UA School of Theatre, Film & Television

09/01/2026

🎟✨ ON SALE NOW

Single tickets are now on sale for all shows in our 2026/27 Performance Season!

• The Rocky Horror Show: Oct. 11 - 25
• Stop Kiss: Nov. 15 - Dec.6
• New Directions Festival: Feb. 21 - Mar. 7
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Apr. 18 - May 2

Get your tickets at tickets.arizona.edu!

Are you a student? See a show for only $5! We are excited to offer$5 tickets to every theatre performance this season. Available for purchase in-person at the Arizona Arts Box Office during operating hours and with student ID. More info at azart.fyi/freetftvtix.

We look forward to seeing you at a show!

08/24/2026

With the start of a new year, the School of Theatre, Film & Television is excited to welcome five new members to our community, each of whom brings a wealth of professional experience, creative expertise and fresh perspectives to the school. Their backgrounds span performance, stage management, film and media scholarship, teaching and academic administration, with work and scholarship ranging from intimacy direction and theatre for social justice to Indigenous filmmaking, professional stage management and supporting the day-to-day work of academic leadership.

We are pleased to welcome:
• Matt Denney - Assistant Professor of Practice, Live & Screened Performance
• Kristin Dowell, Ph.D - Associate Professor, Film & Television Producing and Studies
• Ashley Martin - Assistant Professor of Practice, Stage Management
• Julian Martinez - Assistant Professor of Practice, Live & Screened Performance
• Alexis Montoya - Assistant to the Director

You can read more about each of the new hires and their backgrounds here: https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/tftv-welcomes-new-faculty-and-staff-members-in-fall-2026/

08/19/2026

Broadway in Tucson is bringing Alicia Keys' musical "Hell's Kitchen " to Centennial Hall, opening tonight and running through Aug. 23.

Sydney Townsend (BFA '25, Musical Theatre) understudies three roles on this national company tour.

“I just recently hit 100 performances between all three roles that I cover,” said Townsend, who said landing the opportunity on “Hell’s Kitchen” was “something I prayed for.”

And in Tucson "I'm performing on the same stage that I saw so many other tours come through and perform on,” she mused aloud. “I think it's just a testament to working really hard and honestly just the right place, right time. And I think it’s just kind of maybe a love letter to my younger self.”

Emily Orr, who began playing piano inspired by Alicia Keys' debut album, now serves as music director for the national tour of the musical “Hell's Kitchen,” bringing her experience performing

08/14/2026

We are excited to partner with ASL Impact to bring ASL interpreted performances to each of our theatre productions this season!

08/10/2026

We’re proud to share that University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television students have earned a record 13 nominations for the 2026 Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Student Production Awards, the highest number of nominations the school has received in a single year.

Best known for the Emmy® Awards, NATAS presents the Student Production Awards annually to recognize outstanding achievement in production and to shine a light on outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievements by undergraduate college students.

The nominees are:

THEY WAIT
Best Director — David J. Aberle
Best Writer — David J. Aberle
Best Fiction – Long Form — David J. Aberle, Director
Best Audio/Sound — Michael Staggers, Sound Designer

REBRANDING BOB
Best Director — Kaitlyn Liddicoat
Best Writer — Kaitlyn Liddicoat
Best Editor — David J. Aberle

BE STILL, BOONE
Best Director — Clinton Willis
Best Fiction – Long Form — Clinton Willis, Director
Best Talent – Performer — Logan Tyler Hall

A TALE MOST FOWL
Best Fiction – Short Form — Elias Rice Bensch, Director

THE EXCHANGE RATE
Best Cinematography — Sean Leeman

VEIN
Best Audio/Sound — Mia Trachy, Sound Designer

The awards ceremony will take place in Phoenix on September 19. Congratulations to the nominees, and to all cast and crew members for each of the films!

