Media Contact: Michael Brix
Yes! And… Collaborative Arts
Executive Director
215-278-4264 (215-ART-GANG)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Shadow Company, the teen performing arts company of Yes! And… Collaborative Arts, announces for the 2017 Philadelphia FringeArts Festival the world premier of
The Other
The Other, like the Self, has many faces
Arch Street United Methodist ChurchYes! And… Collaborative Arts
55 North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 1910721 W. Washington Lane, Philadelphia PA 19144
Sept 8 @ 7pm | Sept 9 @ 3pm & 7pm Sept 15 @ 7pm | Sept 16 @ 3pm & 7pm
PHILADELPHIA- The Otheris devised by the high school Shadow Company of Yes! And.. Collaborative Arts. Using the power of shadows, movement and music, The Other dives into a world where people have been segregated into “us versus them.” Natalie Hann, Director of Shadow Company, says that The Other,“Looks at how we, as human beings, either through self preservation or what we have deemed as instincts, have labeled people, groups, or entire peoples as ‘other’. The current culture we live in and the use of social media has made it easier for humans to group people into us versus them, and this production further explores this issue.”
The Other represents not only how society has created a culture of “othering,” but also self reflection the teen members have done about their experiences being “othered” and “othering” others. Brooke Sexton commented on the process by stating, “The members of Shadow Company had to explore this idea of ‘othering’ to understand their own prejudice and how they’ve been ‘othered’ so that they can increase their empathy and open their eyes to how they ‘other’ other people. The process of creating this piece has increased our empathy by reminding us how we feel when we are ‘othered’ and exposed our capacity to ‘other’ others.”
The Other runs approximately 60 minutes and tickets are $10.00. Tickets can be purchased at or
Shadow Company works all year long with the Yes! And… Collaborative Arts staff on the craft of theatre-making and focuses on providing Company members with the on and off stage experience to produce plays, dances, performance art, and even more. Each year, Shadow produces a show for the Philadelphia FringeArts Festival. This show, as many Shadow shows have done, is an artistic piece built from a teenager’s point of view about various events that have recently occurred and impact their world. Shadow is not only an outlet for artistic expression, but an opportunity for high school students from all over the Philadelphia area to take on leadership positions and further their artistic training through hands-on job experience with professional artists. The company is teen-led by a self-selected group called the Core. This Core is currently comprised of seven high schoolers: Olivia Taylor, Miles Jones-Patton, Sondra Fiorella, Alexa Lahr, Joseph Beatty, and Nicole Floyd. Together, they are the student leaders in charge of group social dynamics, fundraising, and supplying the main ideas for the production. Seventeen year old Luke Risher, who has been with Shadow for five years, will be graduating from Shadow this month. For this production, Shadow Company is proud to announce they have received support from the Douty Foundation and the Bread and Roses Fund. This support is due to the social justice work Shadow accomplishes through their grassroots theatre projects. Teen leader Luke Risher stated that he is, “Very grateful that was received this grant (from the Bread and Roses Fund) because we are not just a youth theatre camp, but we also address political and social topics through our work.”
The Yes! And… Collaborative Arts staff is comprised of talented teaching artists that work with Shadow Company to make their vision come to life. Natalie Hann, the Shadow Company Director, is a graduate of Eastern University’s Musical Theater Program. Hann has been working with Yes! And… Collaborative Arts for the last 11 years and she says “To sit in a room with teenagers who are entering high school or moving on to college is an experience in and of itself, because you’ve never seen more honest, impactful, and emotional storytelling from a more eager group.”
Yes! And… Collaborative Arts’ Artistic Director and resident playwright, Brooke Sexton, has been working with Shadow for the last six months leading workshops and brainstorming ideas to develop the characters and plot ofThe Other.Heather McBride is assisting Shadow as an artist-teacher with a specialty in improv instruction, which she studied at Philly Improv Theater, also known as PHIT.
About Yes! And… Collaborative Arts
Yes! And… Collaborative Arts works with children and youth from across Philadelphia in the collaborative and imaginative arts through Summer Theatre Camps, the After School Group, teen Shadow Company, and the Winter and Summer Sort of Thing programs.
About the Fringe Festival
The Fringe Festival, presented by FringeArts, is a 17-day-long performing arts celebration taking over Philadelphia in September and boasting hundreds of performances by local, national and international artists. The party continues every night with FringeArts' Late Night programming in its beautiful venue on the Delaware waterfront - which houses the La Peg restaurant and bar, as well as a spectacular outdoor beer garden. FringeArts amplifies the cultural vibrancy of Philadelphia year-round by presenting the most cutting-edge, world-class performances from all over the world, cultivating local arts innovators, and creating a fun atmosphere for artists and art lovers alike to socialize, converse, and strengthen Philadelphia's artistic community.