SMALL ACTS OF DARING INVENTION World Premiere to be Presented at HERE

Mason Holdings will present the world premiere of Small Acts of Daring Invention, a theatrical exploration of the real and unreal inspired by the life and work of Dare Wright, author of the children's book series The Lonely Doll. Written and conceived by Mason Holdings Founder and Artistic Director Tracy Weller and created with longtime collaborators director Kristjan Thor and set designers Christopher and Justin Swader, Small Acts of Daring Invention features puppetry by Simple Mischief Studio. The story follows an unmoored woman, adrift in the isolation and fog of forgetfulness, towards an encounter with her long-lost companions – and life. Performances begin May 1 at HERE, with an opening set for Wednesday, May 8, for a limited run through June 1. Tickets are now on sale.

Small Acts of Daring Invention is an image rich, musically driven exploration of the space between this life and the next. The play teases the realness of the unreal and investigates the endless resources of the imaginative realm. With one actress and four puppeteers, Small Acts of Daring Invention lives in an expansive world where the child and adult consciousness coexist. The production asks: How do we bury and resurrect the past? Where does our soul find its home? How do we confront reality and dare to invent our own? On a journey delicate, dangerous, playful, and dark, transcendence is the final destination.

The cast includes Tracy Weller and puppeteers Amanda Glynn Card, Simon Catillon, Takemi Kitamura, Ariel Lauryn, and Andrew Murdock.|

The additional creative team includes Natalie Loveland (costume design), Daisy Long (lighting design), Yana Biryukova (projection design), Phil Carluzzo (original music and sound), Patricia Marjorie (prop design), Mitchell Strong (production manager), Eszter Zador (production stage manager), Molly Foy (assistant stage manager), and Reed Ridgley (producing director/general manager).

Twenty-five performances of Small Acts of Daring Invention will take place May 1 – June 1, 2024 at HERE, located at 145 Sixth Avenue, just below Spring Street, in Manhattan. The performance schedule is Wednesday–Friday at 8:30pm and Saturday at 4pm and 8:30pm. Critics are welcome as of May 2 for an opening on Wednesday, May 8. The anticipated running time is 90 minutes. General admission tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.masonholdings.org. Standard ticketing fees apply.

The production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as a technical liaison. 

About the Artists

Tracy Weller (writer, actress) is an actress, writer, and Founder / Artistic Director of Mason Holdings. She has performed throughout New York City and abroad in Germany, South Korea and Italy. NYC credits include: Hart Island (writer / performer, featured in New York Times, Gothamist and on WNYC), Jarring (writer / performer); Holiday House: Christmas Bends (writer/performer, featured in the New York Times, Design Live and Chance Magazine); Consumption (by Devin Burnam, conceived/developed by Mason Holdings); Most Sincerely, Edward Albee (writer / performer); Love & Death Traveling Circus (by Devin Burnam) and Found (in partnership with Mikel Glass and Cell Theatre). She was the creator and curator of Mason Holdings' Unseen & Unheard (a monthly play reading series producing over twenty-five playwrights in three years), and writer/producer of The Mason Holdings Radio Hour (an experiential podcast in the spirit of old-fashioned radio). Originally trained as a classical ballet dancer, she has additional experience in flamenco, modern, mime, and biomechanics. MFA from Columbia University. Additional training: Anne Bogart and Siti Company. https://tracyweller.land

Kristjan Thor (director) is a critically-acclaimed director of film, theater, and immersive experiences. Over the course of a 20-year career, Thor has directed and produced two feature films, many theater, short film, and video projects as well as leading and managing various types of live events. Thor is also the co-founder and creator of The Blackout Experience, the world's most notorious immersive fear experience. More recently, he directed Preparedness by Hillary Miller and Hart Island by Tracy Weller. He has taught at NYU and NYCDA, where he is currently heading the New Media Program. Additionally, Thor often works as an acting coach for various industry professionals. https://kristhor.com/

