The Wild Swans
by Turnip Ensemble Theater
Sep. 07
Auditions for a role in The Wild Swans with Turnip Ensemble Theater on Sep 07.Turnip Ensemble Theater, a San Antonio-based theater company, is thrilled to unveil its 2025 fall season, beginning with a free Community Devising Workshop on Sunday, September 7 at Bright Coffee (1705 Blanco Road), and culminating in early November 2025 at Say Sí Black Box Theatre Studio (1310 S. Brazos St.) with the company’s first-ever main stage production: The Wild Swans, a reimagining of the beloved Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.
“We are committed to long-term sustainability in the local arts ecosystem, and we aim to create a cultural movement where artists can train, collaborate, and produce work without leaving San Antonio,” said Ruthie Buescher, founder of Turnip Theater. “We are storytellers who combine ancient and contemporary techniques and narratives. We are rooted in our community. Everything we do has an element of whimsy and an eye to magic. We create spaces that nurture, challenge, and delight our audiences.”
On September 7, Turnip Ensemble Theater will host a hands-on free Community Devising Workshop from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Bright Coffee. Admission is free. Participants will be introduced to the themes and creative methods behind The Wild Swans, explore the art of devised theater, and create a short performance of their own. No theater experience is necessary, just curiosity and a willingness to collaborate. To register for this free event, simply RSVP via online link.
From November 6-9, 2025 Turnip Ensemble will present the first public staging of The Wild Swans, adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen tale at Say Sí Black Box Theatre Studio. This developmental production, performed by the ensemble with a full design team, marks the first step toward a large-scale premiere planned for fall 2026.
“A story about good versus evil, love and sacrifice, sibling relationships, magic, toads, nettles, ghosts and of course, wild swans,” says ensemble member and co-director Alex Grubbs. “That’s all we can say for now because we are still in the middle of our devising journey. But we’re working with what Eliza, the heroine, calls ‘bare feet and a burning heart’, the courage to be vulnerable, the curiosity to explore the unknown, and the fire of inspiration to guide us forward.”
A true piece of devised theater, The Wild Swans is being conceived, written, and staged collaboratively. “What we make together is deeper, stronger, and more impactful than what we can make alone,” added Grubbs. “We are something together that we could never be alone.”
ABOUT TURNIP ENSEMBLE THEATER
Turnip Ensemble Theater, a nonprofit theater company, is dedicated to fostering physical and devised theater in San Antonio and South Texas by providing access to a diverse methodology and educational opportunities for performers, theater makers, and non-actors. As an ensemble-based company, Turnip thrives on creating excellent and immediate ensemble-based theater productions through a deep collaboration among its artists, emphasizing community engagement, accessibility, and innovative storytelling.
The seeds of Turnip Ensemble Theater were planted in 2022 with its inaugural production, We Sail On In Darkness, led by Turnip founder Ruthie Buescher. It was an experimental piece exploring the stories of female mystics across time. Featuring a diverse and intergenerational cast and crew, the production drew over 600 audience members and nearly sold out its run, underscoring the community’s hunger for original, non-traditional theater.
Since then, Turnip has presented new productions and training workshops, including a sold-out Devised Theater Workshop in 2024 and identified a pressing need for accessible, high-quality training opportunities for local artists, educators, and performers, especially those working in contemporary and experimental forms.
Turnip is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Donations can be made athttps://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/turnip-ensemble-theater.
For more information, please visit: https://www.turniptheater.com.
