, Enzo E. Vasquez Toral 

The Student Producer will: 

• Lead the Festival, largely through organizing and facilitating weekly meetings with Co-Producers, Executive Committee Chairs and Committee-at-Large. Records and distributes minutes within 24 hours. 
• Collaborate with Co-Producers and Executive Committee to create long and short-term plans for the Festival, develop schedules and track progress of all aspects of the Festival. 
• Create and implement successful systems of communication between participants, committee members, Executive Committee, Staff and Faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance, Texas Performing Arts staff and university personnel. 
• Manage course credit for the festival for all undergraduate students. 
• Work with the Production Manager and Technical Director to ensure the smooth execution of the production schedule the week of the Festival. 
• Participate in reviewing and selecting applications for the 2025 Festival (read ALL Festival applications). 
• Remain attentive to the 2025 Festival budget, managed by Co-Producers. 
• Serve as an ombudsperson for students affiliated with the Festival, particularly the Executive Committee members. 
• Maintain the Student Producer archive binder, submit updated 2025 binder upon completion of festival involvement and follow up on Executive Committee members to secure their archive binders. 
• Maintain and update Festival archives, as well as the Festival office in Winship. 
• Keep regularly scheduled office hours, one hour/week beginning in Spring 2025. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills

• Previous leadership/producing/management experience. 
• Exemplary interpersonal and email communication skills. 
• Diplomatic and productive facilitation skills with large groups; strong note-taker, attentive listener and able to synthesize an prioritize complex information. 
• Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the development and production of new work at UT Austin. 

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (involvement increases as the festival approaches. Particularly heavy workload around scheduling, load in, festival week and strike. 
Reports to: Nanette Acosta, Rusty Cloyes - Co-Producers

The Production Manager will: 

• Manage all performance spaces, including the following: 
  • Supervise all performance spaces in preparation for and during the Festival. 
  • Schedule spaces for performance.
  • Schedule spaces for rehearsals. 
  • Supervise the strike, clean up and reset of all performance spaces at the Festival end. 
  • Orient production teams to safety, technical characteristics and other pertinent areas of facility operations. 
  • Assist production teams with preparing/procuring necessary stock scenery, lighting/sound/projection needs, etc. 
  • Work with Festival Student Producer and Department of Theatre and Dance to recruit and supervise students for Festival Lighting Designer, Master Electrician(s) and other technical positions. 
• Manage Budgets: 
  • Manage the division and distribution of the Festival budget. 
  • Document spending. 
  • Deal closely with the Department Finance Office. 
  • Procurement and requests for the Festival. 
• Other Duties: 
  • Work with Texas Performing Arts staff to schedule load-in and load-out of all TPA-managed spaces. 
  • Coordinate reservation of Winship spaces with staff Building Manager. 
  • Coordinate labor and materials to support the load-in and execution of productions in all performance spaces. 
  • Monitor conditions of equipment (rental and/or owned) in all performance spaces throughout the Festival week. Arrange for repair/replacement within budgetary constraints. 
  • Organize and supervise building transitions prior to and following the week of the Festival, including ensuring that all performance spaces/classrooms are returned to pre-Festival arrangements. 
  • Ensure that all performance spaces adhere to safety and fire codes, collaborate with staff affiliated with off-site venues and Department of Theatre and Dance Building Manager. 
  • Be in Command Center during Festival week to support moment-to-moment technical needs. 
  • Attend weekly Executive Committee and Committee-at-Large meetings. 
  • Participate in reviewing and selecting applications for the 2025 Festival (read ALL Festival applications). 
  • Maintain the Technical Director/Production Manager archive binder; submit updated 2025 binder upon completion of Festival involvement. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills 

• Knowledgeable about University and industry safety and fire codes. 
• Familiar with all Winship performance spaces and facilities. 
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel and current University design software program(s). 
• Theatre and shop safety, construction and theatrical rigging experience. 
• Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting development and production of new work at UT Austin. 

Education Chair(s)

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (particularly heavy workload during project selection process, planning process of for panels and during the week of the Festival. 
Reports to: Corey Allen, Erica "EG" Gionfriddo, Michael Ávila - Co-Producers

The Education Chair(s) will: 

• Facilitate outreach to various educational and arts organizations for potential collaborations between NWF participants and the community. 
• Design materials and/or facilitate workshops for artists to ensure a sense of collaboration, community and respect is present throughout the development of artistic works. 
• Collaborate and be available as necessary to New Works Festival participants for conflict resolution and intervention to ensure a sense of belonging throughout the creative process. 
• Develop educational guidebooks or handouts in collaboration with playwrights, performers and designers for distribution at performances. 
• Identify and fill gaps within other Festival committees, including Applications and Casting, PR and Marketing and Guest Artists and Events Committees to improve and advance the level of community-building throughout the process. 
• Collaborate with Texas Performing arts Programs for Educators and Department of Theatre and Dance Audience Services Coordinator to amplify youth-oriented work and encourage participation from young audiences. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills 

• Experience facilitating restorative practices. 
• Working knowledge of K-12 Fine Arts standards and practices. 
• Experience facilitation discussions and interventions. 
• Excellent listening and problem-solving skills. 
• Strong interpersonal and email communication skills. 

