Seahorse

A new play written by JC Pankratz, directed by Nicolas Shannon Savard

Presented in conjunction with the Cleveland Humanities Festival with support from the Baker Nord Center for the Humanities, Synecdoche Works, and the Humanities in Leadership Learning Series at Case Western Reserve University

About the Show

Seahorse, a new play written by JC Pankratz and directed by Nicolas Shannon Savard, will premiere at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts in early April.

The script, which was awarded the 2021 FMM Fellowship for Works in Heightened Language from Synecdoche Works, follows a trans man named Reuben (played by Emmett Podgorski). Reuben is continuing his attempts to conceive a child after the death of his husband. In processing his grief and hope, he turns his insemination endeavors into moments of self-recognition by donning different costumes and personas for each try. Juliet, Zeus, and St. Francis all make appearances. Instead of a funerary parade, this play seeks the purpose of life for the living, for the dead, and for the not-yet-arrived. Surrounding Reuben is an ensemble of actors (Justin Miller, Samantha Cocco, and Minor Stokes) who provide live audio description of the onstage action. Inspired by disability aesthetics, the production approaches accessibility not as simply accommodation but as a rich opportunity for creative exploration: What layers of meaning come out when the audio description becomes a character (or three) in and of itself? How might different voices describing the action add nuance to the story and deepen our exploration of queer-trans embodiment and narrative?

The performances are presented in conjunction with the 2023 Cleveland Humanities Festival. Events associated with the production are made possible with the support of the Baker Nord Center for the Humanities, Synecdoche Works, and the Humanities in Leadership Learning Series at Case Western Reserve University. All events associated with this production of Seahorse are free and open to the public.