Yuge Ma

My three-month experience of working with Austin Shakespeare was an adventure, a journey of research, and a spontaneous exploration of creativity and growth. For me, personally, I could feel how my engagement with theatre materials grew stronger and concretized more with each rehearsal day. I was able to become more skilled in the craft of theatre-making and, more importantly, also to derive joy from it.

During this short period of time, I had the advantage to closely observe and engage with the creative processes in making three shows with Austin Shakespeare: Master Harold and the boys…, The Real Thing, and Shakespeare’s Sonnets. One staged reading, one full stage play, and one theatrical event. Each theatre-making process had been generative, inspiring, passionate, and imaginative. Each show had been so charged with imagery and overflowing with nuances and aesthetically striking sentiments. I was able to witness and participate in-person how the creative teams have made textual characters into prismatic human beings on stage and invited the audience to have a deeper glimpse into a world full of change, conflicts, pain, but also beauty and genuineness. In this process, I’ve benefited tremendously from everyone’s insights, creativity, and artistry. Just shortly before my internship ended, I also had the opportunity to be part in the audition process for The Comedy of Errors with young actors in Austin, an experience which had illuminated a new area for me (young actors theatre) and, together with all the other experiences, had substantially added to the breadth and depth of my experience with professional theatre-making.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has given me great support and trust during this brief time I worked with Austin Shakespeare. For each show I’ve worked together with these amazing artists, they always breed a sense of generosity by greeting the theatre-making process as a whole and inviting trust and resilience into their collaborative processes. Especially Ann—you have been nothing but thoughtful and supportive to me. I would always remember you telling me that, “we are going to make mistakes and that’s okay.”

I was grateful for having the opportunity to join Austin Shakespeare. I’ve appreciated all those unique, beautiful, and magical spaces Austin Shakespeare has built, and I’m truly excited to see whatever Austin Shakespeare will bring to the Austin community over the coming years.

I hope we can keep in touch!!

My best,

yuge

YUGE MA was Austin Shakespeare: Assistant Stage Manager Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing.” Yuge has worked as an associate producer and copywriter for commercials by brands including Lufax Holding Ltd, Huggies, MIDEA, CHANDO, Mengniu Dairy, and others. Yuge is currently pursuing an MFA degree in Theatre with a specialization in “performance as public practice” at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a bachelor’s degree in both Philosophy and Dramatic Literature from New York University.