Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 6PM
San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso
Free, no reservations required
The Way of Water: El Paso is a multi-year project of artistic residencies and community-based performances exploring water and the work of people who steward it in the Paso del Norte region, in partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Department of Theatre and Dance and Center for Environmental Resource Management. Directed by Artistic Director Allison Orr in collaboration with Melissa Melpignano, Head of Dance at UTEP, The Way of Water: El Paso will deepen understanding of local water issues, translating the science into understandable stories and using the magic of live performance as a catalyst for change.
Phase 1 of The Way of Water—El Paso will launch in March of 2025 with the premier of a community-based performance in El Paso’s San Jacinto Plaza on Thursday, March 20th from 6-8pm. This event will be part of World Water Week, which is organized by the UTEP World Water Cluster with various partners, and will feature frontline water stewards and El Paso community members sharing their skills and expertise through movement, song, and story-telling. This family-friendly event will celebrate El Paso’s unique water story while building momentum for future phases of this cross-sector creative project.
Goals for The Way of Water—El Paso include:
- Celebrating El Paso’s innovative water practices
- Increasing community pride for the work of stewarding water
- Improving understanding of El Paso’s water challenges
- Creating or deepening connections between El Paso area government entities, community leaders, UTEP students, and El Paso residents
- Creating more access to the arts for community participants and audience members
Partners for the The Way of Water—El Paso include: The University of Texas at El Paso (College of Liberal Arts—Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Health Sciences—Dept. of Social Work, College of Science, and College of Engineering), The City of El Paso—The Museum and Cultural Affairs Division, UTEP World Water Week, Mountain Movement, and Eco El Paso.
Funders for The Way of Water—El Paso include the Mid-America Arts Alliance through the Artistic Innovation grant and the Texas Commission on the Arts. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities to support the free, community event on March 20th, download this sponsorship deck, or email Rachael Garbowski, Associate Director of Development and Communications, at grants@forkliftdanceworks.org.
More about the University of Texas at El Paso Department of Theatre and Dance:
The Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at El Paso is a vibrant community of nearly 160 students and 25 faculty and staff, committed to artistic and academic excellence, access, and impact. Our mission is to be recognized as an exemplary department in an R1 university and in America’s leading Hispanic Serving Institution. We value scholarly and creative research that aligns with the standards of a top-tier university, actively involving students in the process of discovery and knowledge creation. We provide open access education through BA and BFA degrees across various concentrations in theatre and dance, while fostering interdisciplinarity and community engagement. The Department’s motto “What is Your Story?” mirrors our investment in the values of access, belonging, and care. Through research, creative endeavors, teaching, and mentorship, we guide and support students from all backgrounds in their journey towards success and social mobility. By utilizing theatre and dance as platforms for advocacy, we strive to promote social justice in the Paso del Norte region and beyond. As a hallmark of our Department, we engage students, faculty, and staff in artistic practice through an annual season featuring about 12 theater, dance, and musical theater productions in the Wise Family Theatre, the June Sadowski Kruszewski Studio Theatre, and the Dinner Theatre, along with traveling, site-specific, and student-led performances.
