As temperatures rise over the summer months, our students, faculty and alumni don’t show any sign of slowing down their creative endeavors! From a debut film, residencies, internships, performances and prizes, UT Theatre and Dance artists are leaving their mark on the theatre and dance world both nationally and internationally. Check out our summer updates roundup to see just a few of their innovative summer projects.
At the start of the summer, UT Live Design and Production graduates from the class of 2024 presented their work at the National Design Portfolio Review in New York City, among fellow designers and professionals in the field. Presenters included Alex Rockey, Sarah Jean Elliott (Selliott), Heekyung Kim, Leah Hummel, Meagan Beattie and Sydney Sousa.
Illinois Shakespeare Festival’s summer season features many UT Theatre and Dance artists. Corey Allen (faculty) is directing Macbeth, which will feature costumes designed by Nanette Acosta (faculty). Sophie Miller (B.F.A. 2022), Nya Garner (B.F.A. 2022) and Dominic Gross (B.F.A. Acting student) will perform in leading roles as part of Illinois Shakes’ summer acting company. Additionally, Esmeralda Treviño (B.F.A. Acting student) and Kira Small (B.A. in Theatre and Dance student) will perform in multiple productions as members of the acting intern cohort.
Faculty member Annie Baker’s debut feature film, Janet Planet, had a limited release in theatres nationwide in late June. Baker’s film has received praise by reviewers from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, Forbes, TIME, Vulture and many other national news outlets.
Gesel Mason (faculty) performed an iteration of her performance piece Yes, And at The Contemporary Austin on June 15. Her piece, which featured many UT Theatre and Dance alumni and students, was performed throughout the Jones Center, with the artwork of Lubaina Himid as a backdrop.
Mia Nguyen (B.F.A. Acting student) was accepted into the Summer Shakespeare Intensive at Shakespeare & Company with a full ride scholarship. There, she took part in full day trainings six days out of the week geared towards broadening her experience with Shakespearean acting. Her coursework throughout the month long intensive included classes on text and scene work, Linklater voice work, dance and movement, among other topics.
Faculty, students and alumni took part in the Indigenous Cultures Institute’s Indigenous Arts Summer Encounter. Roxanne Schroeder-Arce (faculty) is a board member for the Indigenous Cultures Institute and conducted research and provided feedback on arts pedagogy during the encounter. Jessica Peña-Torres (Ph.D. candidate), Andrew Aaron Valdez (B.F.A. 2017), Juan Leyva (B.F.A. 2021) and Oscar Franco (B.F.A. 2014) served as staff members for the encounter, while Yobany Pizano (B.F.A. 2024), Valeria Najera Zavala (B.F.A. 2024), Layla Villarreal (B.F.A. 2024) and Haylie Boyd (B.F.A. Theatre Education student) worked as interns.
Recent graduate Jenny Lavery is directing San Pedro Playhouse’s production of The Wizard of Oz, which will be on stage at the Russel Hill Rogers Theater July 12-August 4. David Gonima (B.F.A. Acting student) will portray the “Scarecrow” in this classic musical, with stage management by Jackie R. Pérez (B.A. 2018).
The 4th Annual Practice Progress UNtensive: Apocalyptic Imagining took place June 20-23, co-presented by ARCOS Dance under the artistic direction of EG Gionfriddo (faculty) and Eliot Gray Fisher (Ph.D. candidate). The UNtensive featured a session facilitated by Rebecca Fitton (M.A. 2023), among various other sessions focused on developing anti-racist skills and imagining a world beyond the one we have been living in.
Dance Research Methodologies: Ethics, Orientations, and Practices, edited by Rosemary Candelario (faculty) and Matthew Henley, has been shortlisted for the de la Torre Bueno Prize, an award meant to recognize a book published within the past year that “advances the field of dance studies.” Candelario’s publication is among five others that are in consideration for this incredible honor.
Lily Odekirk (M.F.A. candidate), Mateo Hernandez (M.F.A. candidate), Claire Derriennic (M.F.A. 2024), Renita James (M.F.A. 2024), Xinyue Zhang (M.F.A. 2024), Gillian McNally (M.F.A. 2002), Tamara Goldbogen (M.F.A. 2000) and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce (faculty) all presented at the International Theatre for Young Audiences Research Network Conference in Cuba this past May 24-June 1. This conference, entitled “Voces de un Mundo Nuevo” or “Voices of a New World,” took place during the International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People (ASSITJ International) World Congress.
Daniel Ruiz Bustos (M.F.A. candidate) traveled to Barcelona to take part in Redes Neuronales – Workshop #20 with Fundadión Épica La Fura dels Baus. He collaborated with multi-disciplinary artists from around the world, creating a public presentation inspired by research on neural networks. Learn more about Ruiz Bustos’ experience in our recent interview.
KJ Sanchez (faculty) has received a summer residency at The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep’s Center for the Creation and Development of New Work, where she’ll develop her one-person play entitled The Making of a Saint. Sanchez has also been selected as a Writer in Residence for The Orchard Project’s 2024 Summer Performance Lab.
Roxanne Schroeder-Arce (faculty) has contributed to conferences and events across the continent. She was a panelist on the Race, Representation & Empathy in Applied Theatre curated panel at the Canadian Association for Theatre Research in June. She also served as a leading presenter for the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) Summit 25: The Heart of Fine Arts, which is available to view virtually June 15-August 15.
Got a summer project you’d like to share? Let us know!
