DANCE NATION Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT info@recroomhtx.com | 713-344-1291

REC ROOM ARTS REOPENS WITH HOUSTON PREMIERE OF SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE WINNER AND PULITZER FINALIST DANCE NATION

Clare Barron Playwright

Callina Anderson Zuzu

Elizabeth Marshall Black Dance Mom

Greg Cote Dance Teacher Pat

Lisa Fairchild Sofia

Elizabeth Keel Mave

Avery Vonn Kenyatta Luke

Anjana Menon Connie

Sophia Mobbs Amina

Shannon Uphold Ashlee

HOUSTON, TX - (Jan 4, 2022) - Rec Room Arts (Artistic Director Matt Hune, Associate Artistic Director Sophia Watt, Managing Director Stefan Azizi) will begin the 2022 season with the Houston premiere of Dance Nation, Clare Barron’s award-winning play about pre-teen competitive dancers and the burden of adolescence. Sophia Watt will direct the production, with choreography

by Skye Bronfenbrenner. Preview performances begin January 20, with an official press opening on Saturday, January 22.

Performances will run through February 5.

Dance Nation is the 2017 winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the largest and oldest international playwriting prize for women writers. In addition, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize was founded in Houston by Houstonians. “I’m thrilled that Rec Room is able to present a winner of the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in the hometown of the prize,” said Matt Hune. Dance Nation is also a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist and winner of the 2015 Relentless Award. “After the long hiatus it is exhilarating to be back in rehearsal with this outstanding cast rehearsing such an ambitious, raucous, and ferocious show,” said Sophia Watt.

“This is a play about thirteen-year-old girls,” described Clare Barron. “It’s also a play about women, ambition, and desire. I wanted to write this play because I wanted to present a different picture of teenage girls onstage. One where trauma wasn’t the central narrative. One where ‘being the best’ was.”

The complete cast of Dance Nation features actors of all ages portraying adolescent girls and includes Callina Anderson (Zuzu), Elizabeth Marshall Black (Dance Mom), Lisa Fairchild (Sofia), Elizabeth Keel (Mave), Anjana Menon (Connie), Sophia Mobbs (Amina), and Shannon Uphold (Ashlee). Avery Vonn Kenyatta (Luke) and Greg Cote (Luke) are also in the cast.

Dance Nation will feature scenic and lighting design by Stefan Azizi, costume design by Juan Saracay, and sound design by Gage Baker. Madison Sutton is the production stage manager.

DANCE NATION COVID Protocol Rec Room Arts is committed to welcome audiences back to its beloved downtown home. To play our part in helping to protect everyone as we return, Rec Room has made renovations and upgrades to the bar, lobby, and theatre. In addition, proof of complete vaccination and negative weekly COVID-19 tests will be required for all artists and staff. So long as COVID-19 cases continue to transmit, audiences will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test upon entry. A complete vaccination means having received a final FDA or WHO vaccination dose at least 14 days before the performance date. Face masks will be required inside the building except when actively eating or drinking. All policies are subject to change and are dependent on CDC guidance.

