Professor takes the stage in new Austin theater scene

By Sydney Seidel

Blog Content Contributor

Texas State Department of Theatre and Dance faculty member Nadine Mozon will be performing in The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body which premiers in Austin this month. The event will be held at The VORTEX in conjunction with Fusebox Festival.

In addition to being an associate professor, Mozon is also known for her roles in Two Weeks Notice (2002), Shaft (2000) and Marci X (2003). She has also appeared in several well-known TV shows including Friday Night Lights, Law & Order: Trial by Jury and The Leftovers.

 Mozon’s next role will be Dr. Beatrice Free in The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body written by Lisa B. Thompson. The show opens 25 years after the debut of her satirical comedy Single Black Female and is dedicated to Thompson’s mentor and friend, theater director Shirley Jo Finney.

According to The VORTEX official website, the upcoming performance will be a “spiritual mixed tape, praise dance, community guide, self-help book, lullaby, road map, collective diary of prayers and lies, and love song for Black women and girls.”

Moreover, the show will also focus specifically on middle-aged and older Black women who are often one of the most invisible and neglected groups, especially in some of the areas that the show covers like health disparities. Despite this, however, many younger students from Texas State are inspired by the upcoming performance as well as Mozon’s role in it.

“Yeah, I think it does sound really cool, and it’s definitely something I’m going to need to check out,” said senior Hunter McCoy after learning about The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body. “And Professor Nadine Mozon being in it I think will really put the theater department here on the map.”

Additionally, the show will celebrate Black feminist pioneers and icons whose contributions transformed the world in subjects like art, music, politics and academia. Toward the end of the event, audience members will have the chance to join in on the conversation by contributing their own personal stories or thoughts. There will even be an opportunity for the audience to have a dance party announced by members of the program.

Freshman Julian Bermea says that he is excited about the performance because of the take it will presumably have on the racial disparity that many black Americans face on a daily basis. “I am curious to see if some of the themes from the Black Lives Matter movement will be put into question,” said Bermea. “Hopefully it will open up a lot of eyes in the audience.”

The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body will debut on April 12 and will close on May 4. To buy tickets, visit VortexRep.org.

In the spirit of sustainability and accessibility, Radical Rush tickets will be handed out one hour before the show each night. These tickets will allow entrance to the show for free. Winners will need to be in person to receive tickets.