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February 13 - March 8
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Showtimes:
Friday & Saturday - 8 p.m.
Sunday - 2 p.m.
All Tickets are $24
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. In this explosive play about ambition, growing up, and finding our souls in the heat of it all, more is at stake than a first-place trophy. As the competition heats up, literal fangs come out, and the blood, sweat, and tears get very real in a drama about friendship, rivalry, and girls becoming women.
The New York Times declared playwright Clare Barron “insanely talented,” and described the experience of Dance Nation as possessing “the passionate ambivalence of early adolescence with such being-there sharpness and poignancy that you’re not sure whether to cringe, cry or roar with happiness.” The Washington Post said, “I have seen the future, and it is Dance Nation.” Former Artistic Director of Single Carrot Theatre, Genevieve de Mahy directs this Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Please note: This play is best suited to adult audiences and contains explicit material, brief nudity and content that may be triggering. To request a full content warning please email support@fpct.org.
American Theatre Magazine just included Dance Nation on its list of 50 influential plays shaping the 21st Century. To read what they have to say, and learn about the 49 other magnificent modern plays they recommend, visit AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE
Clare Barron talks about Dance Nation at Playwright's Horizons, where it was developed.
Gavin Witt of WBJC speaks with director
Genevieve de Mahy about Dance Nation
Click below to listen to the songs our creative team loved the year they each turned thirteen!
Cast of Characters
Dance Teacher Pat: J Purnell Hargrove*
Amina: Danielle Sumaryo
Ashlee: Barbara Hauck*
Connie: Eesha Gupta
Luke: Marcus King
Maeve: Meghan Stanton Ziccardi
Sofia: Laura Malkus*
Zuzu: Tash Hawkins
Vanessa/The Moms: Courtney Proctor
*Members of Fells Point Corner Theatre
Director: Genevieve de Mahy
Assitant Director: Abigail Dobry
Stage Manager: Chuck Green
Assistant Stage Manager: Penelope Chan*
Choreography: Mari-Andrea Travis
Set and Lighting Design: Michael Vincent*
Sound Designer: Charlie Viola
Intimacy Direction: Kay-Megan Washington*
Producers: Laura Malkus* & J Purnell Hargrove*
*Members of Fells Point Corner Theatre
Production Team
Cast Bios
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PURNELL HARGROVE (they/them) - DANCE TEACHER PAT
The busiest performer in Baltimore, J Purnell Hargrove, is a queer, multi-disciplined performer, producer and general galactic treasure. They’ve been shimmying up and down the East Coast, delighting folx with their signature joie de vivre. Last seen on FPCT’s stage as Sheldon Forrester in Trouble in Mind, they also serve as the Artistic Director for the theatre. J is the Co-Founder and Side-Eye Manager of The Greasy Utterson, a podcast production team whose adaptation of The Secret Garden is available on all major streaming platforms. When not around town doing theatre things, they sit quietly in a red room, tasting various spices, seasonings, and sauces. Previous credits include but are not limited to; Bobby Child in Crazy For You, Seaweed in Hairspray, Lola in Kinky Boots, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Ren McCormick in Footloose, the Musical.
Carpe Noctem… linktr.ee/Actorjph
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DANIELLE SUMARYO (she/her) - AMINA
Danielle Sumaryo is so excited to make her Fells Point Corner Theatre debut as Amina in Dance Nation! Despite ironically quitting dance at the age of 13, Danielle's passion for the performing arts have followed her from adolescence into adulthood. Some of Danielle's most recent roles include Olivia in Twelfth Night (HCC), Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg in Ride the Cyclone (HCC), Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream (HCC), and Clarisse from The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (HCC). Danielle is an SAFD certified actor combatant in single-sword, unarmed, and knife. Outside of theatre, Danielle has a passion for singing, crafting, and makeup art. She would love to thank all her friends and family for supporting her in her theatrical journey.
