LETTER FROM THE PRODUCERS

Welcome to the 2023 Cohen New Works Festival.

If you are reading this, you are likely about to witness one of the most important events in someone’s life.

The Cohen New Works Festival brings more than 30 unique works of dance, theatre and performance of all kind to life, over the course of a single week.

For many of the artists, this week is important because they’re seeing their own work produced for the first time. So many artists start by participating in someone else’s show, a production at school, work selected by faculty; this festival is comprised solely of work made by and for students, selected by students and produced by students.

For many of the student producers, this week is important because it is the culmination of two years of labor, countless meetings, lots of hard work, negotiating and good old fashioned finagling. It feels good to know that students themselves can be trusted to take the helm and guide the world’s largest festival of student work.

For much of the faculty, this week is important because it is a crucible for our teaching. Faculty get to witness what students do outside of the classroom, which lessons are now embodied in their student’s practice. It is a challenge and a provocation.

And audiences get a glimpse into the future of theatre. We know from experience that what we’re seeing here, this week, will be on stages around the world in the next decade. The performers, designers, writers, directors, choreographers and creators of every stripe will soon be the professionals shaping our culture.

And that gives us great hope. These new works speak to our political and cultural moment. The student creators of these pieces are engaging with many of the most pressing issues in our society, including race, gender, sexuality and the role of the artist in society.

These pieces are historical, personal and fantastical. They are diverse in form and content, but unified in their boldness.

The Cohen New Works Festival is named in honor of former UT playwriting faculty member David Mark Cohen, who our community lost too soon in 1997.

His passion for new work lives on through an endowment that has enabled student and faculty leaders at UT to put on a new play festival in the years following in his memory.

Thanks to the leadership and drive of Suzan Zeder, another former faculty member of UT, The Cohen New Works Festival flourished into the massive interdisciplinary art festival that you see today. David loved everything this festival embodies: dynamic plays, wild performance, original dance, new music, invigorating design and visionary direction. And Suzan embodied the outrageous scope of the festival, letting it grow and take shape under a banner of “Why not?!”

We, as producers, are proud to keep the legacy of David Mark Cohen and the power of the festival alive in 2023. This is one of the most important weeks of our lives.

A huge shout of gratitude to you, our supporters; to you advocates of the arts, who know the meaning of community, who embrace the change we seek, who are here with us at the moment of impact.

In Solidarity, Corey Allen, Rusty Cloyes, Erica Gionfriddo, Kirk Lynn, Dorothy Overbey and Patrick Shaw - Faculty Producers Braxton Rae - Artistic Producer