The Why Collective presented a revised remounting of The Womxn Have Something To Say May 12-14, 2023 while in residence at Nancy Manocherian’s The Cell theatre. This genre-bending theatrical work tells the true stories of 13 women/female-identifying artists as they recount moments of discovering their own unique voice, as well as the shattering moments when their voices were silenced. This collection of personal stories is told through spoken monologues, visual art, chamber music, and dance/movement. Each monologue and accompanying song text is written and performed by the artist herself, including music composed specifically for this project, by Madeline Styskal.
The Womxn Have Something To Say creates a space for women
to write and perform their own lived experiences and to authentically explore their voices and identities. Guided by Director Nicole Kenley-Miller (University of Houston, Opera in the
Heights) and Houston Poet Laureate Emeritus, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, these women of diverse backgrounds (ages, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, artistic disciplines) were able to openly share their intensely personal stories of womanhood to become not only the performers, but the subjects themselves.

This New York Premiere was presented with more layers of narrative story-telling, with bod actors and dancers creating a thread of connectivity between each individual vignette.  While the choreography of each scene was crafted and tailored to suit the needs of the narrative, each scene was tied together through the inclusion of black mesh fabric.  Different lengths of fabric were used as props, costumes and set pieces to illustrate each unique relationship with womxnhood. In one scene, the dancer becomes entangled in the fabric, restricting their movement.  In another scene, the fabric stretches across the length of the stage to create a barrier which the dancers fight against. The resulting physicality allowed the dancers to authentically capture the feelings of being trapped, constrained, shieled, etc.
“My hope is that others will see themselves in these
monologues, or perhaps they'll see their friends, loved ones, coworkers, etc. and they'll be able to engage with the work of honoring & amplifying women's voices with
renewed motivation.” (LDM)

"Glimpses of Light" is a short film directed by Christine Thomas Yoon for Reunion NYC Church.  The documentary-style short film was created as part of an initiative to share the real-life stories of members at Reunion.  In the telling of my own story, we naturally incorporated dance.  The movement  used in "Glimpses of Light" were taken from phrases I choreographed in the moments of time that are spoken of in the story.  In this way, the movement captures the real experiences of grief and affliction. The lighting design is an equally integral part of the choreography; intentionally illuminating / concealing  parts of the movement to reflect the uncertainty of my lived experiences. 

This solo dance tells the story of love.  Inspired and created for my husband on our wedding day, the movement in "Walking Home" encapsulates one of our favorite dates: walking down the Brooklyn Promenade.  Video footage courtesy of Nicole DiGiovanni (Nicole Maria Creative).

Being Ariodante is a new opera by Jonathan Dawe that premiered at the Itallian Academy at Columbia University in 2022.  Set in modern-day Glasgow, this dramatic fast-paced story follows Ariodante, a young man who, beyond his control, is living the life of a character in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, a work written 500 years ago. Living an existence of remarkable predictability, Ariodante searches for release from his pre- plotted life. He is aided and supported by his Deaf brother, Lurcanio, whose abilities in sign language help our accidental hero navigate the twists and betrayals that have led him into peril. In the end, he and his friends find meaning and purpose by realizing their true identity and in doing so create their own life’s story. 

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The choreographic highlights of this work include a strip tease, a rageful destruction of a book, and a club scene with inspirations from 1900s Scottish court dancing.

"Them, Too" was created in 2018 in response to the "Me Too" movement.  It investigates the questions of those who consider themselves a part of the movement: What are the implications of joining the "Me Too" movement? What experience(s) are included (or excluded) from the movement? How does using one's voice intimidate (or empower) you as a survivor?  
The work was created in collaboration with the cast and included broken fragments from their own stories.  It was presented at Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts in Charlotte, NC.