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BARBARA MADISON HAUCK (she/her) - ASHLEE
Barbara (she/her) is an actor, community activist, ordained minister, and fun fact aficionado. Born and raised in Baltimore, she has been acting since the tender age of six. Some roles of which she is most proud include Marie Antoinette in Marie Antionette and the Magical Negroes (Single Carrot Theatre), Alais in Lion in Winter (Vagabond Players), Kimber in Stick Fly (FPCT), Edward/Betty in Cloud 9 (Baltimore Theatre Project), and W in Cock (FPCT), among others. Barbara earned a BFA in Acting from UMBC and attended the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. Barbara was elected the first Artistic Director in FPCT history in 2019 and served in that role until 2023.
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EESHA GUPTA (they/she/he) - CONNIE
Eesha Gupta is an actor from the greater Baltimore area. This is their debut with the Fells Point Corner Theater, as well as their theater debut in Baltimore! Her previous roles include the Teen/Bobolink in Concord Floral, Orpheus in Eurydice, and Tinsworthy/Ensemble in 9 to 5: The Musical. He has been studying theater at Franklin & Marshall College and the Community College of Baltimore County. Eesha would like to extend their gratitude to the FPCT team, the cast, and the crew for welcoming her with open arms, and they’d like to thank their parents who stayed up with dinner until they returned home at 10:45pm from rehearsal.
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MARCUS KING (he/him) - LUKE
Marcus is a DMV based Actor and recent graduate of UMBC’s BFA Acting Program. His theatre work includes; Dante in Into the Dark Forest, Steve in She Kills Monsters, Father Tuyishime in Our Lady of Kibeho. He also worked as a swing in Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really. Marcus would like to thank his family and friends for their unwavering support.
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MEGHAN STANTON ZICCARDI (she/her) - MAEVE
Meghan Stanton Ziccardi is a performer, writer, and sound designer based in Baltimore. She is excited to return to the FPCT stage after last appearing in their 2019 production of The Effect by Lucy Prebble. Other past credits include: The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem (The Acme Corporation); Every Brilliant Thing (Single Carrot); Pink Milk (Single Carrot); Incredibly Dead (BROS); The Death of Walt Disney (Single Carrot); Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Cohesion); Promenade: Baltimore (Single Carrot).
LAURA MALKUS (she/her) - SOFIA
Laura Malkus is a Baltimore-based performer, activist, and arts management evangelist who has been a veteran of Baltimore’s small stages for the past two decades. She was most recently on stage at FPCT as Jean in Dead Man's Cell Phone. Favorite past roles include Brooke in Other Desert Cities (FPCT), Ms. Thelma in Promenade: Baltimore (Single Carrot Theatre), Brunehilde et al in Das Barbecue (Vags) and Harper in Angels in America I & II (Axis Theatre). She attended the professional actor training program at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in NYC and holds a Certificate in Arts Leadership/Cultural Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University. Laura is a company member at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and currently serves as President of FPCT. Big love to the FPCT team, Lily and Dan, and Larry with whom all is possible.
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TASH HAWKINS (she/they) - ZUZU
Tash Hawkins is a DMV-based actress who studied theatre at Salisbury University. She is thrilled to appear in her first production with FPCT. Most recently, she was seen as Hilda in the Vagabond Players’ production of Room Service. Other favorite roles include Anna Mae in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark and Gonzalo in The Tempest.
COURTNEY PROCTOR (she/her) - THE MOMS
Courtney Proctor quit dance when she was thirteen because she was more interested in boys than ballet. She hadn't yet put her Barbies away. She loved attention so in the 90s she moved to Hollywood. After moving back to Baltimore she worked as an actor and director with Pumpkin and Stillpointe Theatres, among others. These days she's mostly retired to focus on her real life role of Mom.
