Texas State hosts 2015 Black and Latino Playwrights Conference

By Carl Clark
University News Service
September 3, 2015

The Texas State University Department of Theatre and Dance will host the annual Black and Latino Playwrights Conference Sept. 7-13. 

The week’s events will be held at the Theatre Center on the Texas State campus. Admission to the play readings is $5.

The conference includes a tribute to Octavio Solis. There will be play development workshops held by Judy Tate. Rehearsals will be open to public viewing and followed by audience talkback sessions. The goal of the conference is to study the craft, to nurture the artist and to celebrate the work.

Eugene Lee founded the conference more than a decade ago and serves as its artistic director. Lee is an alumnus of Texas State’s theatre program.

“I hear from students that this a life changing week from an artistic perspective,” said Lee. “It gets them into the trenches, to see a play take shape over the course of a week. You never see a play or movie the same way after getting this kind of insight into the nuts and bolts of storytelling.”

After more than 30 years in the entertainment industry Lee has earned an impressive list of both screen and stage roles. On screen, he has appeared alongside Oprah Winfrey in the film Women of Brewster Place and on stage, he has performed in the Pulitzer Prize winning “A Soldier’s Play” with the Negro Ensemble Company.

All events will be take place in the Theatre Center.

Sept. 7-10
Play Rehearsals Workshop
6-10 p.m., Theatre Center
Free and open to the public

Sept. 7
Meet and greet
5 p.m., Theatre Center 
Open to theatre students only

Sept. 11
Brown Bag gathering
11 a.m.-12:30p.m., Theatre Center Room209
Open to theatre students only

Presentation of Excerpts and Q&A with distinguished guest Octavio Solis
7:30 p.m., Theatre Center Main stage
Free and open to the public

Sept. 12
Building Blocks of Drama and the 10 Minute Play Writer’s Workshop
Presented by Judy Tate
1-5p.m., Theater Center Room 209
Workshop full  

Reading Presentation “Finding Vermont”
By Gavin Lawrence
7:30 p.m., Theatre Center Main stage
$5 admission on all seats

Sept. 13
Reading Presentation “Through Andew’s Eyes”
By Oscar Cabrera
12 p.m., Theatre Center Main stage
$5 admission on all seats

For ticket purchases go to www.txstatepresents.com. For more information on the conference, contact the Department of Theatre and Dance at (512) 245-2147 or visit www.theatreanddance.txstate.edu/Productions/blackandlatino.html