PERFORMING ART
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ART IN COLLABORATION
ABOUT PERFORMING ART at the LOEB
Performing Art is a devising process in development. This performance is our present moment theatrical response to work currently in the Loeb gallery. Created over 16 hours of rehearsal, the ensemble used writing, movement, and improv exercises to explore their relationship to the art. While drawing inspiration from artwork throughout the galleries, we have embraced a line from the Body Matters exhibit as our guiding question, "How do bodies move through art, space, and time?" We invite you to ponder this question as you travel through the performance.
ABOUT THE LAB
The Hudson Valley Performing Arts Laboratory provides opportunities to experiment with the performing arts through educational and community-centered programming in the Hudson Valley. The Lab fosters collaboration and learning by providing a home base for performing artists of all levels to create and learn together, and is committed to making space for local artists to excel and thrive.
photo by Megyn Sperry
ABOUT THE LOEB
The Loeb is the first art museum at a college or university that was part of the institution’s original plan. Today, the permanent collection includes over 22,000 works, comprised of paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, textiles, and glass and ceramic wares. The Loeb strives to be a catalyst for scholarly, creative, and social justice work by Vassar students and others.
CAST AND CREATIVE
Liz Dahmen
she/her
Director
Liz Dahmen is the founding artistic director of the Hudson Valley Performing Arts Laboratory. Over the past six years, Liz has produced educational and arts programming through the Lab to support Hudson Valley artists and community members. Her theater work has been featured at Legoland, The Dorsky Museum, PS122, and Dixon Place. She has a BFA in Acting from the Tisch School of the Arts and an MA in Educational Theatre from Steinhardt/NYU.
Scotty Arnold is a New York-based musical theater writer. His musical When We're Gone (words by Alana Jacoby) received its world premiere at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in 2018 after development at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Joe's Pub, Emerson College, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, and Ars Nova (all under the name Mortality Play). More at scottyarnold.com
Scotty Arnold
Composer
he/him
Emma Hannah Myers is a graduate of McGill University and Brooklyn College’s MFA in
acting program. Emma has taught at AMDA, CUNY, Marist and with the Hudson Valley
Shakespeare Festival. She has appeared in Pericles (New York Shakespeare
Exchange), This (Proprietors Theater Company), Geppetto Complex (Impossible Bottle
Theater Company), The Beacon Fairy Walk and Our Town, Rip Van Winkle and Cyrano
(u/s, Roxanne) with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. She is thrilled to be
performing with HVPAL again after having appeared in Living Closely, Medea and
Performing Art 2022.
Emma Myers
Actor
she/her
Dan Chester is a Poughkeepsie based artist, musician, and entertainer. He was brought in to The Lab by his wife who also happens to be the resident stage manager and has the privilege of being in a few productions such as Medea, Hawk's Landing, and Performing Arts at the Dorsky Museum.
Daniel Chester
Actor, Composer
he/they
Abby is very excited to be apart of this production! She has previously performed as Marty in Grease the Musical, Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street, Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde, Little Red in Into The Woods, and was apart of HVSF’s production of Our Town! Abby will be attending The Boston Conservatory at Berklee to pursue a BFA in Contemporary Theatre in the fall! She would love to thank Liz for giving her the opportunity to perform in this exciting production this summer! Enjoy the show!
Abby Salazar
Actor
she/her
Tara has acted in Lab productions since the group's inception in 2017, including Antigone, Living Closely, and Medea; and in recent years participated in the Lab's devising of art-themed performances at the SUNY New Paltz Dorsky Museum of Art. She is always eager to join in the fun of devising characters and stories with the Lab and is amazed where the process leads. Plus - The Lab! The Loeb! Who wouldn't?
Tara D'Andrea
Actor
she/her
Penny is a young theatre artist from the Hudson Valley area. She joined this project as a means of returning to performing and creating new works. They graduated in 2022 from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Theatre Arts, focus in Performance, as well as a Creative Writing minor. They have dabbled in many aspects of production from painting/building shows like "She Kills Monsters" in the New Paltz shop, or wearing many creative hats such as in the New Pages Showcase; which they were featured separately as both a writer and director. She has previously performed as a competitive dancer trained in a variety of styles. They thrive on the collaborative process that comes from this type of performance and cherish the opportunity to work on this project.
Penny Diiorio
Actor
she/her/they/them
Rachel Handler is an actor and filmmaker based in NYC and the Hudson Valley. She won the AT&T Underrepresented Filmmaker Award for her short, “Committed.” TV acting credits include “Law & Order: SVU,” “Interview With the Vampire” & “NCIS: New Orleans.” Stage credits include Marian in “The Music Man,” Lady Anne in “Richard III” & Maria in “The Sound of Music.” www.RachelAHandler.com @Bionic.Brunette
Rachel Handler
Actor
she/her
Keaton, from New Paltz, NY, is a rising senior at Binghamton University studying acting and directing. She most recently was an assistant to the director on Binghamton University's production of Thrive or What You Will. She has always had interest in devised theatre and was excited to come across this show. She would like to thank Liz for this opportunity and the cast and crew for their continuous work.
Keaton Hemminger
Assistant Director
she/her
Hannah Karp is a Hudson Valley local and Resident Stage Manager at the Lab. She has been a part of the Lab since its foundation in 2017 and has thoroughly enjoyed working on every production and project including Medea, Hawk's Landing, Performing Art 2020-2023 at The Dorsky Musuem, and Shakespeare Unplugged, just to name a few. Devising this show from scratch was wonderful to watch. Thank you to all the performers and our director, Liz!
Hannah Karp Chester
Stage Manager
she/her
Having once described their first foray into theater in middle school as being "pushed off of a cliff by their friends, but in a fun way", Roux is a technical theater major from Dutchess County now attending Wagner College in Staten Island. With a love for storytelling in all its forms, but especially in more non-traditional formats, this opportunity is very exciting and they're happy to have taken the leap to get to where they are now!
Roux Colacino
Lighting & Sound Design
they/them
Former Professional AEA/SAG/AFTRA NYC actor specializing in audio book narration, new musicals and indie films, Zoe Hunter Lee is excited to get back into the creative world and helping to write a new work! After moving to the country, raising two small children and adjusting to married country life, Zoe is excited to be back with the Powerhouse (16 year old former Apprentice member) and get back on a stage (or art gallery).
Zoe Hunter Lee
Actor
she/her
Carter Beers is an American Sign Language interpreter who works in theatre and arts in their limited free time. Currently they collaborate with Definitely Human Theatre to make accessible and radical theatre in the Hudson Valley!
Carter Beers
Lighting & Sound Design
they/them