J. Mejia, R. Trujillo, and C. Saldivar in “Rearview”

Our latest production, “Causa Mortis” has wrapped for the run. With a short run of only two shows, the production featured brand new writers (Kim Hardin, Lesley Guerra, and Andrea Morin) and long-time playwrights Beth Marie Cantu, Katherine Orozco, and Julio Martinez.

In addition to new writers, we utilized several new actors: Joshua Osho and Elia Andrade, just to name a few.

Full production details can be found on the show page.

We just added a new tab to our website! The “Playwright’s Connection” page is a resource page for our in-house playwrights and collaborators. So, if you loved a play we produced recently, this resource might help you find the playwright in the event that you want to know more about it or even produce it yourself!

To link is brand new, so keep checking for constant updates!

Guerra with Trujillo in “From Inside”, their first production with ZU.

How long have you been involved with Zero Untitled and what was your first production?

I started Zero Untitled in the fall semester of 2014. I have currently been in ZU for about six months.

What is your best memory of any ZU production?

I would say my best memory of ZU would be the auditions for the One Acts during the fall semester. I sat there alone quietly, not saying anything or volunteering for any auditions. I remember mostly looking at the people and seeing how honestly weird they were. However, I would have never predicted how accepting ZU and its crew are of people.  I would have never assumed how close I would become to these people. Although, my favorite “production” memory would have to be [playing] the White Rabbit for the Dark Tour [in] “The Wonderland Massacre” written by the wonderful Katherine Orozco.

Trujillo as the White Rabbit.

What project or projects are you currently working on with the company?

I am currently working on rehearsing for an Improv group known as Premature Punchline. I am also currently working on a couple of productions for our next event Causa Mortis.

What kind of future project would you like to dabble in?

I would love to do miming and also do a short film of some sort. I would love to also perform in what is known as a Happening.

If you can play any role in any show for ZU, what would it be?

I would love to play some sort of creepy psychotic part. People in ZU see me as such a nice, lovable person, but I want to play a human role that would creep them out in a cringe-worthy type of way. I would also like to be given a chance at a romantic role. Finally, I would also like to be given the opportunity to direct some production for experience.

How do you prepare for a role once you are cast?

My main and most entertaining method for me to prepare for a role is to go out late at night and rehearse my lines out loud in a secluded place.

Trujillo being punished by audience members in “Penalty Hat” in a recent Premature Punchline performance.

What do you expect from the audiences of ZU shows?

Well first I expect them to show up. Although, what I truly expect from the audiences is for them to let us entertain with our creative, original ideas for plays, immersive theatre, poems, and events. I hope that they realize that not all theatrical productions have to be comedic or “happy” to be entertaining. Also, for them to like us on Facebook!

Trujillo (center) after being penalized in the Christmas Textual Overture.

There are a lot of new people in the productions.  What would you tell people that are new to ZU?

Do not be afraid to be yourself. ZU is filled with weird people that have a variety of personalities and interests. I am positive you will find someone to talk to since we are such a diverse group.

Any final statements?

Zero Untitled is the best college-based decision I have made so far. I am truly honored to be a member and I cannot wait to produce my own ideas for ZU. My advice to anyone that is reading this is to give us a try. We may be different when it comes to entertainment, but we entertain to please in our own original ways. And I promise you will make many friends here in this giant family. BE YOU WITH ZU!!

Here are a few pics taken by performers and by the audience at yesterday’s Premature Punchline performance at GatoCon 2015!

More photos will be taken at this afternoon’s performance.

Photographer and makeup artist Beth Marie Cantu putting makeup on Katherine Orozco during the first photo shoot.

Here are just a few behind-the-scenes shots of our two “Causa Mortis” photo shoots.

Slightly blurred photo of model Katherine Orozco readying herself for a photo.

Congratulations to the following playwrights!  The following plays have made it through the first round of acceptance for the “Causa Mortis” production.

• “W-I-S-H” by Beth Marie Cantu
• “Those Present at the Time of My Death” by Kim Hardin
• “Oxidized Coal” by Katherine Orozco
• “Did I Miss Something Big?” by Emanuel Ibanez
• “The Burning of Mary” by Julio Martinez
• “A Girl and Her Monster” by Andrea Martinez
• “Causa Mortis” by Lesley Guerra
• “Rear View” by Katherine Orozco
• “I’ll See You At Heaven’s Gate”by Julio Martinez

However, one or two scripts may be cut, pending tonight’s auditions and availability of actors. Final Official Selections will be made in the next few days.

