A bold theatrical dance production created by a Slippery Rock University assistant professor and performed by faculty and students is set to hit the stage in Pittsburgh. From April 16-17, the New Hazlett Theater will premiere “GRAPPLING,” by Erin Kouwe, an SRU assistant professor of dance.
Blending queer storytelling, family history and pop culture within a zero-gravity, interstellar setting, the production explores themes of love, labor and personal productivity through humor, imagination and movement.
“It’s for anybody who has ever grappled with something personal,” Kouwe said. “It’s definitely for both theater audiences and dance audiences, but it’s also just fun and full of imagination.”
Anchored in Kouwe’s signature fusion of choreography and narratives, “GRAPPLING” follows a researcher who uploads her family’s memories into human subjects in pursuit of greater productivity. As astronauts traverse this landscape, audiences will experience a rich journey where memory, motion and identity intercept, all set against staging which includes an 11-foot silver staircase, dancing astronauts and multimedia projections.
“I hope the show invites audiences to reflect with curiosity on how they spend their own time,” Kouwe said.
Originally developed as a 2022 workshop, the piece has evolved into a fully realized production as part of the New Hazlett’s Community Supported Art, Season 13. Kouwe serves as a creator, performer, choreographer and sound designer.
Directed by Pittsburgh-based artist Treasure Treasure, “GRAPPLING” features a multidisciplinary creative team and cast, including Kouwe as The Researcher, alongside a dynamic ensemble of performers portraying astronauts and researchers navigating this cosmic experiment.
The production highlights strong ties to SRU, including the following cast members:
- Erin Kouwe as The Researcher.
- Lindsay Viatori, associate professor of dance; Kaylin Horgan, instructor of dance; and Sarah Zielinski as The Astronauts (Zielinski is the only non-SRU cast member).
- Ken Sprowls, a junior English writing major from Washington (Lincoln Park Performing Arts), as The Research Assistant.
- Andrea Oakes, a junior dance major from Pinckney, Michigan (Pinckney Community HS) as Understudy.
“In ‘GRAPPLING,’ Erin takes audiences on a deeply personal journey through family history that somehow also becomes a romp through outer space,” said artistic producer Melissa Cardello-Linton. “What excites me most is her ability to weave movement, narrative, and theatricality together in ways that feel seamless and entirely fresh. Artists like Erin are helping redefine how dance and theater can live together onstage”
Performances will take place 7:30 p.m., April 16, and 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., April 17. Tickets range from $25-$35, with the Friday matinee offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. Tickets are available through the New Hazlett Theater website.
More information about dance at SRU can be found on the department’s webpage.
