Past Events

Yes or No... is a nonverbal, highly physical, 25-minute performance that explores curiosity within the framework of Theatre for the Very Young, designed specifically for audiences aged 2–6. The characters, "Yes" and "No," navigate a world of curiosity, using imagery, movement and memory to construct a space where Yes might become No, and No might become Yes.

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany descends into fascism. 

In the darkness, three witches whisper... “Hail Macbeth! He who shall be king!” Sweet yet bitter, thrilling yet agonizing—the witches’ prophecy sets Macbeth on a path where fair and foul become one and the same. The legendary warrior now stands at a crossroads, caught in the battle between ambition and fate. Will Macbeth triumph in his war against desire? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But for now, grab a handful of popcorn and chant the spell with us: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair!” 

On a dark and stormy night, a shipwreck thrusts Viola and her twin brother Sebastian into the briny deep. Viola survives, washed up onto the shores of Illyria—but where is Sebastian? She must find him. Fearing the dangers that surround a young woman alone in a strange land, Viola disguises herself as a young man and goes into service to the Duke Orsino. Orsino is madly in love with the Countess Olivia who rebuffs his advances. Viola falls secretly in love with Orsino; and Olivia falls head over heels for the disguised Viola.

How will this unravel? Will Viola find her lost twin Sebastian? Three marriages take place—but who will marry whom?

The Performance as Public Practice Fridays@2 speaker series facilitates discussions about the creation and study of performance. PPP welcomes artists from within and beyond the Winship Drama Building, including current students, distinguished alumni and arts leaders from across the country, to share their research and methodology. Up next is a conversation with Vanessa Anspaugh, a choreographer and performance-based artist developing new work in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin this season.

The Performance as Public Practice Fridays@2 speaker series facilitates discussions about the creation and study of performance. PPP welcomes artists from within and beyond the Winship Drama Building, including current students, distinguished alumni and arts leaders from across the country, to share their research and methodology. Up next is a conversation with Allison Orr, the founder and artistic director of Forklift Danceworks, featuring a presentation of her work as a choreographer followed by a Q&A session. 

Three sisters are left in the forest by their woodcutter father. From this fairytale beginning, three resolutions are made – one sister will walk one way, one sister will walk the other and the third will stay right where she is. Twenty years later, having circumnavigated the globe, and fought vikings and crossed oceans and tamed wilds and achieved greatness the three meet again, as women.

Exploring the Arts, Exploring the Self is a week-long day camp at the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin where youth going into grades 2-5 (approximately seven to 11-year-olds) will explore the self through art, music, dance and theatre. Each day, the group will engage the arts to present and perform ideas of who they are, as individuals and as a community. All youth will be involved in each of the disciplines and be challenged to further develop their skills in art forms they are more familiar with as well as try art forms that are less familiar to them.

In this contemporary/modern dance intensive, youth ages 13-17 will further their dance technique, deepen their artistry and develop their collaborative skills in a community of passionate dancers. Each day will include classes in contemporary/modern dance technique, phrase-work and collaborative choreographic methods. The week will culminate in a showing for friends and family of the dances we choreograph together based on a theme we choose. Our time together will be rooted in positive reinforcement, exciting challenges and shedding perfectionism for curiosity and imaginative play.

The UT Live Design and Production Showcase 2025 presents work created for theatre, dance and other performance mediums by M.F.A. candidates in the UT Live Design and Production program at The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. Areas of work include costume design and technology, lighting design, integrated media design and scenic design. Collectively, this work helps tell visual stories for live performance and reflects the collaborative nature of the theatrical process.