BIOS CLARE BARRON (Playwright) is a New York based playwright. Her play Dance Nation was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize, the recipient of the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn award, and previously received the inaugural Relentless Award (2015); the play received its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in 2018 and ran at the Almeida Theatre in London. Barron’s play You Got Older (2015 Obie award for Playwriting; nominee for 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play; finalist for the 2015 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize) received its world premiere through P73 under the direction of Anne Kauffman and recently ran at Steppenwolf. Her play Baby Screams Miracle was recently produced at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, after having premiered as part of Clubbed Thumb’s 2013 SummerWorks Festival. Her play I’ll Never Love Again was produced at the Bushwick Starr in 2016 and was a New York Times Critics’ Pick. She is the recipient of the 2014-2015 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award (Vineyard Theater), the 2014 P73 Playwriting Fellowship; she has received Sloan commissions from MTC and EST, and is also under commission to Lincoln Center Theater, and Playwrights Horizons. She was recently staffed on Maria Semple’s upcoming show on HBO, Today Will Be Different, starring Julia Roberts, and is currently developing a project with Gran Via Productions attached for AMC. SOPHIA WATT (Director/Associate Artistic Director) is the associate artistic director at Rec Room Arts and a freelance director in Houston, Texas. Directing credits include: Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (Hangar Theatre/ Wedge), Jack and the Beanstalk (Hangar Theater), The Effect (MATCH), Oleanna, The Visit, and Creatures of Habit (The Landing Theatre Company), Hedda Gabler (part of Rec Room’s artist residency), The Nest and Three Sisters (University of Houston- guest artist). She has served as the assistant director for Theresa Rebeck at the Alley Theatre, and James Bohnen and Bill Brown at UH. She is an alumni of: Barn Arts Residency, the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, SDCF observership class 2016-2018 and a 2019 Drama League Directing Fellowship. BFA: The Hartt School. MFA: University of Houston. Sophiawatt.com CALLINA ANDERSON (Zuzu) is thrilled to make her Rec Room debut! Ms. Anderson’s previous onstage credits include:The Revolutionists, Grand Concourse, The Hard Problem (Main Street Theater), To Kill A Mockingbird (A.D. Players), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Classical Theater Company), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Freeda Peoples, Platanos y Collard Greens (The Ensemble Theater); Come and Go, Well, Dollface (Mildred’s Umbrella), The Judgment of Fools, The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise… (Horse Head Theater); The Landing Theater: Gambrels of the Sky (Dog); The Effect (Houston Equity Festival). Ms. Anderson holds a B.A. in Theater from the University of Houston ELIZABETH MARSHALL BLACK (Dance Mom) is happy to be making her debut at Rec Room. Other local acting credits include A.D. Players: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Christina Drayton), Harvey (Betty Chumley), You Can’t Take it With You (Gay Wellington), The Miracle Worker (Kate Keller) and O Little Town of Bagels, Teacakes and Hamburger Buns (Inez); Catastrophic Theatre: Tragedy, A Tragedy (Constance at the Home), Trevor (Morgan Fairchild), The Blackest Shore (Mel); Main Street Theatre: Private Lives (Amanda), The Secretary (Janelle), The Book of Will (Elizabeth/Emilia/Anne), Silent Sky (Annie Cannon), Peace in Our Time (Lyia), Fallen Angels (Saunders), Heartbreak House (Lady Utterword); Mildred’s Umbrella: The Hunchback of Seville (Queen Isabella), Becky’s New Car (Ginger), Carnival ‘Round The Central Figure (Becky); Celebration Theatre: The Divine Sister (Sister Acacius), The Beebo Brinker Chronicles (Beebo Brinker); Classical Theatre Company: The Government Inspector (Luka/Merchant); Ensemble Theatre: By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Gloria Mitchell). Elizabeth holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and also studied acting at SUNY Purchase.

DANCE NATION GREG COTE (Dance Teacher Pat) is a puppet maker, puppeteer, actor, musician, artist and proud citizen of Houston, TX. He has worked with The Catastrophic Theatre, Thunderclap Productions, Horse Head Theatre Co. (RIP), Classical Theatre Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Main Street Theatre, Rec Room, Unity Theatre, Cape Rep., The Queens Theatre, The Landing Theatre Co., Wordsmyth Theatre, and has participated in other various readings, workshops and collaborations around Houston and is also a regular Voice Actor with Sentai Filmworks. Greg is the founder and Primary Maker of Stuff for lo-fi puppets. Follow them on Instagram @lofipuppets or go to lofipuppets.com.

LISA FAIRCHILD (Sofia) is a critically acclaimed actor in the North Texas area. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rec Room in Houston!! She has recently performed in two festivals since theatres began to re-open. She appeared in Close to Home at Amphibian Stage’s Sparkfest and Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer for the Fort Worth Fringe Festival.

Pre-pandemic she performed as Hazel in The Children at Stage West, Siobhan in Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Oklahoma CityRep, Caroline in Luna Gale at Circle Theatre, A in Precious Little at Echo Theatre and Marmee in Little Women for Stolen Shakespeare Guild. Lisa received her BFA in Theatre Performance from Otterbein University and completed her acting apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville. www.lisafairchild.net ELIZABETH KEEL (Mave) is a Houstonian actress, director, teacher, novelist, and playwright. She is a proud member of the Rec Room Writers Group, the Resident Playwright and Literary Manager for Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company, the Artistic & Community Engagement Administrator at Stages, a teaching artist at Grackle & Grackle, and a two-time almuna of the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance. Thank you to Sophia Watt, Rec Room, Greg Cote, and the dear cast and crew, for bringing Dance back into her life. Upcoming projects may be found at www.elizabethamkeel.com.

