Supporting local non-profits

Perhaps the most important component of DA!'s Manifesto is our commitment to community outreach. For our third season, we will continue to approach this commitment in three major ways.

1. DA! supports local non-profit organizations by partnering with them to increase community involvement and awareness in local issues.

In 2008, DA! partnered with HBMG Foundation by producing a benefit performance of Heron and Crane outdoors at First Night Austin on December 31st.

In 2009, DA! partnered with GRRL Action by presenting a packed benefit performance of Leave it to Beverly on November 15th.



GRRL Action is a year-round mentorship program designed to empower girls between the ages of 13 and 16 to find their public voices while building confidence, interacting with girls from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and creating community. Girls develop long-term artistic projects in the genre of their choosing, inspired by their individual interests and passions with the help of professional women artists who provide one-on-one attention and guidance.

DA! extended this offer to GRRL Action because of our shared desire to address women's issues in our community. Leave it to Beverly explores these issues by subverting the classic sit-com genre through three interconnected acts. The show confronted consumerism, turned gender roles upside-down, and celebrated the elusive mystery of Tupperware, Astroturf, and Mr. Clean, all while providing a venue for archetypal TV females to alter their artificial universe in hilarious and unexpected ways.

In February 2010, DA! partnered with local non-profits Hyde Park Theatre and Scriptworks to curate Mi Casa es Su Teatro. (You can read all about the details of this amazing event at DA!'s Archive Page!)

On Sunday, September 19th, 2010, four of DA!'s founding members were thrilled by the chance to volunteer at an incredible community event benefiting one of our favorite non-profits, CASA of Travis County, for their annual Super Hero 5K Run in North Austin! Jude, Robin, Heather, and Kirk had a super-awesome time heading up an activity booth that created brand-new custom-made Super-Hero Names for participants, like "The Fastenator" and "Blue Rumble"... Great costumes, great camaraderie, and ALL in the name of a REALLY GREAT cause!

2. DA!'s provides unique opportunities to young apprentices through our Intern Program

In 2008, DA! launched its high school internship program, created to provide supplemental learning and performance opportunities for young adults. Our first intern was the lovely Wallis Currie-Wood, who was invited in her junior year to participate. In her two years with DA!, Wallis worked on three main stage productions: she played violin in Relative Space, assisted with the creation of the score of Heron & Crane, and performed in Direct Object in 2009. In 2010, DA! invited Wallis to travel to NYC with Heron & Crane to play with the band. Wallis is currently attending Juilliard as a first-year student in the BFA Acting program.

In 2009, DA! expanded the intern program and invited high school seniors Liberty Carlin, Crystal Belle Cobb, and Caroline Nalle to participate. Liberty worked as a graphic designer and photographer for the 2009-10 Season; she created the marketing materials for Mi Casa and worked as an assistant photographer on the Beverly photo shoot. Crystal graced the Collective with her sparkling presence and incredible dedication by working on the nightly run crew of Beverly and assisting Lisa with choreography. Crystal is also DA!'s Girl Friday, the first to volunteer to spend hours assisting at Mi Casa and the The Great Migration (DA!'s NYC Fundraiser). Caroline united her interests in art and history by creating a dramaturgical binder (and some delightful curtains and stool covers) for Beverly, as well as serving as hair & make-up designer. She also worked as Assistant Costume Designer for DA!'s FringeNYC production of Heron & Crane. Liberty now attends the Pratt Institute of Design in NYC, while Crystal and Caroline are both pursuing degrees at UT-Austin!

3. DA! strives to raise the level of arts education in our community. One way we achieve this is by donating performances of Heron and Crane to economically less advantaged schools.

DA! has donated productions of Heron and Crane to a number of different Central Texas school districts, including:

Northwest Elementary School, Pflugerville ISD
Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Austin ISD
Florence Elementary, Florence ISD
Oak Springs Elementary School, Austin ISD
Presidential Meadows, Manor ISD

DA! has also donated several performances of Heron & Crane (along with interrelated arts workshops) to Churches, YMCAs, Universities, and Museums, including The Children's Museum of Manhattan (during our run of the show in New York City in the summer of 2010).

4. DA! also provides need-based full and partial scholarships to our workshops and class series.

Scholarships are given to qualifying students who demonstrate a commitment to the work. Inquire with Artistic Director, Heather Huggins, for more information.