Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 52,000 students and top national programs across 19 colleges and schools. * View this email as a webpage https://app.econnect.utexas.edu/e/es?s=1740541080&e=1381901&elqTrackId=6164dba5585a43a5a29f496477765081&elq=95308c6e78bc4764bdd4ce3a6b3d752b&elqaid=39550&elqat=1&elqak=8AF552441A15A4C203C99309AC064FDFE3B0F616B1C6426A1AC5B5AF86055C326311
Dear Winedale community,
I am deeply honored to be the new director of Shakespeare at Winedale. Although I spent most of the summer moving from California to Texas, I was able to work with the Winedale class of 2025 in both June and August, as they began and ended their remarkable season. Over the last several months, I have been blown away by the creativity and generosity of the Winedale community. Doc Ayres, Laurel Loehlin, and Madge Darlington have been unceasingly kind and helpful, as have this summer’s assistant director, Grant Gilker, the Winedale site staff, the UT English staff and faculty, and the many alums who have shared their memories and hopes with me.
With former camper Erin Harvey at Miniwanca Girls Camp reunion, Michigan, 2025
With the cast and crew of A Midsummer Yosemite's Dream, Yosemite National Park, 2024
I come to Winedale after spending the last fourteen years in the Literature Department at University of California Merced; for the last eight years, I served as the founding director of Shakespeare in Yosemite https://app.econnect.utexas.edu/e/er?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&s=1740541080&lid=59638&elqTrackId=3EEA31DBB98EFD15C7E40497B6E4AD54&elq=95308c6e78bc4764bdd4ce3a6b3d752b&elqaid=39550&elqat=1&elqak=8AF5D767B620006FDD50E10387BAFE58D60CF616B1C6426A1AC5B5AF86055C326311. Before that, I spent many summers of my life at Camp Miniwanca in Western Michigan, building intentional programming for young people. The two things I love most in this world are creating collaborative theatre with students and working in an intensive in-residence environment: I know the transformative power of both, and I can’t believe my luck to have landed at the best place in the world for doing both.
I have already been talking to staff, students, and alums about our 2026 season and beyond, and I hope that you’ll reach out to me with your own thoughts about Winedale’s life-changing programs. If you are able, please join in an all-Winedale Zoom call on November 10th at 7:00 pm Central Time (more information below) to talk about the past, present, and future of Shakespeare-making in the theatre barn.
Doc Ayres, Laurel Loehlin, Madge Darlington, and Katie Brokaw at the 2025 Winedale Reunion
Warmly,
Katherine Steele Brokaw
Katie is co-organizing a free online conference, Globe for Globe: Shakespeare and Environmental Justice, which will feature 52 theatre-makers and academics from around the world presenting over 24 hours, from 9 am Central September 12 to 9 am Central September 13. Katie's paper, "Teaching Environmental Justice Through Shakespearean Performance: Reflections on Shakespeare in Yosemite" is at 3:00 pm Central.
People can register for free and see the full schedule by clicking here https://app.econnect.utexas.edu/e/er?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&s=1740541080&lid=59639&elqTrackId=74B7AA769C35D5FCBC7C242E121D7470&elq=95308c6e78bc4764bdd4ce3a6b3d752b&elqaid=39550&elqat=1&elqak=8AF5D1078A43A58246B4C0DB079156DA2881F616B1C6426A1AC5B5AF86055C326311.
Shakespeare at Winedale Outreach is almost in full fall swing already – our 5th grade teams at Maplewood Elementary in Austin and Herrington in Round Rock are already hard at work and play, exploring scenes from “As You Like It” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” respectively. Meanwhile other Shakespeare teams are set to get rolling soon at Blackshear and Blanton in Austin, and our Outreach Players troupe is preparing for a performance at the Westminster retirement community on Saturday, Oct. 4. It’s been exciting to see a new group of students dive into these words and characters; one 5th grade girl at Maplewood told Clayton and classroom teacher Tara Stine last week, “I have an announcement: I love this!” And in Mr. Jeffrey’s room at Herrington, four students already can perform the “Sweet are the uses of adversity” speech of Duke Senior without book. The Herrington team is already booked for a “curtain-raiser” at the Curtain Theater on Saturday, Oct. 4 as well. All of these students will be together on the last Saturday in April of 2026 for the Festival of Play!
Students perform at the Festival of Play (PC Clayton Stromberger)
Register for our all-Winedale Zoom Call to receive a Zoom link and reminders about this event!
All Winedale Zoom Call
7pm CT on November 10th
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