UTNT (UT NEW THEATRE) Playwriting Program Showcase Set for 4/18-28

The University of Texas Department of Theatre and Dance at Austin presents UTNT (UT New Theatre), April 18-28 at the Lab Theatre. This annual showcase presents new plays from the M.F.A. Playwriting Program.

Now in its sixth iteration, UTNT brings to stage dynamic works by Andrew Hinderaker, Kevin Kautzman, Gabrielle Reisman, and Sarah Saltwick. Curated by Steven Dietz and Brian Kettler, the four stories delve into family, desires, hauntings, faith, and miracles.

The university's Department of Theatre and Dance and Michener Center for Writers have been heralded nationally as incubators for new work (American Theatre). Notable alumni of these programs include Lisa D'Amour (2011 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Detroit), Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig (2011 Wasserstein Award Recipient), George Brant (2008 Keene Prize for Literature, Elephant's Graveyard), and Kirk Lynn (2011 USA Fellow in Theatre Arts).

UTNT curator and UT professor Steven Dietz shares, "Tomorrow's plays are at UTNT today. UTNT is known as the launching pad to award winning and widely produced new work for the American stage. Our 2013 plays once again represent the ambition, theatrical verve, and compelling contemporary stories that have become a hallmark of UTNT. With four new plays in rep, major American artistic directors on-site as respondents, and collaborative teams drawn from UT and the local professional community, UTNT is an electric place to glimpse tomorrow's plays today."

Tickets for The Kingdom, Dream of Perfect Sleep and 70 Secrets of Marmalade Kittens ($15 public, $12 faculty/staff and seniors, $10 students) are available at the following authorized ticket outlets: Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at www.JoinTheDrama.org, or by calling 512-477-6060 or 800-982-BEVO. The reading of A Perfect Robert Is free and open the public. Tickets for A Perfect Robot will be distributed beginning at 10:00 a.m. prior to each performance at the Lab Theatre Box Office.

The Lab Theatre is located west of the F. Loren Winship Drama Building (WIN). The physical address for the Winship complex is 300 East 23rd Street, Austin, Texas 78712.