Democracy’s
last
hurrah?
July 19 - September 7, 2024
Kyra Corradin, Lee Gerstenhaber,
Matthew Reckeweg, & Scott Whalen
Meet the Artists Opening Reception
July 20, 2024 | 12-1pm
Gallery Hours: 12 - 6 PM
SEE PROGRAMMING DETAILS BELOW!
Live Creation Hours
Wednesdays - Fridays
12 - 4pm
Transformer is honored to present artists from DC’s Pointless Theatre in a ‘creation lab’ at our 1404 P St. NW space this summer, as they engage community in the artistry of puppet-making and the historic use of puppets in story-telling. Focusing on themes of democracy, Democracy’s Last Hurrah? will emphasize the transformative potential of art, and how artists & community play an active role in shaping social change. The exhibition and series of artist-led programs stress the importance of democracy through contemplation on its potential loss.
Established in 2009, Pointless Theatre Co. is dedicated to creating bold, visceral, and affordable spectacles that gleefully smash the traditional boundaries between puppetry, theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. Transformer will support a group of artists who are part of Pointless Theatre in advancing their work to new audiences, building synergy between our organizations, and highlighting an artform that Pointless Theatre is continuing to evolve.
Utilizing puppetry, dance, performance art actions, drag, drumming and more, Transformer in collaboration with artists of Pointless Theatre and community participants, will promote the value of all voices in creative dialogue about democracy and how we can better lift up those that are most marginalized. Democracy’s Last Hurrah? will culminate with an artist-led parade in Logan Circle Park on September 7. All public programs leading up to the parade will emphasize the transformative ‘power of art’ to drive social change through community organized artistic expression and cultural engagement. Through our community and peer partnerships, Transformer continues to drive cross-cultural collaboration and equity values to elevate the craft and ideas of emerging artists as vital contributions to a healthy democracy.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
All programs free & open to the public.
Live Creation Hours
Wednesdays - Fridays |12 - 4pm
Join Scott Whalen, & other cohort members Wednesday - Friday for live creation hours.
Meet the Artists Opening Reception
July 20, 2024 | 12 - 1 pm
Gallery Hours | 12 - 6 pm
Meet the artists of Democracy’s Last Hurrah? and join us in celebrating the opening of the exhibition and launch of Transformer’s collaboration with Pointless Theatre.
Introduction to Puppetry and Pageantry as a Storytelling Device
August 3, 2024 | 12 - 3pm
Join us for an intro to puppetry and pageantry with the participating artists from Pointless Theater! Learn how puppetry has been historically used as a storytelling device and brainstorm ideas on the kinds of puppets that will be created for Democracy’s Last Hurrah (Sept. 7)!
Community Puppet Build
August 10, 2024 | 12-3pm
Assist the artists from Pointless Theater in the construction of puppets that will be included in Democracy’s Last Hurrah.
Community Puppet Build
August 17, 2024 | 12-3pm
Assist the artists from Pointless Theater in the construction of puppets that will be included in Democracy’s Last Hurrah?
Puppetry Manipulation
August 24, 2024 | 12-3pm
The puppets are built, let’s learn how to use them! Gain an understanding on how to manipulate puppets as a rough “rehearsal” of Democracy’s Last Hurrah Parade around Logan Circle.
Democracy’s Last Hurrah Parade
September 7, 2024 | 4 - 5:30 pm
Join the parade procession around Logan Circle, DC with puppets created by artists and community members alike throughout the course of the exhibition. This collaborative and timely performance will serve as a fantastical representation of what a world without democracy would look like.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Scott Whalen
Scott is a multidisciplinary performance artist residing in the nation's capital, where they have been creating art for close to fifteen years. They are a founding company member of Pointless Theatre, and have been involved in crafting over a dozen original works with the company since its inception in 2010. Scott’s artistic pursuits have focused on telling stories through performance and include professional engagements as an actor, dancer, puppeteer, clown, mascot and improviser. Their work has been featured across the city at such places as The National Portrait Gallery, The National Air and Space Museum, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and The Capital Fringe Festival.
Lee Gerstenhaber
Lee Gerstenhaber is a multidisciplinary theatre artist who has been acting and designing for live performance in the Greater Washington region for the past decade. Originally a Boston native, Lee received her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Maryland. She is a founding company member of Pointless Theatre Co, an ensemble based theatre company focused on blending theatre, dance, puppetry, and the visual arts. Lee’s movement background allows her to enhance verbal storytelling with heightened visual pageantry and her robust vocal training has led to a menagerie of character work. She acknowledges how live performance in a screen based world creates an entirely new tactile and visceral experience for the voyeur, and Lee strongly believes in reminding people of wonderment within the human condition. Lee also has a focus in costume design and construction and can be found performing and designing for corporate events with Skylark Creative Group. As an avid lover of spectacle and chanting, Lee stands by “more is more!”
Matthew Reckeweg
Matt Reckeweg (they/them) is a queer theatre director and teaching artist based in Washington, D.C. As a founder of a Pointless Theatre, Matt served as Co-Artistic Director for thirteen years making significant contributions to the arts community, creating innovative original work that blends puppetry, dance, music, and visual arts. As a teaching artist, Matt has worked with hundreds of students across the DMV at such theaters as Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Atlas Performing Arts, and Dance Place. Driven by a passion for visual storytelling and a commitment to artistic excellence, Matt continues to push the boundaries of traditional theatre, challenging audiences to see the world through a new lens.
Kyra Corradin
Kyra Corradin (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist, yoga teacher, and physical therapist based in Washington, DC. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Theatre, and received her Yoga Teaching Certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Massachusetts. Kyra is a company member of Pointless Theatre and has worn many hats over the years and both a designer and performer. She has designed and built puppets and masks many times for Pointless (The Sleeping Beauty, Imagination Meltdown, Doctor Caligari, A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular, and others) After spending a number of years creating theatre and teaching yoga, Kyra became interested in physical rehabilitation and returned to school to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the George Washington University, where she graduated with honors in 2019. Kyra currently provides treatment and care at Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation in Downtown Washington.