AVERY VON KENYATTA (Luke) is a Houston based actor and Intimacy Director. Select acting credits include Teresa Rebeck’s The Nest (Barry), Titus Andronicus (Aaron the Moor), The Colored Museum (Miss Roj), Angels in America (Belize), and The Crucible (Danforth). He has a passion for actor advocacy and is extremely grateful to use his gift of storytelling in multiple ways. He is a certified Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and has studied with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators.

He holds a BFA from Western Michigan University and an MFA from the University of Houston’s Professional Actor Training Program. Avery is delighted to be making his Rec Room debut!

ANJANA MENON (Connie) is thrilled to bits to be back performing in the Houston area after a two year hiatus on the East Coast.

Her most recent theatre credits in the city include dramatized readings We, the Invisibles (#6), Queen (Sanam Shah), Shiv (Shiv) and Open Carry (Omelette) at Next Iteration Theatre Company; Talk Radio (Denise) with Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. She began her Houston career with Shunya Theatre’s The Prophet and the Poet (Narrator). She also served as assistant director for their critically acclaimed production of Art and hit children’s musical The Adventures of Hanuman. An architect by training, Anjana got her start in theatre in Chennai, India with the company Masquerade, where she stayed on as a core member from 2009-2011.

During this time she co-scripted and performed the monologue Incestuous Bastard, and wrote Sitayana, a play for elementary school students.

SOPHIA MOBBS (Amina) feels very lucky to be a part of Rec Room’s opening play for the season. This past summer she was an acting apprentice at Theatre at Monmouth in Maine where she played Jerusha Abbott in the musical Daddy Long Legs and Queen Isabel in the world premiere of Sofonisba. Sophia also apprenticed at the Houston Shakespeare Festival in 2020. Sophia attends the University of Houston where she is an acting major. Her favorite role thus far at the University of Houston was Electra in The Oresteia. She is excited to see what opportunities are in store for her in the years to come.

SHANNON UPHOLD (Ashlee) is delighted to be making her Rec Room debut. She is a classically trained actor that has worked in theaters regionally and off-Broadway. Favorite theater roles include Horatio/Ophelia in Hamlet (Houston Shakespeare Festival), David Turner in ART HEIST (Right Angle Entertainment) and Katherine in Taming of the Shrew (NSE, Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey). She received her MFA from the University of Houston PATP in 2020. Shannon is represented by Boysen Talent Agency.

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DANCE NATION TICKETS AND INFORMATION Single tickets are now on sale and range from $10 - $50. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at https://www. recroomarts.org/dance-nation.

Dance Nation begin performances on Wednesday January 20 and will run through Saturday February 5, with an official press opening on Saturday, January 22.

The performance schedule is Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

All performances are downtown at Rec Rom, 100 Jackson Street, Houston, TX 77002 ABOUT REC ROOM ARTS Rec Room Arts is a non-profit theatre organization whose mission is to develop innovative performances by emerging and established artists in order to energize a new generation of audiences for the arts. Rec Room Arts is interested in providing unique and enjoyable experiences through theatre that enhance the cultural imagination and social wellbeing of Houston. Rec Room believes in the theatrical examination of individual experiences and operates under the principles that theatre shapes behaviors, patterns, and the collective unconscious. Furthermore, Rec Room believes in the importance of making the overall experience of going to the theatre pleasurable. Therefore, audiences are invited to arrive early and stay late to socialize in our bar.

Matt Hune is Artistic Director/Co-founder; Stefan Azizi is Managing Director; Sophia Watt is Associate Artistic Director.

FACT SHEET Rec Room Arts Presents HOUSTON PREMIERE 2019 PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST 2017 SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE WINNER 2015 RELENTLESS AWARD WINNER

DANCE NATION

Written by Clare Barron Directed by Sophia Watt Opening Press Night: Saturday, January 22, 2022 | Closing: February 5, 2022 Wednesdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $10 - $50 Rec Room, 100 Jackson Street, Houston, TX 77002 Website: www.recroomarts.org Phone: 713-344-1291 Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at the Boogie Down Grand Prix in Tampa Bay. But in Clare Barron’s raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers have more than choreography on their minds, because every plié and jeté is a step toward finding themselves, and a fight to unleash their power.

Full-resolution images and photo credits available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1qtfffFzXn1yJo-H2LsGT9Bwk3lKpDp0J

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