House Party 2025
KST Presents
Lavender Wave | A Benefit For Kelly Strayhorn Theater
Saturday, July 12, 2025
7:00pm – 9:00pm Immersive VIP Reception
9:00pm – 12:00am Dance Party
Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave.
Pay What Moves You: $50 – $325
KST is more than a space; it’s a home rooted in the liberation of Black and queer communities, uplifting the resilience of those who’ve turned pain into power and oppression into bold celebrations of resistance. House Party: Lavender Wave pays tribute to mid-20th-century LGBTQ+ trailblazers whose courage sparks a revolution that still inspires us today to act up and fight back.
We celebrate the fierce strength of collective uprising with arts —a call to stand together, to reclaim our joy and our futures. Get ready for a night of exceptional performances, a bumping dance floor, and mesmerizing looks. At the VIP Reception, experience the energy of dance artist Jasmine Hearn, the electrifying vocals of operatic soprano Zuly Inirio, and stunning visuals from media artist Scott Andrew. All proceeds support KST’s fall season of programming.
Joy, resistance, and community—this is where it all comes alive!
Immersive VIP Reception Tickets: $175 – $325
Guests experience exclusive open bar access all night, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and live performances in an immersive environment before we roll up the rug and throw down the beats.
Dance Party Tickets: $50 – $100
DJs raise the roof and turn up the heat to ignite a dance party in classic KST fashion. Dance Party tickets include late night snacks and one complimentary beverage from the cash bar with curated cocktails, wine, and beer.
This year, KST invites you to participate in a unique act of mutual aid. When you buy your ticket to the dance party, you can support KST or direct proceeds to one of our community partners, Dreams of Hope or PearlArts Movement & Sound. Supporting these organizations helps strengthen the local arts ecosystem and deepens the networks of care that sustain our communities.
Support PearlArts movement & sound
Host Committee
Rep. Jessica Benham
John Binz
Donny Donovan & Gina Winstead
Ephorm Freeman
Dr. Cecilia Golden
Jake Goodman
Kathleen & Christopher Green
Caitlin Green & Upendo Tookas
Maria & Frank Guyette
Erin Ickes
Stacey Jarrell
Shenay Jeffrey
Marion Lewis
Morgan Overton
Chris Rafalski
Karla Stallworth
Karl & Bea Thomas
Looking for Fashion Inspiration?
Explore our lookbook! Lavender, or “wave”, is a lovely starting point, but we also encourage you taking it in a bold new direction. Dress in whatever feels true to you and honors the spirit of LGBTQ+ trailblazers!
Don’t forget to check out the 2024 photo album!
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS & SPONSORS:
- About The Artists
Jasmine Hearn, born and raised on occupied Akokisa lands (Houston, TX), is an interdisciplinary artist, teacher, doula, performer, and organizer. Jasmine, recently named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch (2025), is a recipient of a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award (2023), Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize in Design with collaborator Athena Kokoronis of Domestic Performance Agency (2023).
Afro-Latina soprano, scholar, and TEDx speaker Zuly Inirio (she/her) is originally from the Dominican Republic and has performed as a soloist throughout the United States and Europe. She is the founder of the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project, which commissions new works centering Afro-Latin and Afro-Latinx communities and works to decolonize the classical music canon by uplifting the voices of Afro-Latin American composers.
Scott Andrew (Media Designer) (he/him/they/them) b. 1982, Waynesburg, PA, is a multimedia queer-oriented visual artist, media designer, educator, and curator. Scott is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Studio Arts at the University of Pittsburgh and an adjunct Professor in the School of Art at CMU. Recent projects include ’Suite Life’ and ‘House Party’ at KST, ‘Ego’ and ‘Dragonfly Dawn’ at the New Hazlett Theater, ‘sum of y’all’ by PearlArts Movement + Sound, and ’The Marthaodyssey’, by dance artist Jesse Factor.
Danielle “Whuttie” Stewart is the creative force behind Face 2 Face with Whuttie. A Braddock native that has always had a love for art — even while earning her Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration from Point Park University. Nineteen years ago, friends and family asked (okay, insisted) she paint at their parties. What started as a favor quickly became a passion. Today, she brings color, joy, and imagination to birthdays, school events, community days, festivals, and more.
Herman Pearl/Soy Sos is a sound designer, audio engineer, and producer. He creates a wide range of movement and sound works with his wife and creative partner Staycee Pearl. Herman sees sound as an actual physical force, literally moving the air around and through us. This was impressed upon him in his early encounters with Jamaican sound system, dub and bass culture in the late 80s.
Madame Trio (Jazmine Bailey) is a genre-melting force who brings the dance floor to life. A dancer turned DJ, she’s got an instinct for rhythm that runs deep, blending tracks with precision and style that’ll move your body before your brain even catches up. A multidisciplinary artist — DJ, dancer, and singer — she’s lit up parties from Mostbeautifullest and Slappers N Bangers to Sweet Abyss and Hott Hass. Madame Trio doesn’t just play the music — she embodies it.