Notable Achievements

Assistant Professor of Theatre Gabriel Peña, Scene Shop Supervisor Monroe Oxley, and Professor of Theatre Desiderio Roybal collaborated on Adam Gwan’s chamber musical, Ordinary Days, for Penfold Theatre. This intimate musical follows four individuals as they navigate the frantic energy of New York City. Audiences are invited to consider the beauty of the ordinary as the characters connect, fall apart, lose each other, and find themselves. Peña served as director, Oxley as technical director, and Roybal as scenic designer. SU theatre major Bethani Pedraza ’25 and theatre minor Yeva Tcharikova ’28 provided technical assistance. Penfold Theatre is a 501(c)(3) professional theatre company recently setting roots in Round Rock, TX after 15 years of producing theatre in the greater Austin area. The productions run February 7 – March 1 at their new permanent home in Round Rock. The trailer, tickets, and information about Penfold Theatre is available here.

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Gabriel M. Peña

Assistant Professor of Theatre

Expertise

Acting

Gabriel Peña is Assistant Professor of Theater with a specialty in teaching performance/acting. He received a B.A. in Theatre from Pomona College and his M.F.A. in Acting from Pennsylvania State University. 

His performance work has ranged from contemporary plays to Shakespeare, musicals to devised works, short films to commercials, and voice-over. His performance work and research has taken him many places including ACT in San Francisco, the Gaiety Theatre in Ireland, and the National Arts Festival in South Africa. 

Current areas of interest include the intersection of the somatic practice of Moshe Feldenkrais’ Awareness Through Movement with actor training, and exploring what new interdisciplinary possibilities might exist for the 21st century actor - perhaps… Scene Analysis & Philosophy or Border Studies & Character Development!

  • Biography

    Gabriel Peña is Assistant Professor of Theater with a specialty in teaching performance/acting. He received a B.A. in Theatre from Pomona College and his M.F.A. in Acting from Pennsylvania State University. 

    His performance work has ranged from contemporary plays to Shakespeare, musicals to devised works, short films to commercials, and voice-over. His performance work and research has taken him many places including ACT in San Francisco, the Gaiety Theatre in Ireland, and the National Arts Festival in South Africa. 

    Current areas of interest include the intersection of the somatic practice of Moshe Feldenkrais’ Awareness Through Movement with actor training, and exploring what new interdisciplinary possibilities might exist for the 21st century actor - perhaps… Scene Analysis & Philosophy or Border Studies & Character Development!

  • Presentations

    Workshop Presenter: “Sensing Possibilities: Feldenkrais Method and its Potential Applications for Performers”. The workshop explored how Awareness Through Movement lessons (from the Feldenkrais Method), often utilized as physical therapy, can be resourceful to actors. SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference), Spring 2023.

    Panelist: “Spotlight on New Works LIA (Latinx Indigenous and the Americas) and ATDS (American Theatre and Drama Society)”. Representing Author Marissa Chibás and her book Mythic Imagination. ATHE, a national theatre conference, Summer 2023.

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