Recent News

Dr. Charlotte M. Canning, Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor in Drama and Head of the Oscar G. Brockett Center for Theatre History and Criticism, has been selected as the recipient of The University of Texas at Austin’s 2021 Civitatis Award.

The McNay Art Museum's current exhibition, The Great Stage of Texas, highlights work by Texas theatre artists, including faculty member Karen Maness and alumni Michelle Nay (M.F.A. 1989) and Stephanie Busing (M.F.A. 2014). Their artwork will be on display March 3-July 24, 2022.

In celebration of its fifteenth season, we are exploring UTNT (UT New Theatre)’s history of fostering experimentation, creative collaboration and hands-on new play development, through the eyes of its playwriting alumni.

 This year’s UTNT (UT New Theatre) showcase presents three new plays featuring a wide variety of talent from across the department, the university and Austin.

Isaac Gómez (B.A. 2013) was honored with the 2022 E. William Doty Distinguished Young Alumnus Award, recognizing their extraordinary achievements as a professional playwright and theatre artist.

Driven to provide a space for young artists of color to get experience working with lighting design and technology, alumna Amber Whatley (M.F.A. 2021) created Blackout, a free two-week workshop series in lighting design and technology aimed at Black youth and communities with limited access to education in theatrical arts. 

Graduate student Emma Craig was selected for USITT's 2022 Barbara Matera Award for Costume Making, recognizing her outstanding work in the field of costuming. Craig is the third M.F.A. candidate from the Department of Theatre and Dance to receive this award in the past four years.

Alumna Natashia Lindsey (Ph.D. 2017) recently received the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region Seven Horace Robinson/Jack Watson Award, recognizing outstanding dedication to her students as a faculty member at Central Washington University.