Slumber Party (Portland, OR): Slumber Party (2023)

Theatre/Ritual

Photo of a ghost and sleeping bags

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

This 20 minute piece deepens from our past explorations of slumber parties as sites of play, risk, and resistance, to explore death—the death of individual human beings and the mass death of climate collapse. The slumber parties of our youth were opportunities to encounter the mystery of oncoming adolescence and changes in our bodies/minds, and practice empowered responses through prank calls, seances, dress up, emotional catharsis, and feats of strength (staying up all night, playing “light as a feather, stiff as a board”). Now, we are asking how these rituals can create supportive connections as we (in middle-age) are caretaking loved ones approaching the end of life, raising children amidst climate chaos, and confronting our own enmeshment in modernity.

BIO

Slumber Party is an ongoing, long-term project of Lucille Dawson, Liz Hayden, Erin Leddy, Jen Mitas, and Maesie Speer, initiated in 2018. Slumber Party began as a group of women taking the night to interrogate our relationship to patriarchy, white supremacy, and the often exploitative and coercive culture of theatre in the US. Slumber Party has become an exploration of ritual and the creative expression of friendship, care, and intention, shared with others. As artists and producers, we have collaborated on over 25 original performances and events since 2006.

CREDIT

Performer/Creators
Lucille Dawson
Liz Hayden
Erin Leddy
Jen Mitas
Maesie Speer

Costume & Scenic Design
The ensemble

Music
Erin Leddy

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Shannon Stewart | Screaming Traps (Detroit, MI): river, river, river
Movement / Theatre / Dance / Performance art

Photo by Ian Douglas

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

River, River, River addresses bodily, personal, historical, and ecological content, including her
parent’s migration across the United States to clean up nuclear waste and the circuitous way
this weaves into her experience of being a dancer.

BIO
Shannon Stewart was born in the South and came of age as an artist in the Pacific Northwest. A
2023 USA Artist nominee, she/they make work for stage, screen, and galleries that has been
presented throughout the US and Europe, including Tulane University and DOCK 11 Berlin, and
was slated to appear in 2020 at the Kennedy Center.

CREDITS

Writer/Performer: Shannon Stewart
Dramaturg: Iris McCloughan
Movement and Outside Eye: Jody Kuehner
Editor: Amy Lawless

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Marisa Plasencia & Maribel Plasencia (Portland, OR): A Monster and a Metapuzzle
Movement / Theatre / Dance / Performance art

via https://www.marisa-maribel-plasencia.com/a-monster-and-a-metapuzzle-1

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

In A Monster and a Metapuzzle a character named Elle dreams of seeing a primrose. Will Elle’s
dreams, threatened by an ominous force, come true?

BIO
Marisa Plasencia is currently a Visiting Professor in Dance at Reed College where she teaches
classes in contemporary dance and Dance History. She holds a PhD from the Department of
Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her research examines
discreet forms of protest at the intersection of postmodern dance, visual art, and black social
dance traditions.

Maribel Plasencia is currently based in Houston, Texas, where she teaches dance and leads a
creativity-based book club at Lydia Hance’s Frame Dance studio. Maribel earned a PhD in
clinical psychology from Rutgers University. During her time in the Northeast, Maribel was able
to present two choreographic works at Flux Factory in Queens, NY. Maribel plays drums, and
continually seeks to incorporate these elements into her dancetheatre-making practices.
Marisa and Maribel are currently working on a series of dance pieces that move across artistic
disciplines and explore the complex boundaries between twin bodies. Their work has been
shown in California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas.

CREDITS

Choreographers: Marisa Plasencia & Maribel Plasencia

Performers: Marisa Plasencia & Maribel Plasencia

Musicians: Maribel Plasencia & James Lavery

Composers: Maribel Plasencia & James Lavery

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Claire Rigsby (Portland, OR): POP!
Contemporary Jazz/Modern/Hip Hop

Physical Theater / Clown / Art Installation / Interactive

Photo of Claire Rigsby performing POP!

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

A plexiglass box, a bunch of balloons, a mysterious creature….and you. POP!
explores trust, how we wall ourselves off, how we expand and contract, and how close we all
are to…bursting.

BIO

Claire Rigsby is a performer, mover, maker & shaker originally from Atlanta, GA. She is a graduate of Emory University and the Institute for Contemporary Performance with additional training with the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, Dr. Sarah Maines, Jacob Jonas The Company, and more. Creating her own performance has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, and while she’d probably still do it without anyone watching, she’s really glad you’re here!

CREDITS

Creator: Claire Rigsby

Performer: Claire Rigsby

Installation/set design: Claire Rigsby

Lighting/costume design: Claire Rigsby

Balloon blower-upper: Claire Rigsby

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Emily June Newton (Portland, OR): Fat Cell
Physical Comedy / Clown / Interactive Performance Art

Photo of Emily June Newton in Fat Cell costume

Photo by Emily June Newton

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

Literally and figuratively, we live within our own fat cells – physically, mentally, societally. Let’s take a moment to tighten the lens, zoom in, and ask a Fat Cell how they feel about all this publicity and attention. What will be their response to our obsession with all things FAT?

