April 1, 2013
The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents UTNT (UT New Theatre), April 18-28 at the Lab Theatre. This annual showcase presents new plays from the M.F.A. Playwriting Program.
Now in its sixth iteration, UTNT brings to stage dynamic works by Andrew Hinderaker, Kevin Kautzman, Gabrielle Reisman, and Sarah Saltwick. Curated by Steven Dietz and Brian Kettler, the four stories delve into family, desires, hauntings, faith, and miracles.
The university’s Department of Theatre and Dance and Michener Center for Writers have been heralded nationally as incubators for new work (American Theatre). Notable alumni of these programs include Lisa D’Amour (2011 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Detroit), Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig (2011 Wasserstein Award Recipient), George Brant (2008 Keene Prize for Literature, Elephant’s Graveyard), and Kirk Lynn (2011 USA Fellow in Theatre Arts).
UTNT curator and UT professor Steven Dietz shares, “Tomorrow's plays are at UTNT today. UTNT is known as the launching pad to award winning and widely produced new work for the American stage. Our 2013 plays once again represent the ambition, theatrical verve, and compelling contemporary stories that have become a hallmark of UTNT. With four new plays in rep, major American artistic directors on-site as respondents, and collaborative teams drawn from UT and the local professional community, UTNT is an electric place to glimpse tomorrow's plays today.”
Dream of Perfect Sleep
By Kevin Kautzman
Directed by Courtney Sale
Tickets: $10-15
Apr. 18, 26 at 8 p.m. and Apr. 21, 27 at 2 p.m.
Mary and Gene are old. Mary suffers from severe vertigo and just wants to watch her show, gosh-darn-it. Gene has some big news for their middle-aged kids. When new-ager Melissa and recovering-addict Robert return to a home decorated for the holidays (when it’s not the holidays), the family must make a hard decision about what it means to exit this world with grace.
Kevin Kautzman premiered six new plays in 2012 at theatres in Canton, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Worth, Saint Paul and New York. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Playwrights’ Center.
70 Secrets of Marmalade Kittens
By Gabrielle Reisman
Directed by Jess Hutchinson
Apr. 19, 24, 27 at 8 p.m. and Apr. 20 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $10-15
Seduced by a pair of ceramic figurines, Quinn wrestles with abandoning her husband, her young children, and their lonely life on an Iowa hog confinement farm. Ten years later her now grown children — with the counsel of an aging pet goose — must choose between selling off their father’s business, and tracking down the ghosts of their mother’s desires.
Gabrielle Reisman is a New Orleans based playwright and director. Her work has been produced in New York, New Orleans, Champaign and Chicago as well as been translated into German.
An enhanced reading of The Kingdom
By Andrew Hinderaker
Directed by Sarah Rasmussen
Apr. 20, 25 at 8 p.m., Apr. 21 at 7 p.m. and Apr. 28 at 2 p.m.
Free Admission
A Catholic priest of 22 years has stopped taking confession. He has stopped delivering mass. Hiding out in the basement of his church, he seeks to perform miracles of his own making. What becomes of a priest who has lost his faith in us all?
Andrew Hinderaker’s recent work includes the New York premiere of Suicide, Incorporated (Roundabout Theatre) and the world premieres of Dirty (Gift Theatre) and I Am Going to Change the World (Chicago Dramatists). His plays have been produced/developed by the Kennedy Center, Steppenwolf, Manhattan Theatre Club, Rattlestick, Mixed Blood, and numerous others.
A presentation of A Perfect Robot
By Sarah Saltwick
Directed by Andrew Carlson
Apr. 20 and 27 at 11 a.m.
Free Admission
Believe Alan Turing — that girl is really a robot. It’s just that Mollybot’s face is uncannily human. She hasn’t been so perfect since her creator went missing and there’s only one chance left to convince the investors of her worth. One far away woman holds the key to unlocking it all.
Sarah Saltwick’s recent work includes The Scarlet Letter on UT’s B. Iden Payne Stage. Her plays have been a finalist for the Heideman Award and Bay Area Playwrights Festival and twice nominated for Best New Play by the Austin Critics’ Table.
Ticket and Venue Information
Tickets for Dream of Perfect Sleep and 70 Secrets of Marmalade Kittens ($15 public, $12 faculty/staff and seniors, $10 students) are available at the following authorized ticket outlets: Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online, or by calling 512-477-6060 or 800-982-BEVO. Tickets may also be purchased at the Winship Box Office on the day of the performance beginning one hour prior to curtain.
Admission to The Kingdom and A Perfect Robert is free and open the public. These tickets will be distributed beginning at 10:00 a.m. prior to each performance at the Lab Theatre Box Office.
The Lab Theatre is located west of the F. Loren Winship Drama Building (WIN). The physical address for the Winship complex is 300 East 23rd Street, Austin, Texas 78712.