The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents “And Then Came Tango,” Nov. 30Dec. 2 at the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre. A heartwarming story, “And Then Came Tango” tells the tale of two male penguins eager to become parents.
The play for young audiences is inspired by the true story of Roy and Silo, two chinstrap penguins living in New York’s Central Park Zoo that form a bond, build a nest and incubate a rock. When given an orphaned egg, the pair successfully raises a baby fledgling named Tango. Playwright Emily Freeman’s original work weaves dance, storytelling and live music with audience interaction, teaching the values of diversity and acceptance.
For Freeman, “And Then Came Tango” is about love and family. She explains, “Throughout the play, the definition of family is extended beyond normative representations. Family is an entire colony of penguins, a young girl and her single mom, a zookeeper and the animals he tends, and two male penguins and their adopted egg. As these family structures are threatened in the play, we learn the power of voicing your opinions and standing up for your beliefs, no matter how old you are.”
Freeman, a master of fine arts candidate at The University of Texas at Austin, began developing the play in 2010. It was first produced in the 2011 Cohen New Works Festival, and it received an honorable mention in the Austin Chronicle’s “Top Ten of 2011.”
For more information on “And Then Came Tango,” please visit www.jointhedrama.org.
Calendar Listing:
Nov. 30Dec. 2 The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents “And Then Came Tango” at the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre (300 E. 23rd St.), located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building. A map of the campus: http://www.utexas.edu/finearts/tad/season-tickets/map-directions-parking
Performance times are Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., Dec. 1-2 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 4 p.m.
Admission is free and open to the public. “And Then Came Tango” is recommended for ages 6 and older.
