Liz Fisher

Liz Fisher is an interdisciplinary theatermaker and educator based in Central Texas.

Her directing work explores applications of mixed realities, immersive theatre strategies, and game mechanics in new play development and reimaginings of classic texts for companies and academic institutions like Fusebox Festival, Pittsburgh Public, The Tank [NYC], Zach Theatre, Penfold Theatre, Street Corner Arts, Shrewd Productions, Austin Shakespeare, National Women’s Theatre Festival, Whirligig Productions, University of Texas at Austin, James Madison University, Mary Baldwin University, St. Edward’s University, Southwestern University, University of Arkansas, and others.

She has been invited to residencies across the country to develop new plays that focus on transmedia storytelling, including The Orchard Project and the National Winter Playwrights Retreat. Her digital theater work has been streamed on the Emmys OTT platform and a winner of the Broadway On Demand’s Stage/Screen Festival. She designs and implements performance platforms as a technology consultant and creative director for organizations like Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies. Liz is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award in Theatre, the Kennedy Center’s Stage Directors and Choreographer’s National Directing Award, and a fellowship to the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. She is an award winning actress, starring in films that have premiered at the Venice Film Festival and SXSW.

Liz was a featured speaker at SXSW Interactive and other conferences and organizations on her work in building audience engagement via integrations of network technology and live performance. She has published articles on creating interactive productions for publishers that include Routledge.

In addition to her artistic work, Liz is also a producer and arts manager who has run arts incubators produced interdisciplinary new work festivals. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of the Incarnate Word and Associate Artistic Director of Penfold Theatre. SDC Associate Member. MFA: Texas State University.

• Master of Fine Arts, 2019, Directing, Texas State University
• Bachelor of Arts, 2003, English, University of Texas at Austin
• Bachelor of Arts, 2003, Psychology, University of Texas at Austin

• 2022 - Current ASSISTANT PROFESSOR - Department of Theatre Arts, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX
• 2008 - 2022 ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/ PROGRAM COORDINATOR - Shakespeare at Winedale, University of Texas at Austin
• 2021 - 2022 VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
• 2021 - 2022 VISITING ARTIST - Actor. University of Texas at Austin, Department of Theatre and Dance, Austin, TX
• 2021 GUEST INSTRUCTOR - Mary Baldwin University Shakespeare and Performance MLitt/ MFA Program, Staunton, VA
• 2019 - 2020 VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director and Lecturer. University of Texas at Austin, Department of Theatre and Dance, Austin, TX
• 2019 VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director. St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX
• 2019 MARY MCDERMOTT VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director. Mary Baldwin University Shakespeare and Performance MLitt/ MFA Program, Staunton, VA
• 2019 VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
• 2013 VISITING ARTIST - Guest Director. Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

• Fisher, Liz. “Designing An Interactive Production: A Practical Walkthrough.” Experiential Theatres: Praxis-Based Approaches to Training 21st Century Theatre Artists. Routledge, 2022.
• Fisher, Liz, et al. “A Conversation About Deus Ex Machina.” Didaskalia. vol. 13, 2016, www.didaskalia.net/issues/13/6/
• 2021 “Mixed Realities: Directing Transmedia Productions” as part of Austin Directs - Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Conference, Online
• 2021 "The Frankenstein Principle: Assessing the Impact of Audience Agency on the Gamification of Political and Theatrical Narratives” - SETC Theatre Symposium “Theatre and Politics”, Online
• 2016 "Tech and Theater: Audience Agency in Layered Reality” - Featured Panel on the Future of Theater SXSW Interactive, Austin, TX
• 2015 "With the Digital Lights On: Livestreaming and Online Interactivity In Performance and Education” - Blackfriars Conference, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA

SDC Associate Member

• Princess Grace Award in Theater, Princess Grace Foundation USA, New York City
• The Kennedy Center’s Stage Directors and Choreographer’s National Directing Award, Washington D.C.

• Fundamentals of Directing
• Advanced Directing
• Intermediate Acting
• Acting in Verse
• Stage Movement
• Play Analysis