The Community Engagement and Dramaturgy Committee Chair(s)

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (particularly heavy workload during selection and rehearsal period and during the process of planning panels. 
Reports to: Kirk Lynn - Co-Producer

The Community Engagement and Dramaturgy Committee Chair(s) will: 

• Create programming that reflects the multiple ways we both engage in research and engage in/with our research in the fields of theatre and dance. 
• Craft accessible spaces within the Festival for critical inquiry, collaborations across areas of study, degrees and disciplines across campus. 
• Build visible connections between research processes and the productions in the 2025 Festival. 
• Create and implement an application process for Engaging Research programming (in collaboration with Application and Casting Committee Chair(s). 
• Put together additional programming as needed. 
• Participate in reviewing and selecting applications for the 2025 Festival. 
• Attend weekly Executive Committee meetings and Committee-at-Large meetings. 
• Maintain Engaging Research records for archival purposes. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills 

• Experience with scholarship in, around, through, about and for performance, including but not limited to publishing, conference participation, teaching and/or dramaturgy. 
• Strong interpersonal and email communication skills. 
• Community engagement experience, preferably working within the Austin Theatre Community. 
• Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the development and production of new work at UT Austin. 

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (heavy involvement prior to the festival; lighter workload after the selection process and casting are complete. Members of this committee frequently join other committees or have work in the festival). 
Reports to: Rusty Cloyes and Patrick Shaw - Co-Producers

The Applications and Casting Committee Chair(s) will: 

• Work with Co-Producers and Executive Committee to prepare GO! Grants and Festival applications, guidelines and procedures (informed by existing protocols). 
• Attend weekly Executive Committee and Committee-at-Large meetings, beginning Spring 2024. 
• Responsible for creation and maintenance of all application forms (ie. Executive Committee App, GO! Grants applications, Festival Applications, Feedback forms, Supercrew, CAL Forms, etc). 
• Preparing application reading structure (informed by existing protocols), plan application review process for GO! Grants and Festival applications. 
• Publicize (in collaboration with PR and Marketing Committee) application information across the Department of Theatre and Dance and the College of Fine Arts more broadly, including procedures, examples of successful/well-written applications, etc. 
• Provide support on application due dates, distribute to reading groups, etc. 
• Manage the review and selection of applications for the GO! Grants applications and 2025 Festival submissions (read ALL applications). 
• Once the selection process is completed in Fall 2025, Applications and Casting committee will work with project leads to facilitate casting and creative team connections. 
• Submit updated archive upon completion of Festival involvement. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills 

• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, online web forms and online usability/accessibility. 
• Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the development of new work at UT Austin. 

Dates Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (high level of involvement from beginning to end of the festival; initial marketing meetings begin Spring 2024). 
Reports to: Megan Bommarito and Corey Alley - Co-Producers

The PR and Marketing Committee Chair(s) will: 

• Create a long-range public relations and marketing plan and schedule that aligns with departmental needs and deadlines at that stays in budget. Includes developing brand for 2025 Festival and maintaining existing Festival and University branding. 
• Maintain and update social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, X and Vimeo video accounts. 
• Work with the Operations and Ticketing Committee Chair(s) to maintain and update the New Works Festival app and ticketing information; provide updated copy and content for the department/NWF website and work with department communications staff to ensure all public-facing information is current and accurate. 
• Work with department communications team and department graphic designer to arrange design of the festival as well as festival materials including festival guide, graphics and physical collateral/swag. 
• Write copy for and release all media advisories, press releases, calendar listings and materials for the media kit released to local and national news outlets with the goal of raising the visibility of the Festival. 
• Create/solicit/synthesize content for the Festival-at-a-Glance and Festival Guide (or other requested Festival materials). 
• Develop language for curated e-blasts announcing the Festival to audiences via email (work with department communications team to build and distribute information both internally and externally). 
• Work closely with other Executive Committee Chairs to publicize all Festival special events, including: GO! Grants, Festival Applications, Festival Kick-Off and events the week of the Festival. Develop template and strategy to help support events within unified vision/brand of the Festival. 
• Secure press and archival photography plans for all Festival events; contact all participants to arrange media release forms (track submissions) and arrange for physical archive of Festival materials. 
• Attend weekly Executive Committee and Committee-at-Large meetings. 
• Maintain the PR and Marketing Committee archive binder and submit updated 2025 binder upon completion of Festival involvement.

Required Job-Specific Skills 

• Previous public relations/marketing/advertising experience. 
• Familiarity with graphic design/print layout and art direction for marketing materials. 
• Familiarity with recruiting and communicating with collaborators, delegating tasks, editing copy and working with vendors. 
• Strong writing skills. Applicants must possess strong marketing skills in writing, promotion and press relations with experience in social and digital media. 
• Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the development and production of new work at UT Austin. 