BIO

Emily June Newton is an international multi-skilled comedic performer and visual artist. Originating from Australia, she now resides in Portland, Oregon. Emily has performed both nationally and internationally with companies including Terrapin Puppet Theater (AUS), Oregon Children’s Theater (OR, USA), CoHo Productions (OR, USA), The Children’s Art Theater of China (Shanghai, CHN) and Dell’Arte International (CA, USA). Newton is interested in creating and performing eccentric, fully embodied characters that live in direct contact with an audience. Both her performance work and visual art reflects an ongoing interest in exploring the boundaries between performer and audience. Emily is best known for her characters ‘Frank’ (the world’s most entertaining entertainer), ‘Pat McKensie’ (Australia’s Cultural Ambassador for Australia, self appointed), ‘Maurice Lombardo’ and ‘The Moon’. Recently, Emily collaborated with Portland based visual artist, Mike Bennett, to create an original comedic character that lived within his immersive art experience: Wonderwood. She has been described as ‘comedic gold’ by Broadway World and a ‘standout clown’ by The Mercury PDX. Emily holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Ensemble-Based Physical Theater from Dell’Arte International CA, and is a member of the CoHo Clown Cohort in Portland, Oregon.

CREDITS

Sound Design: Emily June Newton

Costumes: Emily June Newton

Set: Emily June Newton

Devising: Emily June Newton

Performer: Emily June Newton

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Hannah Victoria (Eugene, OR): …everything that has breath
Dance Theatre

Photo of Hannah Victoria

Photo via University of Oregon

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

This work is an ode to the voices heard from praise houses built by enslaved African-Americans; a place to meet, sometimes in secret, for prayer and song. It is an exploration of praise as resistance to an oppressive version of Christianity as a way of survival, transformation, and inspiration for old hymns that have inspired us to keep “going on” and “get over” day after day.

BIO

Hannah Victoria (Thomas) is a native of Atlanta, GA, and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Choreography, along with a teaching artists certificate from Arizona State University. She received her training from DeKalb School of the Arts, Price Performing Arts Center, and McClendon School of Dance. In addition to her studio training, she began dancing in church,
learning from her mother, Charlotte Dudley. In her undergrad experience, outside her studio classes, she was a National Cheer Association (NCA) champion and a captain of a Top 10 finalists Universal Dance Association (UDA) jazz and hip hop competition dance team. In her graduate experience, Hannah has trained and/or worked with Urban Bush Women (host for SLI 2018), Nicole Klaymoon, Michael Sakamoto, Jade Solomon, Joan Rodriguez, Taimy Miranda, Usher’s New Look Foundation, Tina Fears, Tobe Nwigwe, and learned from many artists in the metro Phoenix area, like Mary Fitzgerald, Eileen Standley, and Carley Conder.

Her teaching experience includes adjunct and faculty positions at Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, and currently, as an Assistant Professor of Dance for the University of Oregon. Her guest teaching or residency positions include the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, the University of Oregon, as a recipient of the 2021 Natalie Glustina Newlove Guest Artist Award, and Grand Canyon University. As a faculty member, she also teaches at the American College Dance Association Festival every year.

In 2019, Hannah premiered an evening-length show, Her Brown Body Is Glory that explored sisterhood, rites of passage through dance, and healing for Black women. Her most recent works (2022) include, …and walk (Grand Canyon University) and …and not faint (University of Oregon & ACDA), and currently (2023) in-process with students exploring endurance, joy, and groove to street and funk styles.

She was invited to the 2022 Restore Festival in Milwaukee, WI to perform … everything that has breath, a new solo dance work exploring historic praise houses and Black spirituality. Hannah was also selected to be a choreographer fellow for the 2022 Next Festival of Emerging Artists in New York City at the Gibney Dance Center.

Her other passions include fashion, dance ministry work for local churches, theatre choreography, sound engineering, and creative directing dance films. In 2021, creative-directed a dance film called, “This must be the place”, which was selected to be featured in the 2022 Arizona Drive-In Dance Festival.

She is a proud member of the illustrious historically Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD).

CREDITS

Dancer: Hannah Victoria
Composer: Hannah Victoria
Costume & Set Designer: Hannah Victoria

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Noelle Simone (Portland, OR): Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown: Mental Health Memoirs of the Black Woman
Contemporary Jazz/Modern/Hip Hop

Photo of Noelle Simone
Photo by curvygrl@mac.com

Noelle Simone’s dance suite examines the mind of a black woman suffering from anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD and finding a home within herself. Even if it hurts you, young girl, you will find peace.

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

This one-woman dance project is dedicated to exploring the mental health and history of Black women and to uncovering the support we need to flourish and thrive.

