Preview for Night of New Works - Get to Know the STOP! team

Our Night of New Works opens at the Bryant-Lake Bowl so soon - Friday July 20, to be exact. To help pump you up for NNW, here's a glimpse of the creators and performers of STOP! (Oh, and tickets are on sale now!)

(Yes…we think sundae toppings are deep…what?)

MEGAN HADLEY (performer)

What's one of your favorite songs on the radio right now?
"Call Me Maybe." No shame.

Who was one of your most influential teachers in your life? Why? 
Jeanne Willcoxon. She is brilliant and makes everything an epic learning adventure and she permeates excitement. She's made me want to be equally as brilliant and excited about my work and the things I learn.

Tell me about your favorite memory from rehearsal so far. 
The first time we started creating the first scenes together  - we were so excited we just couldn't stop exuding energy and trying new things. It was a blast!

Why should people check out STOP! at NNW? 
It's that "old" story of the problem with education these days, but it's told through dance. Pretty cool.

What's one of your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities during the summer? 
SWIM



HANNAH HOLMAN (performer/assistant director)

If you could make the perfect Sundae, what would your toppings be?
All the fruit... it would be like 90% fruit and 15% smooth vanilla bean ice cream (yea, my sundaes are more than 100%).

Who was one of your most influential teachers in your life? Why?
My high school theater director. She taught me how to learn my lines, cross stage left, and stay strong against bullies (because adults get bullied, too, you know). She encouraged me to challenge myself and take risks. She also taught me that teachers don’t have all the answers, but they can help us ask the questions. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and I don’t think I’d be the artist, or human, that I am today if it weren’t for her guidance.

Tell me about your piece. 
The heart of this piece for me is really the theme of bullying. When I was in high school, I witnessed one of my favorite teachers being bullied by the administration and other teachers. It was horrifying, unfair, and unfortunately defined the end of my public school career. As a student, I felt powerless to stop it. STOP! explores the power dynamics of the public school system and how they can stifle learning and creativity.

Why should people check out STOP! at NNW?
I’m always amazed by the power of movement to communicate complex themes and ideas. STOP!, like many other Savage Umbrella productions, uses this medium to tell a story and encourage deeper conversation. While this may not be your specific story, I think you will find a thread of yourself in this tapestry.

What's one of your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities during the summer?
Eat outside on rooftops and patios



CHRISTINA LEIN (director/creator)

What music moves you?
Movie soundtracks and scores… such as the soundtracks from American Beauty, Braveheart, Pay It Forward, Boondock Saints… the list goes on and on…

Tell me about your piece. 
I am a special education teacher in the MN public school system.  After seven years of teaching in the inner-city, I needed to tell my story.  STOP! is a movement/dance exploration piece of the power struggles in public education.  The piece weighs the personal drive to teach against the political effect of educational policies and structures forced upon teachers by districts and administration.

Tell me about your favorite memory from rehearsal so far.
My favorite parts of rehearsals have been collaboratively creating movements for specific scenes then putting them to the music for the first time and having them match up exactly perfectly!

Why should people check out STOP! at NNW?
Savage Umbrella always has beautiful movement sequences embedded into each of their shows…people should check out STOP! because it is a Savage Umbrella piece comprised entirely of collaboratively created movement and dance!

What's one of your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities during the summer?
Go to the LAKE!!



TAMARA TITSWORTH (performer)

What has been your favorite Halloween costume of all time?
Pippi Longstocking with a hanger through my hair in 1st grade. My picture even made a yearbook page, which is pretty sweet for a 1st grader.

Who was one of your most influential teachers in your life? Why?
My choir teacher in high school was an incredible woman. She devoted her life to the program and took on way more than she could handle because she cared about her students and program so much. She took over a 3,500 student school, while pregnant, and our other director was out for cancer. She wanted to make sure that every person still got the best choir program possible.

Tell me about your favorite memory from rehearsal so far.
My favorite memory from rehearsal would have to be the first day we all met. We played and created with scarves for two hours. It was pretty amazing. That was the first taste of our ability to collaborate with each other.

Why should people check out STOP! at NNW?
It has a great message about the importance of being true to oneself and imaginative play/creativity. The piece is unique because the story is told through music and dance only. It is a great challenge for the artist as well as the audience to take in the story.

What's one of your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities during the summer?
This is my first Twin Cities summer, but so far I love walking down to Wilde Roast Cafe and getting gelatto and then walking around the Stone Arch Bridge area.



ANDREW YOUNG (performer)

If you could make the perfect Sundae, what would your toppings be?
I'd keep it simple. Hot fudge (preferably homemade). Some chopped nuts, maybe pistachios if I'm feeling fancy.

What has been your favorite Halloween costume of all time?
There was the time I was not exactly prepared for a halloween party one year and had to improvise. I decided to go as the country of Russia, because why not? I found a paper grocery bag in my backseat, turned it inside-out, wrote "Russia" on the front in Cyrillic (which essentially looks like POCCNA), cut out arm and head holes, and taped some epaulets on the shoulders that were constructed out of cardboard and more brown paper. I am still unsure whether I feel proud or embarrassed by this.

Tell me about your favorite memory from rehearsal so far.
My favorite memory from rehearsal isn't really a single one. It's been an extremely collaborative production thus far, and my favorite moments are when we're all bouncing ideas off of each other, when one person builds off of another's ideas. There have been moments when everything comes together and it's immensely satisfying.

Why should people check out STOP! at NNW?
To see all the hard work everyone has put into this! I feel lucky to be able to work with such a talented group of performers and creators. I'm continually impressed by the dance skills and the caliber of ideas I see from my fellow cast members each rehearsal. The score is a wonderfully done piece created for the show by the inimitable Ben Mattson, and it pretty consistently gets stuck in all of our heads after rehearsal. Christina's done a great job of translating her story into movement, and the topic of the show is important on both a personal and a societal level. I'm impressed with what we've put together so far, and can't wait to see how it all turns out.

What's one of your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities during the summer?
Watching movies in the park! There's a few places around town to do this, and it's pretty fantastic.

Wanna see more of these cuties? Join us at the Bryant-Lake Bowl on July 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th for three new works: A Gamer’s Guide to the Five Stage of Grief, STOP!, and The Golden Carp. Four performances, three shows, and lots of fun! Did we mention tickets are on sale now?