Recent News

From a debut film, residencies, internships, performances and prizes, UT Theatre and Dance artists are leaving their mark on the theatre and dance world. Check out our summer updates roundup to see just a few of their innovative summer projects.

Ph.D. candidate Khristián Méndez Aguirre and undergraduate student Demian Chavez Galvan are among 18 artists from around the world selected for this year's Candela Playwrights Summer Fellowship, which provides support for musical theatre writers of Latin American and Caribbean heritage.

Abe Koogler (M.F.A. 2014) has published five of his scripts in a collection entitled Abe Koogler Selected Plays, featuring a forward Koogler and the first publication of his play Advanced Man, which was developed as part of UTNT (UT New Theatre) in 2014.

In May 2024, M.F.A. candidate Daniel Ruiz Bustos traveled to Barcelona to take part in La Fura dels Baus' Redes Neuronales - Workshop #20. We caught up with Ruiz Bustos about his experience working with artists and researchers from around the world through this art and science workshop.

The Department of Theatre and Dance is pleased to celebrate the hiring of Katherine Freer, who will join the department in the fall semester as an assistant professor as part of the UT Live Design and Production program (integrated media for live performance). Freer, who has served as a lecturer at the department since 2022, is a multi-media artist, filmmaker, organizer and educator with a prolific background in story, science and civic engagement.

The Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin is thrilled to announce the hire of Dr. Luke Williams, who will join the department in the fall 2024 semester as an Assistant Professor in Performance as Public Practice and Expanding Approaches to American Arts areas at the College of Fine Arts.  

Director Jenny Lavery (M.F.A. 2024) spoke with BroadwayWorld about the magic of bringing The Wizard of Oz to the stage at San Pedro Playhouse. The production also features David Gonima (student) as "Scarecrow" and Jackie R. Pérez (B.A. 2018) as the stage manager. 

Assistant professor of acting Corey Allen has been recognized as the recipient of the 2023-2024 Department of Theatre and Dance Teaching Excellence Award, a prestigious teaching accolade that celebrates his contributions to student success within the department. This award is granted to educators within the Department of Theatre and Dance who go above and beyond in their work both in and out of the classroom. 

Faculty member KJ Sanchez has been selected for The Ground Floor Residency Lab at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. There, she'll develop her one-person play The Making of a Saint.

Alum Katie Folger (B.A. 2013) was voted Best Actor in The Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin 2024 Readers Poll, recognizing her "energy, wit, and brilliant charm" as a performer.