BIO
Noelle Simone has been performing for over sixteen years. She has received all her dance training at the Joel Hall Dancers & Center, Northside Dance Theatre, and Gus Giordano Jazz Dance School. She has worked with multiple dance companies and youth dance companies throughout the Chicago land area, and loves teaching. She has performed with Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, and has started a promising career in theatre, after receiving her .B.FA. in Theatre arts with a concentration in Theatre Management and a Minor in Educational studies from the Theatre School at Depaul University. Noelle has worked with Victory Gardens, Sideshow Theatre and Actor Gymnasium Youth Circus, Choreographing various Theatre and dance performances. She was nominated by Broadway World for best non Equity Choreography in 2017 for The Little Princess with Windy City Music Theatre. With only two bag and the love of her life, she has moved to the Pacific NW, and has gone on to chorographer her one woman show with Echo Theatre. Heavy id the Head that Wears the Crown: Mental Health Memoirs of the Black Woman was debuted on Jan 31st 2020 to a sold our audience.

CREDITS

Choreographer/Curator: Noelle Simone
Dancers: Noelle Simone, Mucyo, Jen McCabe
Music: Jhene Aiko, Billie Holiday, Tea Marr
Spoken Word: Nigel Birch, Jessica Morrison
Lights: Lara
Movement Assistant: Isaiah
Cultural Advisors: BeeBee Sanchez, Aaron

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Roman Norfleet & Be Present Art Group (Portland, OR): Death’s Door NOW!
Musical Performance

Photo of Roman Norfleet

Through musical improvisation, Roman Norfleet creates space for reflection, healing, seeking and mystery.

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

Death’s Door NOW! is a musical performance piece exploring the concept of death and what comes after it. The compositions, visuals and wearable art of this piece express not only my personal journey, but what I’ve learned from others’ processes when it comes to dealing with and understanding death.

BIO
Roman Norfleet is a musical/visual artist originally hailing from Joliet, Illinois and has been surrounded by and involved in music and arts since a child. Over the last 12 years Roman has lived in Los Angeles, California and the DMV area expanding his art form and exploring different territories of music. Roman has released 2 devotional, mantra based projects and an instrumental (or beat tape) project. Now living in Portland, Oregon, Norfleet seeks to continue that artistic, expressive expansion by incorporating visual and performance art into his musical compositions to manifest creative spaces lead by the idea of “being present”.

CREDITS

Roman Norfleet: Performer, Musician
Brown Calvin: Musician
Jacque Hammond: Musician

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Jenny May Peterson (Seattle, WA): ANVIL
Dance

Photo of Hendri Walujo and Jenny May Peterson

It feels impossible to completely prepare for global climate disaster or war, but in a ridiculous way – entirely possible to train your body to deftly avoid falling construction scaffolding.

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

ANVIL is a dance ritual sourced from internet workout fads, Hollywood death scenes, and trendy self-soothing techniques. Together, we do our due diligence to avoid sudden accidental death and prepare for personal disaster.

BIOS
Jenny May Peterson is a former competitive gymnast, licensed massage therapist, amateur furniture maker, and visual and dance artist who has called Seattle home for 13 years. Her multidisciplinary background has given her many tools with which to create compelling visual language while also trying to be an aware and conscientious citizen of the world. Jenny has worked with many local Seattle artists including the Pat Graney Company since 2008. She has a small massage practice and an undying love of plants.

Hendri Walujo enjoys performing and creating experiences for the audience using his movement-based and improvisational skills. He strives for variety and versatility in life as in performance, and values close collaboration and independent expression. His performances oscillate between the elaborate and the intimate, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

CREDITS

Performers: Jenny May Peterson (she/thy) and Jendri Walujo (he/him)

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VIEW A SAMPLE OF JENNY’S PREVIOUS PROJECT, UMBIBLICAL

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Kate Duffly & Peter Ksander (Portland, OR): Apoptosis
Performance

Photo of Kate Duffly

PERFORMANCE SYNOPSIS

Taking inspiration from the stories of lost cosmonauts and the idea of the body as spaceship, the performance explores the act of sending messages into the void, listening for echoes, embracing cosmic loneliness, and finding beauty in the unknown.

BIOS

Kate Duffly is a scholar-director and community-based theatre artist with a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She is Associate Professor of Theatre at Reed College in Portland, OR and is currently working on an edited collection that examines a broad array of performance practices rooted in community and explicitly engaged in negotiating difference and disruption. She is an artist who has worked with a range of community-based theater organizations, from Cornerstone Theater in Los Angeles to Theatre Diaspora and Red Door in Portland, as well as the puppet companies Wise Fool and Lunatique Fantastique in San Francisco, and Bread and Puppet of Glover, VT.

Peter Ksander is a scenographer and media artist who’s stage design work has been presented both nationally and internationally. In 2006 he joined the curatorial board of the Ontological-Hysteric Incubator. In 2008 he won an Obie award for the scenic design of Untitled Mars (this title may change), and In 2014 he won a Bessie award for the visual design of This Was the End. Recent Portland credits include set designs for Beckett Women, Sweat, Arlington a love story, John, Our Ruined House, Teenage Dick, and Uncle Vanya. He holds a MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, is an Associate Professor at Reed College and is an associate company member with the Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble.

CREDITS

Created by Kate Duffly and Peter Ksander

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