Thanks to all who submitted as our decision was difficult to make.  Our Call for Submissions was very specific, so if your play was not selected, consider submitting another work for other theatrical avenues.

(image courtesy of Alpha Coders)

Next up on the ZU calendar is the audition for “Causa Mortis” – a project created by Katherine Orozco.  A showcase of monologues, the short plays will be performed by the speaker and the events will be acted out by a chorus in the background.

Essentially, character narrate the events leading up to their unfortunate demise.  Development of these works will possibly lead to short film productions of select pieces.

Directing the project will be Textual Overture director Julio Martinez (“There’s a Hotel at the End,” “A Little Tied Up,” etc) and Michael Verderber (“Message,” “Stranger in a Stranger Land,” etc).

Auditions will be on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 in Sam Fore Hall on the campus of Texas A&M University – Kingsville.

Our first production of 2015 has officially snuck out. Watch our third poetry video for Octavio Quintanilla’s poem “Message” on YouTube. The video dabbles with blurring techniques that underscore the blurring of reality and memory.  It might take a few views to “get” it. So please enjoy!

Watch here:

or Here on some players:

[jwplayer mediaid=”3189″]

Zero Untitled’s 2014 was full of firsts and visits from the recent past. From travelling to St. Louis to performing at the largest Shakespeare festival in the country to reopening the Wonderland Ward, Zero Untitled had a busy year:

January to February – The beginning of the year was the season of Premature Punchline, with performances ranging from Kingsville to Corpus Christi. February brought the annual gaming and otaku convention GATO-Con, where Premature Punchline fills the house. February also introduced the first Textual Overture of 2014, including Zero Untitled’s first ever jazz musician.

March to April – Premature Punchline was still going strong in March, performing multiple times at the comedy club Chuckles in downtown Corpus Christi. Zero Untitled’s fifth Dark Tour, “The Factory,” sent sickeningly sweet shivers down the spines of many while certain members of Zero were preparing feverishly for the performance of “The Rape of Lucrece” in April at Shake38, the largest Shakespeare festival in the United States. But before the crew could race off to Missouri, Textual Overture had one more performance.

May to June – May was the month of the Happenings, where Creative Director Michael Verderber introduced a class to teach the members of Zero Untitled exactly what a Happening was and how to perform one. After planning the rest of the 2014 year, Zero Untitled embarked on the journey of the Happening, beginning first with an online show where the virtual audience called the shots, called “Mindless Men,” and wrapping up June with another Textual Overture performance.

July to August – July was the season of Corpus Christi 7-Day Film Project, and “Catchweight” was born, production lasting into the middle of the month while “Dual Sex,” another Happening about rape culture, was performed twice. August brought two Los Angeles premieres of Zero Untitled shows, “From Inside,” and “GPS: Gender’s Problematic Situation.” Zero also went behind the camera for poetry videos, where “Café Triste,”  and “Mal de Ojo” were born. At the tail end of the month, “’Twas the Flop Before Christmas” (staged a few years ago) was published.

September to October – September brought a short film festival, where short films such as “Mal de Ojo,” “Café Triste,” and “Catchweight” premiered. In October, Zero Untitled produced its New Foundations Theatre Festival, a collection of one act plays that centered almost exclusively around new actors to the company. “Consequences,” previously performed at Textual Overture, was published online on Dialogual’s website, and another Textual Overture was performed.

November to December – November brought back that which was only temporarily gone: Wonderland Ward. First, “The Secrets of Wonderland Ward” reminded audiences exactly what the previous Wonderland shows brought: madness and bedlam, and the whole Dark Tour, “The Wonderland Massacre” premiered only shortly after that. December introduced a first for Textual Overture: the first holiday-themed performance. “Unconditional” and “Ghosts,” two previous Textual Overture pieces, were published and Zero wrapped the year with Octavio Quintanilla’s third poetry video, “Messages” going into production. See that video below in the previous post.

(Photos: TOP, ZU Christmas Party; MID, “The Mindless Men” performance in Corpus Christi; Bottom, back stage antics during the New Foundations Festival)