FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kelly Strayhorn Theater Announces Summer Season, Featuring Theater Communications Group Conference, KST Fundraiser “House Party” The Alloy School, and more!
EAST LIBERTY, PA—Kelly Strayhorn Theater is proud to announce the final chapter of its 2021–2022 Welcome Home season. Throughout the summer, audiences will experience a dynamic range of performances and events inspired by building and sharing the concept of home.
“It has been a delight to welcome audiences back into Kelly Strayhorn Theater and KST’s Alloy Studios all year,” says Joseph Hall, Executive Director. “We are thrilled to present a summer of programming that continues to center creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people.”
JUNE EVENTS
Theater Communications Group (TCG) will have its first national conference in over two years in Pittsburgh. This event will welcome hundreds of national theater practitioners to town, and for the occasion, KST proudly remounts commissioned performances from Pittsburgh artists.
On Thursday, June 16, KST hosts an encore presentation of Lyam B. Gabel’s playful and touching piece, the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table. This poignant work slips between the past and present, becoming, interacting with and learning from a chorus of voices from a critical moment in the queer liberation moment. Following the show, TQ Live! presents a dance party and performances featuring Supa NXC, Remi Black, Drake and Jesse Factor, and DJ HUNY.
On Friday, June 17, KST and The Andy Warhol Museum host Adil Mansoor’s heart wrenching and tender solo performance Amm(i)gone at 7:00pm at the museum, followed by a reception featuring Operation Sappho. In Amm(i)gone, Mansoor exploors queerness, the afterlife, and obligation using Sophocles’ Antigone, teachings from the Quran, and audio conversations between him and his mother in a touching performance about love across faith. Later that evening, at 10:00pm at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, KST partners with TCG to present Vibes N’at, a celebration of the Pittsburgh BIPOC theater and artist community.
JULY EVENTS
The Alloy School, a creative community that fosters the joy of physical expression through movement classes taught by professional artists, returns with a four-week session including Hip Hop, Jazz Ballet, Creative Play: Water World and Dance Fit (18+). The session begins with an orientation for parents and caregivers on July 9, and culminates with the The Alloy School Showcase and Let’s Move Family Dance Party on August 13.
On Saturday, July 16, KST’s newly reinvented summer fundraiser, House Party, promises a fashionable and celebratory night inspired by The Met Gala by way of Studio 54. Set in an immersive art installation, this VIP reception comes alive through performances by artists and musicians. As KST’s signature fundraiser, House Party supports diverse and engaging programming throughout the year.
“Everything we achieve at Kelly Strayhorn is the result of collaboration with and support from our community of artists,” says Hall. “House Party is an invitation for our friends and family to support our collaboration as we continue to build a strong home for community.”
From July 28-30, Legacy Arts Project brings Dance Africa back to the KST stage, celebrating 10 years of Dance Africa in Pittsburgh. There will be performances and a marketplace with off-site workshops.
AUGUST EVENTS
Throughout August, PearlArts hosts PearlDiving Movement Residencies, a series that supports professional movement artists making dance-centered multimedia work by providing rehearsal space, technical support, mentorship, and a stipend through a four-week residency. The dual-track program serves both local and visiting artists and offers an environment where research, play, and risk taking are encouraged.
Artist applications for the residency are due June 29, and the residency takes place from August 1 through 26. On Friday, August 26 at 7:30pm, KST and PearlArts showcase projects in development from selected artists at KST’s Alloy Studios.
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Kelly Strayhorn Theater events operate on an accessible ticket pricing structure called Pay What Moves You. Over the last few years, we heard feedback from artists and audiences alike–our ticket prices needed to better reflect the value and importance of art, as well as supporting artists to live well and thrive. Pay What Moves You encourages audiences to choose a price that best fits their budget, while also still fairly compensating artists. It is also your opportunity to affirm the value of art!
Season events take place at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, located at 5941 Penn Avenue, and KST’s Alloy Studios, at 5530 Penn Avenue, in addition to off-site locations where noted. Attendees should check COVID protocols for off-site events on host location websites.
For full season details, KST COVID policy updates, and tickets, go to kelly-strayhorn.org.
ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER
Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a non-profit community performing arts center in East Liberty, advancing live art through strategic vision and community collaboration with two venues running along Penn Avenue. KST’s Alloy Studios is a cultural hub in the heart of East Liberty, and the historic Kelly Strayhorn Theater is located in the thriving business district. More than 20 years after its founding, KST continues to use its broad reach to impact the contemporary arts and the community. KST’s mission is to be a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. Welcome Home!
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