UT Department of Theatre & Dance to Present ESPERANZA RISING, 10/3-12

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents the beloved children's story Esperanza Rising, October 3-12 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre.

Tragedy strikes and Esperanza, a young, privileged girl living in Mexico, is forced to flee to California. Working in a migrant labor camp during the Great Depression, Esperanza must overcome adversity and find unexpected inner strength. Adapted from Pam Muñoz Ryan's award-winning book, this coming-of-age story shares an inspiring message of hope for all audiences.

"Esperanza's journey reminds me of the old adage 'home is where the heart is.' Even though she is distanced from the physical home where she grew up and from her family, she carries home with her; in her memories, in her heart, and in her stories," shares director Natalie Novacek. " Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Esperanza has an important and terrifying decision ahead of her; can she return to the home she remembers or make a new home in her new place?"

A master of fine arts candidate at The University of Texas at Austin, Novacek tells raw and daring stories with effortless staging through contemporary, language-driven scripts. She is the artistic director of Loudmouth Collective, known in her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota for tackling challenging solo performance and engaging small-ensemble theatrical events. She was a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Selection Team Directing fellow and is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Esperanza Rising features an all-star cast including: Dana Arismendez, Julian Arizola, Izabella Arnold, Erica Ayala, Hugo Ayala, David Barrera, Ross Bechtold, Sarah Cantu, Robert Casillas, Rachel Crowell, Jenny De La Fuente, Martinique Duchene-Phillips, Oscar Franco, Nicolas Garza, Estrella Gonzales, Matthew Hernandez, Lisa Martinez, Madison Palomo, Joseph Quintana, Wesley Sadek, Genevieve Schroeder-Arce, Max Torrez, Arnoldo Treviño Jr., Shanon Weaver and Sean Woods.

Direction by Natalie Novacek Ÿ Music Direction by Spencer Blank Ÿ Costume Design by Andie Day Ÿ Scenic Design by Yongmin Lee Ÿ Projection Design by Patrick Lord Ÿ Lighting Design by Samantha Zuckerman Ÿ Stage Management by Victoria Solorio

For more information on Esperanza Rising, please visit JoinTheDrama.org.

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