Review: Ambition and Purpose are an Effective Match in YS1 Yusef Shelton Da First’s Hip-Hop Show “Ignite”
By Vanessa Reseland
Photos be Renee Rosensteel
Continuing Recital’s sponsored partnership with the New Hazlett Theater, we are presenting a series of editorially-independent previews and reviews of the 2022–23 Community Supported Art (CSA) Performance Series.
Musical artist known as, YS1 Yusef Shelton Da First, billed his show, Ignite, as “95% hip-hop and 5% documentary film/other musical-elements.” His debut performance at the New Hazlett Theater fulfilled these promises while supplying plenty of unexpected surprises. Ignite delivered high quality, high energy hip-hop performance, yes, but it unmasked the traditional concert experience by delving deeply into the life and process of YS1 himself. The performance involved a cast of musicians, dancers, singers, motivational speakers, and flashbacks of YS1 before he was YS1, turning it from large-scale concert to autobiography to included-with-the-price-of-admission life coaching seminar to intimate acoustic night. The fourth wall was dismantled in order to meaningfully involve the audience, and the elements were all pulled together to captivate and inspire.
For a show billed as a YS1 hip-hop performance, Ignite immediately surprised its audience with the entrance of Marcell Johnson, the evening’s apparent host and hype-man. In a moment that felt slightly off-track from the casually anticipatory pre-show energy flow, he introduced himself as a “Motivational Speaker” and promoted “Back 2 Purpose,” the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) program he and Yusef bring to schools throughout the Pittsburgh area, specifically (but not exclusively) aiming to reach young Black and Brown students who may not have access to these resources otherwise. Johnson’s speech was complete with a slide featuring his social media handles and an offer for us to subscribe. He welcomed the packed theater with a disarmingly informal and grounded tone as he roused enthusiasm for YS1 and the impending performance. Johnson spoke so confidently and with such ease and charm that the surprise marketing pitch was largely taken in stride.
After the SEL promo, which set the tone for upcoming moments with Johnson throughout the show, the room dimmed to show lighting designer Broughton Ganaway’s flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder over projected, dark clouds on minimalist, separated screens, informing us that the show was about to begin. For real.
From the moment he shot out of a metaphorical cannon and onto the stage, YS1 Yusef Shelton Da First was an energetic and magnetic force. In a reflective blue track suit and slick shades, sporting a “Da First” t-shirt underneath, YS1 made the 500-seat New Hazlett Theater feel like an intimate venue for such a sweeping performance. Dancers Kontara Morphis (choreographer) and Rickia Davenport exploded on both sides of Yusef, complimenting and emphasizing the lyrics with electric dance moves and hyping the audience with no-nonsense, intoxicating stare-downs. Also wearing “Da First” sweatshirts, the unification of the message and branding was clear immediately. No one on stage came here to mess around.
The music was wide-ranging, veering from cool and dancey beats to smooth Rhodes piano tones to soaring 80s guitar solos from music director Drew Bayura, all anchored by drum prodigy RJ Williams. There were even folky, acoustic ballads backed by singers Aris Ross and Stacia Vonn. Bayura created a strong foundation for YS1’s lyrics to float throughout the theatre and reach the listener effectively. The variation tickled the senses, tugged at heartstrings, and made it hard to sit still, often feeling like more of a dance party than the theatrical setting allowed.
Spirited and playful rhymes about painful subjects documented his early life in Homewood without parental support. YS1 got personal about the struggles that ultimately led him to his salvation. At age 16, he discovered the positive pathways he lacked in childhood after discovering the unconditional love he received from God.
During a short documentary with the hallmark quick-edits of the TikTok generation, YS1 narrates the difficulties of his life before finding his faith and his purpose as we see clips and photographs of a younger Yusef, before finding the moniker, YS1. The savvy use of media ingratiates himself to the audience, taking us on the journey toward his motivation in life before encouraging the audience to find their inspiration as well. His faith is the cornerstone of his story, this production, and the message, but it is more testimonial than evangelism. Leadership by example, not a step towards indoctrination.
There are a number of moments between songs where YS1 or Johnson directly address the audience. These moments reveal details about their personalities and strengthen the bond between performer and audience. During one of the intervening speeches, YS1 references a Tupac Shakur quote he’d heard as an impressionable young rapper. He paraphrases the quote, “I’m not saying I’m the one, but I’m gonna spark the one that will start a wildfire.” A concept like this, from such a raw and influential young poet, called to him, inspiring YS1 to be “the one” and “live a life passionately on fire.”
During the Q&A after the show, YS1 cites rapper and producer J. Cole as an inspiration. It’s an apt comparison — like J. Cole, YS1’s flow is versatile, his storytelling contains layers, and he pulls from many musical genres. When he sings, he has a smooth and easy tone, and his subject matter is poetically anecdotal while holding a mirror to his own behavior. But YS1 has a point of view and a purpose that is possibly more akin to Socrates.
