VENUE:
Kelly Strayhorn Theater
5941 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
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3 RITES: LIBERTY 
by ​DELIRIOUS DANCES/Edisa Weeks at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Live - Pittsburgh Premiere!
Rating: PG-13 
Genre: Dance/Physical Theatre
Connected like a puppet to objects that have informed the Black experience in America, multidisciplinary artist Edisa Weeks alternates between blackface, whiteface, storytelling, and visceral dance to dig into the pathologizing of African Americans and the foundations of Liberty in America.
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About the Company or Performer(s):
​Edisa Weeks (she/her) – Concept, Choreographer, Performer – is a Brooklyn, NY based educator, choreographer and founder of DELIRIOUS Dances. She creates multimedia interactive work that merges theater with dance to explore our deepest desires, darkest fears and sweetest dreams. She grew up in Uganda, Papua New Guinea and Brooklyn, NY; and had the joy of performing with Annie–B Parsons Big Dance Theater, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co., Dance Brazil, Homer Avila, Jane Comfort, Jon Kinzel, Muna Tseng, Reggie Wilson Fist & Heel Performance Group, Sally Silvers, Spencer/Colton Dance, among others. She is a recipient of several awards including a 2022 Creative Capital Grant. She teaches choreography, improvisation, dance technique, and mentors emerging artists at Queens College CUNY.

Kevin Jarbo – Post Performance Discussion Moderator – is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences and Co-Director of the Data-Driven Diversity (D3) Lab in Dietrich College at Carnegie Mellon University. His current research focuses on college student engagement, help-seeking behavior, perceptions of diversity initiatives, and decisions to persist in higher education. He has also worked closely with CMU’s Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion to coordinate student-centered educational and social events that spotlight Black identity development and culture. Outside of his academic work, Kevin has served as the program chair for the annual Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit planning committee since 2019.

DELIRIOUS Dances – Founded by multidisciplinary artist Edisa Weeks, DELIRIOUS Dances seeks to erase the barriers between art and life, between performance space and audience space, and between mediums. We believe that art revitalizes the everyday to reveal something new about ourselves, and the revelation is an energy, a spark that has the power to change the world. www.deliriousdances.com

Marýa Wethers (she/her) – Creative Producer – has lived and worked in Lenapehoking (NYC) since 1997. She is a Creative Producer and Independent Curator, currently working with Movement Research as the Director of the GPS/Global Practice Sharing program and with artists Edisa Weeks/DELIRIOUS Dances, OzuzuDances, and Rosy Simas Danse. As a Curator she conceived of the three-week performance series “Gathering Place: Black Queer Land(ing)” at Gibney Dance (2018) and curated for Mount Tremper Arts Watershed Lab Residency (2019 & 2018), the Queer NY International Arts Festival (2016 & 2015) and Out of Space @ BRIC Studio for Danspace Project (2003-2007). She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Dance, minor in African-American Studies, 1997.

You-Shin Chen (she/her) – Set Design – is a New York based Taiwanese scenic designer for live performance and film. Originally born and raised in Taipei, she came to New York to attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she received her MFA in 2014. As a theater practitioner and collaborator, You-Shin centers humans, both the characters and the viewers, and their experiences in her process of creating a three dimensional space. You-Shin’s scenic design for Eclipsed (Berlind Theater) was part of USA exhibition at 2019 Prague Quadrennial. She is the recipient of the 2019 Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award at The Lilly Awards. She received a Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Scenic Design in 2020, Connecticut Critics Circle Awards in Outstanding Set Design in 2022.

Tim Cryan (he/him) – Lighting Design – with a focus on dance and theatre, Tim has had enjoyed opportunities to collaborate with a variety of artists including DELIRIOUS Dances/Edisa Weeks, Ephrat Asherie, Steven Buescher, Nora Chipaumire, Bryn Cohn, Eiko & Koma, Teresa Fellion, Fiasco Theatre Co., Diamanda Galas, Martha Graham Dance Co., La MaMa Etc, Nature Theatre of Oklahoma, Sara Rudner, Reggie Wilson, and Jeremy Zimmerman. timcryan.net

Francesco Gattuso (he/him) – Roots Making Assistant – is an artist based in Brooklyn, New York. His work has recently been shown at Atelier Schloss Jägerhoff, in Düsseldorf, Germany, and in Bug World, an immersive VR exhibition space hosted in New Art City. In 2020, Gattuso received his MFA from the Alfred/Düsseldorf Painting program. In July 2021, he attended residencies at Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY and Mudhouse Residency, Crete, Greece. Gattuso often draws inspiration from classical European painting, Mediterranean folklore, tarot, and fantastical imagery to create works addressing issues of masculinity and colorism. www.francescogattuso.com

Emily Rondon (she/her) – Stage Manager – is an NYC based production & stage manager. Her credits include Hip to Hip’s Shakespeare in the Park (Stage Manager), EnGarde Art’s Downtown Stories (Tour Manager), and most recently, 3 Rites: Life, Liberty, Happiness (Stage Manager).

James Scruggs (he/him) – Creative Advisor – is a writer, performer, producer and arts administrator who creates large scale, topical, theatrical, multi-media work. His work is often fully immersive and interactive; usually focused on race, racism, supremacy, inequity, and gender politics. He has been awarded several grants, including two Doris Duke/Andrew Mellon MAP Fund grants, two NJSCA Individual Artist Fellowships and a Creative Capital grant. www.jamesscruggs.com

Violet Asmara Tafari (she/they) – Production Director – is a West Indian, Production Manager and Stage Manager, using the lens of African and Griot teachings to inform her management style. Violet utilizes her ritual and healing background to create fluid ways to support pushing the boundaries of art and the community that embraces it. Violet’s work with companies such as AFRIKIN, Syncing Ink, NYSAF, and many others allowed her to navigate the other worlds of theater, music festivals, and a griot’s way of storytelling. Using love as her medium it has driven Violet to create her company Freequency Connects, a landing space to provide production support and guidance as artists navigate new pathways, goals, and manifestations of their presented works. www.freequencyconnects.com

​Local: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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​DATE AND TIME:
Friday, April 26, 7:30PM - 9:00PM
Saturday, April 27, 7:30PM - 9:00PM

Both performances include a discussion afterwards - please join us!

Show Run Time:
90 Minutes
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​Prices:​​​​
  • Pay What Moves You: $15 – $35​
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The Show's Social Media Links:

https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/ws24-edisa-weeks-3-rites-liberty/
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​Edisa Weeks (@edisaweeks) • Instagram photos and videos