Desired Job-Specific Skills 

• Basic HTML understanding for formatting online content. 
• Experience with Drupal (CMS). 
• Outstanding time management skills. 

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Spring 2024-Spring 2025 (heavily engaged in Fall 2024 after selection of Festival projects, during the process of pairing guest artists with projects and during the week of the Festival, arranging for experience and care of guest artists). 
Reports to: Kirk Lynn and Enzo Vasquez Toral, Co-Producers 

The Guest Artist and Event Committee Chair(s) will: 

• Gather guest artist suggestions from production teams and UT community, including contact information and submit a list to Co-Producers and Student Producer (Fall 2024). 
• Book individual travel for all guests, including airfare, lodging and transportation to/and from hotel in Fall 2024 through collaboration with staff Guest Artist Liaison. 
• Create Guest Artist Profiles (short biography, affiliation, etc) for inclusion in the Festival Guide and on website Spring 2025. 
• Work with Co-Producers and Student Producer to match guest artists with productions that will benefit from their observation and feedback. 
• Recruit and organize student hosts for each guest artist that can assist with day-to-day transportation to events, respondent sessions, guest artist panels, etc. 
• Prepare daily itinerary for each guest artist; create and distribute guest artist welcome packets. 
• Prepare guest artists for what will be expected of them during the Festival (response sessions, panel discussions, student interactions, etc) in collaboration with Education, Community Engagement and Dramaturgy Committee. 
• Set up and maintain the guest artist hospitality suite during the Festival (in consultation with department staff overseeing events). Submit needed forms for any food or event purchases to Finance Office. 
• Prepare/submit guest artist paperwork in a timely manner to Guest Artist Liaison. 
• Coordinate hospitality for all Festival special events, including but not limited to: GO! Grants Announcement, New Works Kick Off and major Festival events (opening, closing ceremonies; guest artist reception, etc). Communicate with department staff to ensure requests are submitted in a timely manner and in accordance with UT guidelines. 
• Coordinate and manage catering for events, including communicating with vendors and securing catering agreements; submitting paperwork to department Finance Office. (All vendors must be approved by UT in order to work with events at the University). 
• Design, order/purchase and set up and strike of decor for all Festival "week of" events. 
• Work with PR and Marketing Committee to publicize Festival events; communicate guest artist bios and information to PR and Marketing Committee for use in guides and on NWF website. 
• Participate in reviewing and selecting applications for the 2025 Festival. 
• Attend weekly Executive Committee meetings and Committee-at-Large meetings. 
• Maintain the Events Committee Chair archive binder and submit the updated 2025 binder upon completion of Festival involvement. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills 

• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel 
• Professional and gracious communication skills with VIPs. 
• Knowledgeable about travel bookings, particularly when it comes to airfare. 
• Able and willing to respond to communication in a timely manner across multiple time zones. 
• Strong interpersonal and email communication skills. 
• Experience negotiating vendor quotes and agreements. 
• Sense of design and aesthetic for events. 

Dates of Service/Level of Involvement: Fall 2024-Spring 2025 (highly involved in Spring 2025, particularly in the weeks leading up to and during the Festival. Applicants must be available during the week of the Festival to oversee operations. Some duties, trainings and pre-planning will also take place in Fall 2024). 
Reports to: Erica "EG" Gionfriddo and Megan Bommarito, Co-Producers 

The Operations and Front of House Committee Chair(s) will: 

• Oversee all festival front of house operations, including building and managing ticketing system and reservations, coordinating VIP and guest artist ticket reservations (in communication with Guest Artists and Events Committee), venue management and organizing usher staffing. 
• Assists in recruiting and training front of house managers and ushers to staff venues during the Festival. 
• Assists in recruiting and training box office staff and ticketing representatives to coordinate Will Call and VIP ticketing disbursement as well as assisting with any ticketing issues during the Festival. 
• Works in tandem with Department of Theatre and Dance Front of House team (reports to Audience Services Coordinator) to ensure all venues have sufficient staffing and oversee the build of ticketing pages and ticketing management before and during the Festival. 
• Assists Festival production operations in managing ticketing and venues for all Festival productions in conversation with Production Manager, production team and the PR and Marketing Committee. 
• Serve as members of Front of House and Box Office team during the week of the Festival. 
• Coordinates building out tickets for all shows as part of the Festival. 
• Coordinates in the build and maintenance of the Festival app (must have a basic understanding of app management and HTML). 
• Assists in staffing the welcome table during the Festival (must be present and available during the duration of the Festival week to ensure venue operations are running smoothly). 
• Assists Front of House team in ensuring audience safety during the Festival. 
• Serves as a main point of contact with guests and audience members during the Festival. Must be knowledgeable of Festival events and willing to help guests to venues, answer questions, etc. 

Suggested Job-Specific Skills

• Experience managing or working theatre/performance events. 
• Ability to remain calm and collected during emergencies. 
• Customer Service experience. 
• Basic understanding of ticketing systems (ex. Eventbrite) and web-based platforms.