While watching the 1984 interstellar film “Dune,” Benjamin Cervantes caught a glimmer of a potential setting for his readaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” — outer space.

Cervantes, a theater and dance senior, wrote the adaptation “Hamlet in Space” and saw it come to life through Take the Wheel Productions, a student-run organization at UT which brings students’ creative projects to life, giving participants the opportunity to try a variety of roles from behind-the-scenes art management to acting. Originally founded in 2019, Take the Wheel took a hiatus because of COVID-19 but returned in 2022. 

“I’m sad I’m graduating,” Cervantes said. “(Take the Wheel) is a great little practice area, a very safe space to do new theater.”

When he was first admitted to UT as an undergraduate studies student, Cervantes said he wanted to get involved in theater as soon as possible. 

Read more here

UT student filmmakers weigh the risks of continuing productions during pandemic

Student film ‘And They Were Loved’ documents journey of 3 LGBTQ men of color

“I still (wanted) to act, but (I thought), ‘Maybe I don’t want to only be bound by other people’s stories or other people’s words,’” Cervantes said. “I got a book about playwriting. I read it, and then I wrote like a monster all throughout my freshman year. … I haven’t stopped.”

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Cervantes spent the summer of 2021 writing “Hamlet in Space.” Witnessing other theater-related organizations at UT fall through the cracks, Cervantes said he hoped Take the Wheel would be able to return. After submitting the script to Take the Wheel, the organization brought the script to an audience with a staged reading in March 2022. 

“It’s fun to make stuff with your peers and your friends,” Cervantes said. “I got to know the officers better. I got to know all the actors, … (and) I grew closer to all my collaborators. That was a really rewarding experience.”

Chantell Gonzalez, a theater and dance sophomore and Take the Wheel’s social media manager, said the student-run production company gives opportunities to students in an otherwise competitive environment. 

“Take the Wheel is really unique in that there are a lot of opportunities that are given here that are not really available for a lot of the students because the (UT) theater program is very competitive,” Gonzalez said. 

Mariah Mendoza, a theater education junior and co-administrative officer for Take the Wheel, said she joined the organization after learning that everything they produced and performed was written by and for students.

“(A graduated officer) was telling me how (all the productions were) written by the students for the students (and) produced by the students,” Mendoza said. “It really encouraged me to get involved.” 

Take the Wheel now looks to select its full production for 2023. Gonzalez said last year’s full production of “Uncommon Objects” garnered more audiences than previous productions. 

“The thing that brought us the most attention was last year — our full production that we put on,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of people were really excited that it was student-produced and excited that there was just so much commotion in a good way.” 

Gonzalez said Take the Wheel aims to continue offering students the best opportunities while providing a collaborative and supportive community. 

“We are so excited that people are excited for projects that Take the Wheel has,” Gonzalez said. 

“One of the great things about us is that we’re able to just give those opportunities back.”