FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Discover Mister Rogers’ mindfulness teachings in the art film SWITCH SIGNAL, by artist collective Propelled Animals presented by Kelly Strayhorn Theater
EAST LIBERTY, PA, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 – In collaboration with the creative collective Propelled Animals, Kelly Strayhorn Theater is proud to present SWITCH SIGNAL Friday, September 24 at 7:00 pm.
Commissioned by Kelly Strayhorn Theater, SWITCH SIGNAL is a site-responsive film rooted in the technologies of imagination and mindfulness taught by Pittsburgh’s beloved Mister Rogers. As a site-responsive art piece, the performers and creatives respond to the locations present, building interactions based on those sites. The film was shot both on location at Kelly Strayhorn Theater and throughout Pittsburgh, with moments in The Hill District and at the Carrie Furnaces, in June 2021. Conjuring the absent presence of community during the global pandemic, this work is about listening. The film includes movement, marches, choreographies, music, and rites as a love letter to Pittsburgh.
The film will premiere at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, located at 5941 Penn Avenue in the heart of East Liberty, for one night only, Friday, September 24. Tickets are now available at kelly-strayhorn.org.
Propelled Animals are a collective of artists, dancers, scholars, musicians, and designers, bringing communities together for performances that honor nature, foreground radical tenderness, and deliver strategies for self-empowerment. The creative team includes: Esther Baker-Tarpaga of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barber of Detroit, Michigan, Heidi Wiren Bartlett of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Raquel Monroe of Chicago, Illinois, and Courtney Jones of Boca Raton, Florida.
To ensure a comfortable return to in-person programming for our audience, artists and staff, KST has adopted several safety measures for all upcoming performances. Masks are required for all audience members, regardless of vaccination status. Seating capacity has been reduced to 50% and all performers are required to present a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the performance. For more details on SKST’s full COVID-19 safety protocol please visit Kelly-Strayhorn.org/covid.
This project is made possible with support from The MAP Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and by the National Performance Network’s Artist Engagement Fund.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s fall season continues with a robust and exciting lineup of art, music, dance, and more! Learn more at kelly-strayhorn.org.