Mad Horse Theatre Company Presents DANCE NATION By Clare Barron, April 20- May 14

Mad Horse Theatre Company presents Dance Nation by Clare Barron April 20th - May 14th.

Dance Nation, directed by Lisa Muller Jones, is an unexpected, whimsical and touching experience that subverts the classic coming of age story into something as weird, messy, and wonderful as actual puberty.

Somewhere in America an army of preteen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. If they are good enough, they'll claw their way to the top at the Boogie Down Grand Prix in Tampa Bay. But in Clare Barron's raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers (all played by adult actors) have more than choreography on their minds. Every dance move is a step toward finding themselves, and a fight to unleash their power.

Dance Nation, a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize, captures the sweet, strange and uncomfortable aspects of growing up in and surviving the world of competitive tween dance. Using adult actors allows us to see what these kids are going through and see the persons they will eventually become; to witness both the kid going through it in real time and the adult who will always carry that moment with them.

Clare Barron is a playwright and performer from Wenatchee, Washington. Her play Dance Nation is the recipient of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, The Relentless Award established in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. Other plays include: You Got Older (Mad Horse production, 2021) which received an Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Play, and was a Susan Smith Blackburn finalist; I'll Never Love Again and Baby Screams Miracle. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award for Drama, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award at The Vineyard, and the Page 73 Fellowship; and is a member of New Dramatists.

The cast features Company Members Savannah Irish, Allison McCall, Marie Stewart Harmon, and Janice Gardner with Guest Artists Jared Mongeau, Robbie Harrison, Komal Redu, Noli French, and Rumbidzai Mufuka.

The production team includes Company Members: Mark Rubin (Production Manager) and Christopher Price (Set Designer); and Guest Artists: Lisa Muller Jones (Director), Caroline Smith (Stage Manager), Nate Speckman (Sound Design), Kat Moraros (Props), Chris DeFillip (Lighting Design), Braden Socquet (Costumes), Kaylin Kerina (choreographer) and Hollie Pryer (intimacy coordinator)

Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 and Sundays at 5:00 (Sunday 5/14 is at 2:00 pm) All shows are Pay-What-You-Decide. No charge reservations are strongly suggested. To connect with Mad Horse Theatre Company visit www.madhorse.com.

Mad Horse continues to assess the Covid situation. The safety of our audience, performers and support crew are of the upmost importance to us. At this time, Mad Horse requires masks inside the building for all audience members, Mad Horse event personnel, volunteers, and artists.

For more information, please refer to our website www.madhorse.com.

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