Upcoming: University of Texas New Theatre (UTNT), February 27 - March 9, 2014

UTNT (UT New Theatre), the annual showcase of new plays from The University of Texas at Austin M.F.A. Playwriting Program, returns this spring with five dynamic works by emerging playwrights. 

Now in its seventh iteration, UTNT 2014 presents the following:

 

 Preview Productions

Annie Jump
Written by Reina Hardy
Directed by Natalie Novacek

February 27, March 1, 7 at 8:00 p.m.
March 9 at 5:00 p.m.

Annie Jump is a 13-year-old science genius whose alien-obsessed father is the laughingstock of Strawberry, Kansas. One night in August, a meteor falls, and Annie meets Althea, an intergalactic supercomputer that manifests itself in the form of a mean girl with really nice hair. Althea’s here to help Annie take humanity from the earth to the stars, but being the Chosen One isn't all glory. What is Althea hiding? And what will Annie have to sacrifice to fulfill her destiny?

 Advance Man
Written by Abe Koogler
Directed by Will Davis

February 28, March 6, 8 at 8:00 p.m.
March 2 at 5:00 p.m.

Bear Creek is a small town. So when rumor spreads of an impending visit from the President himself, everyone gets very excited. There's just one problem – no one knows when he's coming, or why. And who's that mysterious man in a dark suit, asking all those questions? A dark comedy about the way we live now.

Individual tickets and ticket packages for these preview productions go on sale early January 2014.

Enhanced Readings/Presentations

‘ratio Visual Narrative by William Anderson
Text Narrative by David Turkel
Directed by Jess Hutchinson

March 1 at 11:00 a.m.
March 8 at 2:00 p.m.

In the weeks following Hamlet’s death, Horatio navigates a harrowing regime change at Elsinore under the rule of bloody-minded prince Fortinbras.

Still Now Written by Katie Bender
Directed by Rudy Ramirez

March 2, 9 at 2:00 p.m.

After witnessing the fall of the twin towers, Annie heads to Japan to study Butoh, looking for a dance form that expresses the destruction she can’t comprehend.  Ten years later, Annie is diagnosed with stage four cancer and returns to Butoh to prepare for her final dance. Still Now confronts us with the accelerated motion of a woman learning and losing her body, accompanied by the doctors, teachers, friends and lovers that become her partners in movement, to ask the question: what can our bodies teach us that our minds cannot fathom?

Or, “The One with the Dogs” Written by Briandaniel Oglesby
Directed by Jeremy Lee Cudd

March 1 at 2:00 p.m.
March 8 at 11:00 a.m.

In a crappy house surrounded by a dead walnut orchard, brothers Boomer and Dirt struggle with each other, with themselves, and with their dog-breeding business. As their prized pregnant pooch swells, they seem on the way to strike it big. Their dreams are disrupted when Boomer brings home Marisol, who should be a one-night stand, and Dirt finds a boy who will never grow up.

 UTNT (UT New Theatre) is curated by Steven Dietz and Gia Marotta. Performances are February 27 through March 9 in the Lab Theatre. Ticketing information will be available in December 2013.

Video Promo: The Fault by Katie Bender, Universty of Texas, December 3 - 7, 20013

Video posted by Texas Performing Arts for


The Fault

by Katie Bender
directed by Charles Ott

Dec. 3-7 at 8 pm; Dec. 7 at 2 pm
B. Iden Payne Theatre, University of Texas

A small ragged house stands perched on a fault, pressed between the redwoods and Pacific Ocean. The Davies family resides within, holding together and splitting apart.

The Fault includes mature language and adult content.

About the playwright Katie Bender is a playwright, performer and third-year master of fine arts candidate in playwriting at The University of Texas at Austin. Her plays are irreverent, fun and magical, exploring characters and worlds at the edge of what is possible.

She is a founding member of Underbelly – a theatre collaborative that stages immersive journey plays in forgotten spaces, riffing on American classics. Underbelly’s devised piece Slip River premiered at the 2013 Cohen New Works Festival. Created in collaboration with playwrights Gabrielle Reisman and Abe Koogler, Slip River won the Austin Critics’ Table Award for Best Comedy of 2013.

As a performer Bender recently appeared in the regional premiere of Lisa D’Amour’s The Cataract and the world premiere of Tom Horan’s Static.

2013-2014 Theatre and Dance Season, University of Texas

Catch a Glimpse of Our 2013-2014 Season

The Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin announces a special sneak preview of its 2013-2014 season!  Keep an eye out in the next few months for a complete season announcement featuring dates, directors, and venues.

Fall 2013

Dial M for Murder By Frederick Knott
Set in 1950s London, Tony Wendice concocts a plot to murder his wealthy wife Margot. When the scheme goes awry, he devises a sinister backup plan to get her out of the picture for good.

Salt and Pepper By José Cruz González
In this heartwarming story about friendship and family, Salt is a 10 year old boy who can barely read. Pepper, a young migrant worker and voracious reader, comes to town and teaches him the value of reading and storytelling.

Our Country’s Good By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Royal Marines and convicts in an 18th century Australian penal colony work together to produce a comedic stage play.

Fall For Dance Artistic Directors David Justin and Charles O. Anderson
The annual showcase presents breathtaking dance pieces from renowned choreographers.

The Fault By Katie Bender
A small ragged house stands perched on a fault, pressed between the redwoods and Pacific Ocean. The Davies family resides within, holding together and splitting apart.

Spring 2014

Dead Man’s Cell Phone By Sarah Ruhl
When a woman answers the cell phone of a recently deceased café patron, she holds on to the device to keep the man alive in a strange yet significant way.

Dance Repertory Theatre Concert
Dance Repertory Theatre, the celebrated student ensemble, returns to the stage, presenting new dance works and re-staged masterpieces by nationally and internationally acclaimed guest artists and faculty.

UTNT (UT New Theatre) Curated by Steven Dietz
UTNT presents newly developed work of emerging playwrights from the Department of Theatre and Dance and Michener Center for Writers. Now in its seventh season, many plays produced in UTNT have since been professionally produced across the country.

In the Heights Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
This four-time Tony Award winning musical shows life in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York amongst the tight-knit community of Dominican-American residents.

Ears, Eyes + Feet
Collaborative works by student and faculty composers, choreographers, and video artists from the College of Fine Arts.

All titles are subject to change.