Simple Mischief Studio (puppet design) is a creative studio with a soft spot for puppets. In addition to developing original projects, they fabricate puppets for film, TV, theater and picture books. You might have seen their puppets in the film A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood (starring Tom Hanks). They've worked for clients including Nickelodeon, Paramount, Tristar, HBOMax, and even can be found puppeteering onstage at Madison Square Garden with the band Phish. www.simplemischiefstudio.com

Spencer Lott (puppet director) is a Sesame Street puppeteer who's also a writer, director, and puppet designer. In addition to playing Julia's brother Samuel on Sesame Street, his puppetry credits include SNL, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (starring Tom Hanks), Helpsters (Apple+), Disney's The Muppets, Hello Tomorrow! (Apple+) and John Krasinski's upcoming feature film, IF.

Christopher and Justin Swader (scenic design) are scenic designers for theater and live events. Previous collaborations with Mason Holdings include: Hart Island, Consumption, Holiday House,  Jarring. NYC: Dig (Primary Stages), Arden of Faversham (Red Bull Theater), The Knight of the Burning Pestle (Fiasco Theater), Seven Deadly Sins (Tectonic Theater Project), Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson (Working Theater), Malvolio, Seize the King, The Bacchae, Antigone, The Three Musketeers, Macbeth, The Tempest, Dutchman (Classical Theatre of Harlem), Ajijaak on Turtle Island (The New Victory Theatre). Regional: Private Jones (Goodspeed, Signature Theatre), Our Town (Dallas Theater Center), Dial M for Murder (Geva Theatre, Dallas Theater Center), A Raisin in the Sun (Two River Theatre), The Tempest (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Radio Golf (Everyman Theatre). . www.cjswaderdesign.com

Natalie Loveland (costume design) uses clothing as a medium to tell the unique visual story of each individual she dresses. Her design work has been featured in many New York venues and across the country. With Mason Holdings, she designed Hart Island and Holiday House. In addition to design, Natalie recently assisted on the Broadway musical Harmony, the national tour of Shrek, and Charles Busch's new Off-Broadway play, Ibsen's Ghost. As a maker, her recent work with Puppet Kitchen includes a headpiece for Thom Browne's 2024 collection as well as proxy fabrication for the upcoming Paramount film, IF. www.nataliemarieloveland.com

Daisy Long (lighting design) is a lighting designer for theater, opera, concert and dance. Originally from Cambridge, MA, she now lives in New York City. New York credits include: The Shed, Keen Company, BAM, Atlantic, The Barrow Group Primary Stages, Abingdon Theater Company, Mason Holdings, HERE Arts Center, LaMaMa, NYU, AMERINDA, TADA! Youth Theater (National Youth Arts Award for Outstanding Lighting for The Perfect Monster), Manhattan School of Music. Regional credits include: Hartford Stage; Westport Country Playhouse; Everyman Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Alliance, Speakeasy Stage Company (IRNE Award for Best Lighting for The Scottsboro Boys), Kitchen Theatre Company, Yale, Connecticut College, Middlebury, Smith, Interlochen. She is the lighting director for Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, a Roundabout teaching artist, and a USA 829 member. www.daisylong.com

Yana Biryukova (projection design) is a video artist and theater designer based in New York City. Her theatrical designs include collaborations with Krymov Lab NYC, Hartford Stage, Resident Ensemble Players, Barrington Stage Company, Mason Holdings, Miami New Drama, Westport Country Playhouse, Red Bull Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, Yale Opera, Irish Repertory Theatre and many more. Associate credits include Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Broadway). In addition to theater design, Yana has designed and edited films shown at the Venice Biennale 2022, Yale Art Gallery, Catskill Art Society among others. Proud member of USA 829. MFA: Yale School of Drama. www.yanabiryukova.com

Phil Carluzzo (original music and sound) is a composer, producer, and performer based in Virginia.  Past work with Mason Holdings includes music and sound for Hart Island (2022) and Holiday House (2016). Film work includes Kristjan Thor's Astraea (2015).In September 2023, he collaborated with cinematographer Claudio Rietti in NYC to construct the

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