Faculty, Students and Alumni at the 2023 AATE Conference

SHARE

August 3, 2023

Mateo Hernandez, Lily Odekirk and Deen Rawlins-Harris pose together after their presentation
Mateo Hernandez, Lily Odekirk and Deen Rawlins-Harris after their presentation.

On July 27-29, UT Theatre and Dance faculty, students and alumni travelled to Seattle to attend and present at the 2023 American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) conference. 

The AATE conference serves as a time for educators and theatre artists to network, discuss and celebrate theatre in education. Among this year's weekend of events, graduate student Mateo Hernandez was awarded the Don and Elizabeth Doyle Fellowship and faculty member Michael Ávila was announced as an incoming board member following the 2023 AATE election. Undergraduate students Yobany Pizano and Cay Schaefer served as interns for the AATE conference and also co-presented as pre-service teachers during one of the panels. Multiple Theatre and Dance artists also shared their knowledge in discussions and panels throughout the conference.

Panels/discussions featuring UT Theatre and Dance artists included:

Graduate student Mateo Hernandez standing behind a podium on stage, accepting the Don and Elizabeth Doyle Fellowship
Mateo Hernandez accepts the Don and Elizabeth Doyle Fellowship.
  • "Preparing Students of Color for Success in Higher Education Theatre Programs"
    • Panelists: Faculty member Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Jo Beth Gonzalez and alumni Joshua Rashon Streeter (M.F.A. 2016) and Martin Rodriguez (B.F.A. 2015) presented a panel entitled "
  • "Tools For Liberation: Activating collaboration and creation through prop design" 
    • Panelists: Current grad students Deen Rawlins-Harris, Mateo Hernandez and Lily Odekirk
  • "Illuminating Coaching and Questioning: Building Critical Consciousness in Arts Partnerships"
    • Panelists: Joshua Rashon Streeter and Meghan Schenker-Fulcher
  • "Dichotomies and Dynamics: Creating Narrative-Driven Non-Verbal Two-Character TVY"
    • Panelists: Joshua Rashon Streeter and Michelle Kozlak
    Faculty, students and alumni pose together with ice cream cones on a pier in Seattle
    Cay Schaefer, Shae Rodriguez (B.A. 2015), Martin Rodriguez, Mateo Hernandez and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce.
  • "Getting 'Taboo' Plays to Youth Who Need Them Most"
    • Panelists: Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Stacey Ardelean, Robyn Flatt, Jo Beth Gonzalez and Mateo Hernandez
  • "Engaging Students in Dramaturgy: Illuminating the 'Why Here Why Now'"
    • Panelists: Abra Chusid (M.F.A. 2012) and Joey Fitzpatrick
  • "Illuminating Hidden Histories of BIPOC TYA Artists and Drama Facilitators"
    • Panelists: Shavonne Coleman, Kristala Smart, Meriah Sage, Elizabeth Brendel Horn and Joshua Rashon Streeter
  • "Story & Process Dramas: Building an SEL Focused and Culturally Responsive Classroom"
    • Panelists: Martin Rodriguez and Mateo Hernandez
  • "Re-envisioning a Local Theatre Praxis: How pre-service teacher education programs might learn alongside communities that are situated within their local environs."
    • Panelists: Amy Jensen, Matt Omasta, Gillian McNally (M.F.A. 2002), Joshua Rashon Streeter, Roxanne Schroeder-Arce; featuring performances by pre-service teachers, including Yobany Pizano and Cay Schaefer
  • "Youth Participatory Action Research: Art for Climate Resilience"
    • Panelists: Faculty member Lara Dossett and Lily Odekirk

Read more about the programming from the 2023 American Alliance for Theatre & Education Conference.

Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Mateo Hernandez, Martin Rodriguez and Lara Dossett pose together, holding their hands up in a Hook 'em Horns symbol
Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Mateo Hernandez, Martin Rodriguez and Lara Dossett.
Roxanne Schroeder-Arce and Cay Schaefer pose together in front of a large backdrop for AATE
Roxanne Schroeder-Arce and Cay Schaefer.

Photos provided by Mateo Hernandez and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce. 

Read More News