Read more about this year’s nominations: https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/tftv-students-earn-record-13-nominations-for-2026-natas-student-production-awards/

07/23/2026

University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television Professor and 2026 Guggenheim Fellow Elaine Romero has spent her career writing stories that explore the intersections of history, family and the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a recent interview for Arizona Public Media’s “Speaking Personally,” Elaine reflects on her creative process, the importance of approaching every play with a beginner’s mind, and how the Guggenheim Fellowship will help amplify the stories she still wants to write.

“I’ll use this fellowship at every moment to draw attention to the work,” she said. “I’m being given this privilege that I want to share with my community, my students, the University of Arizona, and my plays.”

Read more and listen to the full conversation now: https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/guggenheim-fellow-elaine-romero-on-the-stories-she-still-wants-to-write/

07/13/2026

Congratulations to Sean Leeman on his thesis film THE EXCHANGE RATE winning the Outstanding Achievement Award in Sound Editing at Indie Short Fest Los Angeles! Sean was also recognized with a nomination for Best Student Male Director at the festival, celebrating his creative vision and leadership behind the film.

The Sound Editing award recognizes the exceptional sound design collaboration between Sean and sound editor/mixer Eli Schmadel, whose work creates an immersive experience for audiences. “The world of The Exchange Rate is loud, frantic, and anxiety-inducing,” says Eli. “Sean and I challenged ourselves to make sure that every single sound you hear draws you even further into the headspace of these characters without becoming background noise.”

Proud to see the exceptional storytelling and technical artistry of our students receiving recognition on the festival circuit. Congratulations, Sean and Eli!

07/06/2026

FTV LA + Film Independent present "Forbidden Fruits" in L.A. The film, produced by TFTV alum Mason Novick, premiered at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.

Learn more and get tickets here: https://www.filmindependent.org/events/members-only-screening-forbidden-fruits/

Join the coven. 🍎🔮 ‘Forbidden Fruits' followed by an in-person Q&A with producer and alumnus, Mason Novick. In partnership with the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film, and Television.

Free Eden employee Apple secretly runs a witchy femme cult in the basement of the mall store after hours—with fellow fruits Cherry and Fig. But when new hire Pumpkin challenges their performative sisterhood, the women are forced to face their own poisons or succumb to a bloody fate.

A 2026 premiere!

🗓️ Wednesday, July 15
📍 Film Independent Theater
🎟️ Tickets: https://bit.ly/43Z2s0d

06/06/2026

Today at Cine Gear Expo at Universal Studios, TFTV staff Damon Mosier and Kerryn Negus and a few students and alumni had an encounter with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins.

One of the most influential visual storytellers in cinema history, Deakins generously stopped for a chat and a photo with the next generation of filmmakers. From The Shawshank Redemption and Fargo to Blade Runner 2049 and 1917, his work has inspired countless artists behind the camera.

A memorable moment, and an awesome opportunity for TFTV’s emerging filmmakers to meet one of the artists who helped define the craft.

06/04/2026

✨ 2026-2027 Season Announcement ✨

We’re excited to announce our 2026/27 theatre season, featuring the cult phenomenon ‘The Rocky Horror Show,’ original student-created works in the New Directions Festival, the acclaimed drama ‘Stop Kiss’ and the Tony Award-winning adaptation of’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’. The season showcases students in TFTV’s Theatre Studies and Live and Screened Performance programs, where emerging artists develop skills for careers across stage, screen, and new media.

“This season reflects the core of our mission: to center student creativity while engaging Southern Arizona audiences with work that is imaginative, challenging, and deeply empathetic,” said TFTV’s Associate Director Christie Kerr, who serves as the season’s Artistic Director.

Subscription packages are now on sale at the Arizona Arts Box Office, and by mail, phone, or online. More information on each of the productions can be found at theatre.arizona.edu. Mailers will begin arriving in mailboxes soon!

Individual tickets for all shows in the theatre season will be available from August 25.

TFTV extends special thanks to 2026–2027 performance season underwriter Gregory Knopf for his generous support of student artists and the School’s mission to cultivate the next generation of creative professionals.

We can’t wait to see you at the theatre!