He raps “to ignite purpose.” Ignite’s story is his quest for redemption, hope, self-love, and soul-healing, but its purpose is to send the audience on the same journey within themselves. The messages are clear: DON’T LET YOUR SITUATION DEFINE YOU. FIND YOUR INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE. BE “DA FIRST” YOU THAT THERE IS. The “Da First” brand is not only a reference to “YS1 Yusef Shelton Da First,” it’s a possible philosophy for any of us.
Yusef is the preacher, and we can feel he is preaching to more than just the people present at the New Hazlett. His social media is a presence in and of itself. His posts are highlighted in the documentary footage shown during non-musical intervals, and the audience felt encouraged to take photos and videos during the show — this is usually prohibited in the theatre — and post them online, tagging YS1. He seems to harness the power of marketing in the modern age as he weaves it into the performance, making the show simultaneously art and promotion for the art. It is an oddly charming commercialism sprouting from an underdog you want to win. Where someone less generous or genuinely enthusiastic may come across as self-absorbed or opportunistic, YS1 seems to be seizing a moment he deserves. Social media handles are the way of the modern world, like it or not, and online culture can spark legitimate careers. YS1 took moments to speak to the crowd so forthrightly about his business strategy and desire to blow up that it became endearing when it could have easily been offputting.
“I made myself a brand, now the brand’s in demand, like the span of an eagle where I’m starting to expand.”
He is so committed, squeezing the most he can from this opportunity that the audience pulls for him, wanting him to gain fans — is there a distinction between a “fan” and a “follower” in 2023? — make money, and take over the world. Despite the initial jarringness of this show’s blatant self-promotion — we’d already bought our tickets !— YS1 and his crew give back as much as they request.
Motivational moments with Marcell Johnson occur throughout the show. The hip-hop rock star vibe slows at one point to settle us into an SEL/Transformational moment. Johnson focuses the audience on group breathing exercises (slightly scary in a COVID world) and positive affirmations. The self-consciousness one may feel when they hear the words “audience participation” mostly fades away when met with the “give it all you got” spirit of the night and the beaming smile of our new, unexpected life coach. The power of a theatre full of people cheering, “I believe in myself!” and “I will fulfill my purpose!” is palpable. It’s hard to argue with the power of positivity; it’s easier to let it wash over you. In a world constantly encountering anger and division, it was a relief to sit in a room that felt safe and deeply optimistic.
After the transformational session with Johnson and a YS1 costume change into a less flashy cream turtleneck and orange cargo pants with a matching vest, the room settles into a more intimate vibe. There’s a distinction between humility and playing yourself right out of an opportunity, and YS1 and his crew take total advantage of the moment while keeping the credit in a heavenly realm instead of taking it for themselves. “Let your light shine.” Yusef is a flood light, and he shines that light on his company. Talking up his fellow artists, Yusef is generous and earnest with his praise, using effusive adjectives to introduce his band, dancers, and host.
YS1 invites vocalist Dejah Monea to perform “Love Yourself,” her inspirational song with a sensual R&B beat reminiscent of the early 2000s. Monea’s silky smooth, sometimes breathy timbre and buttery riffs enwraps her audience.
A moving violin solo by Tomi Adebayo brings the drama into the literal spotlight with self-described “super villain music mode.” Adebayo also features on a sweet, folky love song, a duet by YS1 and Monae.
The second half of the show dips into calmer waters with YS1 and the band indulging in a number of ballads. These songs are beautiful but the number of songs in this section tends to drag the pacing of the show. Luckily, we’re treated to another round of high-energy hip-hop that bring the crowd to their feet for a vigorous standing ovation.
YS1’s talent and persistence is undeniably intoxicating. His ability to surround himself with top-notch artists sharing an aligned vision is stirring. Watching him on stage, it seems he could conquer the world. But, first, you need to follow him at @yusefsheltondafirst. Like and subscribe.
Gregory Williams. Photo courtesy of Gregory Williams.
Nearly $300K in grant money is going to 15 Pittsburgh-based artists
By Jason Phox
Almost $300,000 from The Heinz Endowments will go to 15 Pittsburgh-based artists whose work highlights people living with accessibility challenges, the effects of the war in Ukraine on Russian children or helping youth learn to make music.
The Heinz Endowments Creative Development Awards support and advance the careers of local artists through increased visibility with professional partnership opportunities and financial backing.
The $296,450 in grants supports artists in a range of disciplines, including filmmaking, photography, theater and 3D-printed sculpture. Grant amounts in the program’s latest cohort vary from $8,000 for individual artists to $35,000 for artist residency collaborations.
