On Stage

M.F.A. candidate and dramaturg Walker Zupan reflects on the importance of telling stories like James and the Giant Peach, which thoughtfully explore the challenging and beautiful truths of childhood – 

Several years ago, while reflecting on his work as a children’s book author, Matt de la Peña asked: “How honest should we be with our readers? Is the job of the writer for the young to tell the truth or preserve innocence?”

As dramaturg for James and the Giant Peach, currently onstage at The University of Texas at Austin’s B. Iden Payne Theatre, I’ve found myself grappling with similar questions. In particular, I’ve wondered: How much should we emphasize some of the darker elements of this classic Roald Dahl story? Does telling the truth and tending to the experience of our young audience members with sensitivity and care exist in contradiction?

Continue Reading Honoring Complicated Truths and Childlike Wonder: A Dramaturg’s Reflection on JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

Director of A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes and third-year M.F.A. in Theatre candidate Caley Chase sits across from a camera, eagerly recounting her collaborations with actors and designers, the ways the script encourages original choreography and movement, how the set and live sound effects draw audiences into the play. Chase’s excitement for the spectacle of this production is palpable. She shared all of this and more in a recent interview about Kate Benson’s A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes, on stage in the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre October 10-20, 2024.

Continue Reading Collaboration, Athleticism and Live Foley: An Interview with Director Caley Chase