Production Bios
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GENEVIEVE DE MAHY - (she/her) DIRECTOR
Genevieve de Mahy is a director and multi-media storyteller. She was a founding ensemble member and the former Artistic Director of Single Carrot Theatre (2007-2023). Some of her favorite productions at Single Carrot Theatre include Promenade: Baltimore, An Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, Phoebe In Winter, and Hotel Cassiopeia. She also directed Release the Gowns, an Album Release Party and Holiday Ex-Lover, a music video in collaborations with local band, Outcalls. She has a BA in Theatre, English and French from the University of Colorado and a master’s in public communications from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. Special thanks to Kaveh for handling many kid bedtimes and love to Zora and Arman. Learn more about what she’s up to at genevievedemahy.com
ABBY DOBRY (she/her) - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Abby Dobry is a writer and multi-disciplinary theatre artist from Maryland. This is her second production with FPCT, having portrayed Judy Sears in Trouble in Mind this past fall. Other favorite roles include Bailey Gallagher (John Proctor is the Villain) and Megan Jones (Puffs). Abby would like to thank the entire Dance Nation team for their art and dedication.
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CHUCK GREEN (he/him) - STAGE MANAGER
Chuck Green, Sr. fell in love with theater at an early age. Not a performer, Chuck uses skills developed in his Project Management background to be involved in the production process of a show as Stage Manager. Chuck had his first opportunity as Assistant Stage Manager on the Baltimore Rock Opera Society’s production of Chronoshred: The Adventures of Stardust Laserdong and continues to work with BROS productions as well as other local theater companies (Fells Point Corner Theater, Interrobang, Stillpointe Theatre, Cohesion Theatre Company, Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and Rapid Lemon Productions)
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PENELOPE CHAN (she/her) - ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Penelope Chan has performed multiple onstage and backstage roles since 2006 and currently serves as Board Secretary for FPCT. She moved to the Baltimore area from Los Angeles in 2019 and has been working with Baltimore theaters since 2022. Her favorite roles were Carlotta in Dead Man's Cell Phone (FPCT), Marmee in Little Women (Strand Theater), and Penny Sycamore in You Can't Take it With You (Extracurricular Players at Caltech). Huge love and thanks to her parents, her theater family, and her loving husband Mark.
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MARI-ANDREA TRAVIS (she/her) - CHOREOGRAPHER
Mari Andrea Travis is a theatre director, choreographer, performance artist and adjunct theatre arts professor at Morgan State University (MSU). Rooted in Afro-Diasporic dance, theatre, and interdisciplinary storytelling, her work explores embodied performance as a pathway to liberation, community healing, and social change. She holds an MFA in Dance, from The University of the Arts, and a BA in Theatre Arts from MSU. She has collaborated as a director and choreographer with theatre companies and universities across the eastern United States. Mari Andrea is also a wellness and embodied healing consultant through her company, Sōl.Embodied, integrating movement, performance art, and mindfulness to support holistic well-being and creative empowerment.
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MICHAEL VINCENT (he/him) - SET AND LIGHTING DESIGNER
Michael Vincent has been the Johns Hopkins University Theatre Program’s Technical Director and production designer since 2009, most recently designing aspects of Gross Indecency, Passage, Galileo and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Other recent projects include lighting design for Becoming Wendy at Towson University Center for the Arts, and Technical Director for RENT at ArtsCentric. He has also built and designed sets at The Strand Theatre and Fell’s Point Corner Theatre. Past FPCT set designs have been for In The Blood and Love and Information. Michael is a graduate of the JHU Theatre Program and has an MFA in Theatre Arts from Towson University.
CHARLIE VIOLA (he/him) - SOUND DESIGNER
Charlie Viola is an audio engineer and theater technician with almost a decade of experience. He is a graduate of Goucher College and failed the only stage production course he ever took, but it didn't deter him! Over the course of his theatrical career, he has embraced many production roles including stage manager, assistant director, sound designer, and producer. Favorite past work includes How Plays Are Written: Volume 1 (sound designer), Paula Poundstone (audio engineer), and the Josh Christina Band (audio engineer).
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KAY-MEAGN WASHINGTON (she/her) - INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Kay-Megan Washington is a seasoned stage, television and film actress, and intimacy director. She recently intimacy directed Floating Down to Camelot (Baltimore Playwrights Festival), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (also assistant director; Vagabond Players), and On the Verge (Fells Point Corner Theatre), and assisted with the intimate scenes for Seven Guitars (Spotlighters). In her spare time, she is also the Vice-President and volunteer advocate of FPCT. She would like to thank Steve for putting up with her frequent absences and supporting everything she does (even the nose piercing).