Next Chapter: The New Stewards of Fort Worth’s Amphibian Stage to Continue Commitment to New and Underrepresented Works

Brett Grega·
Dallas/Ft WorthTheater
·

Jay Duffer and Elizabeth Kensek have long traveled in similar circles. The two worked together at a theater in Wisconsin, never on the same show but frequently crossing over as one production ended and another began. They even lived in New York at the same time and went on a double date with their spouses.

When Kensek moved back to DFW in 2019 to become WaterTower Theatre’s Associate Producer, she made Fort Worth’s Amphibian Stage her first stop as a theatergoer. Little did she know Duffer had moved back as well and worked at Amphibian no less. “Our jaws dropped,” Duffer recalls.

Now, it just seems appropriate that the two finally find themselves working together as they help steer Amphibian Stage into the future.

After founding artistic director Kathleen Culebro stepped down from her position, she passed the role to Duffer, who had been working as the managing director and co-artistic director. “I’ve gone through all the feels,” Duffer says about his new responsibilities, explaining the “seesaw” of emotions he’s experienced working throughout the past year to prepare for the role.

Following her departure from WaterTower, Kensek will take over as Amphibian’s managing director. “(Amphibian) just aligns with everything I love about theater,” Kensek says.

As Amphibian embarks upon its 25th year, the two are determined to continue its long-running history of promoting new and underrepresented works within the broader DFW theater community. Although Duffer says he’s “being a little protective of myself in my first year” in planning the 2025 season, Amphibian Stage is nonetheless debuting a new work and bringing several unique plays to Fort Worth in addition to its annual SparkFest event.

It all begins with Rooted by Deborah Zoe Laufer, an offbeat comedy running Jan. 29-Feb. 16. Directed by New York-based guest artist Scott Evans, the show follows Emery, a gardener whose treehouse-based experiments on plants attract an unexpected cult following of fans that her older sister hopes to cash in on. Both Duffer and Kensek highlight the show’s humor and ability to spotlight the talents of experienced actresses as main drawing points of the production. “It’s so much fun, but it also really cleverly deals with deeper topics and issues in an entertaining way,” Kensek says.

Following Rooted is the regional premiere of RIFT, or White Lies by Gabriel Jason Dean, running April 16-May 11. Duffer explains that Amphibian Stage is part of the National New Plays Network’s rolling premiere of the debuting show, with the first production taking place last year at New Jersey’s Luna Stage. Inspired by Dean’s own experiences, the show follows a progressive writer who reaches out to his brother, a convicted murderer and member of an alt-right gang, in order to attempt to reconnect despite their deeply held differences. “The script is incredibly intense and personal, and every time I read it I have a strong, visceral response to it,” Duffer says, calling it a “no-brainer” for Amphibian Stage to become part of the premiere.

Directed by Lily Wolff, the current plan for the show will involve the two lead actors switching which brother they play during the production’s run. The details of how frequently they switch roles are still in the works, but Duffer and Kensek expressed excitement at tackling the challenging twist.

Next is Amphibian Stage’s popular SparkFest, a two-week festival from June 13-22 that celebrates and provides opportunities for underrepresented artists while spotlighting new works. This year’s SparkFest looks to elevate the voices of Native North American and Hawaiian artists through programming like an acting competition, workshops and more. Kensek says she hopes SparkFest spotlights these cultures “in a thoughtful manner” while bringing awareness to new artists and playwrights that deserve a national audience.

Later in the summer, Amphibian will present The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh from July 30 through August 17. Despite debuting only two years ago, The Heart Sellers  already became one of the 10 most produced shows in 2024,  according to Theatre Communications Group, yet it has little to no exposure to North Texas audiences.

Directed by Shyama Nithiananda, the comedy is about two women, Jane and Luna, who recently immigrated to the U.S. from Asia and celebrated Thanksgiving together back in 1973. “It’s a wonderful play, and highlights two Asian American actresses in such incredibly smart and sincere ways,” Duffer says.

The final show of the season will see Duffer take the director’s chair himself for The Birds by Conor McPherson, an adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novella that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic. The show appropriately runs Oct.15 – Nov. 9. Duffer directed a past production of The Birds, calling it a “lovely piece of work” that’s “really unsettling.” “I find it a fascinating play about what humans are capable of under duress and such inexplicable, horrific circumstances,” Duffer says, explaining that the script hems much closer to the original novella than Hitchcock’s film.

Duffer and Kensek hope that the 2025 season helps continue Amphibian Stage’s mission of shining a light on new works and inspiring audiences to branch out and try something different. “You walk into that lobby, you feel the excitement of getting to see something that you’ve never seen before,” Kensek says. “As the newest stewards of this organization, I want long-term patrons and new patrons to see our passion for that mission and to become fans of it.”

—BRETT GREGA

Brett Grega

Brett Grega is a freelance journalist based in DFW and the editor-in-chief of the Collin-Denton Spotlighter.