The Duplicates

The Duplicates, an Austin based theater ensemble, was formed in 2009 by co-creators Rowan Doyle, Darwin Gilmore, Tom Horan, Courtney Sale and Cheng Wei Teng. Since that time, The Duplicates have created a body of work that has earned a loyal following and made it one of Austin’s most exciting and experimental emerging companies.

The Duplicates create theater using an enormous array of subject matter and theatrical styles. The works combine elements of hi-tech and lo-tech design, folk music, shadow puppetry, baffoon and clown styles, existing and new text, performing objects and illusion. Defying definition and creating from a true sense of collaboration, the group describes its process and product as the ultimate expression of democracy where the majority rules and tyranny retreats. And judging by their work, The Duplicates majority have a penchant for work that is both irreverent and sacred. Their productions include: a site-specific spectacle about the Dionne Quintuplets entitled The Fictional Life of Historical Oddities, a playful memorial entitled september play, a looping ghost story entitled Static, and a drive in theater about Elvis’ car entitled Elvis Machine.

The Duplicates have been featured in American Theatre Magazine, Dramatists Magazine, Austin Chronicle, The Daily Texan and UT Know. Our work has been funded by Austin Scriptworks, USA Artists, UT’s School of Graduate Studies, The University Co-op and UT Department of Theatre and Dance.