“The art that enriches our daily lives is all around us, from the sculptures in our parks to the artists living and creating in our neighborhoods,” says Mac Howison, program officer for creative learning at The Heinz Endowments.
“The artists and organizations funded by the Creative Development Awards are shining a light on Pittsburgh’s triumphs and challenges; amplifying their deep connection to both our city and the world at large; and bringing insight, joy and beauty to all in our region,” says Howison.
The recipients are:
Mellissa Catanese. Photo courtesy of Melissa Cantanese.
Melissa Catanese: $20,000 to support the production of a book, image prints and an installation of “The Lottery,” inspired by the classic Shirley Jackson short story.
Natalie Condrac: $9,285 to fund the creation of a 3D miniature house influenced by Pittsburgh’s intertwined neighborhoods.
Karina Dandashi: $18,000 to support two film projects: “Out of Water” and “Cousins,” which explore nuances in identity through the intersection of family, religion and culture in Southwest Asian and North African countries, and in Muslim communities in America.
Film Pittsburgh: $35,000 to support an artist residency with filmmaker Gregory Williams for post-production work on his documentary film, “Warriors.” The film intertwines the story of a Pittsburgh teen who had never before joined a protest, but very much wanted to, with images and documentary footage from protests that have taken place in Pittsburgh.
Petra Floyd. Photo courtesy of Petra Floyd.
Petra Floyd: $20,000 to support the development of “Audio.belisk,” a sonification of the sculpture “Five Factors” in Pittsburgh’s Mellon Park by artist Peter Calaboyias.
Guardians of Sound: $35,000 to support Idasa Tariq’s one-year creative, performance and teaching artist role with the Hip Hop Orchestra.
Owen Lowery: $11,715 for the development of artwork prioritizing people living with accessibility situations. The multi-disciplinary artist’s “Access” project will include a series of interactive installations featuring mediums of accessible communication such as braille, sign language, text-to-speech, haptic feedback and Morse code.
Bryan Martello: $20,000 to support the completion of “The Front Yard,” a series of ephemeral black-and-white photographs that meditate on themes of pride, political rhetoric and the flexibility of history.
Darrin Milliner: $8,000 to support professional studio space at Pittsburgh’s Redfishbowl Studios and an immersive solo art exhibit. Milliner’s work incorporates digital and analog collage, painting and illustration.
Jason Méndez. Photo courtesy of Jason Méndez.
New Hazlett Theater: $35,000 to support a residency with Jason Méndez to write and produce “Sons of the Boogie.” The play explores the changes a Puerto Rican writer’s former Bronx neighborhood has experienced from the golden age of hip-hop in the 1990s to the present day.
Emily Newman: $16,500 for support of a film about Russian children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Felicity Palma: $20,000 to support research, production, studio materials and equipment to create an experimental film that examines the effects of cancer treatment on a young working-class woman’s body.
Mathew Rosenblum: $12,350 to support an audio recording of a new contemporary classical music work, “We Lived Happily During the War.” The work is influenced by Ilya Kaminsky’s poem of the same name that reflects the isolation, pain and political inaction he witnessed during the pandemic.
Sharrell Rushin: $15,600 to hire models to stage custom reference photos for use in prepping upcoming paintings, allowing her to lessen dependence on found images and stock photos and create art that highlights a broader variety of skin tones, textures and color palettes.
Marvin Touré: $20,000 to secure a two-year, fixed lease on a customized studio with industrial ventilation to facilitate the safe creation of his sculptures, which often include thermoplastic adhesives, silicone and resins.
By the time he was a young teenager, Yusef Shelton was well on his way to being an inner-city statistic.
The 26-year-old rapper who goes by Ys1, aka Yusef Shelton Da First, grew up in Homewood with a single mom. She was “out of the picture” by the time he was 9, he says.
Before he was even in middle school, he was engulfed by gang life, leading to an incident when he was 14 that accelerated a change.
“I ended up getting shot at that summer,” he says. “One of my close friends got hit, my cousin got grazed and a bullet that was intended for me just flew past my head. It was in that moment, just after that moment, that I realized I don’t just wanna die in the hood and just become another statistic.”
What happened next is part of “IGNITE,” Ys1’s autobiographical concert experience this week at the New Hazlett Theater as part of its 10th season of Community Supported Art.
After that scare, Shelton moved to Phillipsburg, N.J., around 2011, to live with a distant uncle. In Pittsburgh, he had been part of a hip-hop crew called Swag Official, inspired by his love of Gucci Mane, Lil Boosie, Soulja Boy and Wiz Khalifa, and then in Jersey, he says, “I really studied everything that J. Cole and Kendrick were doing and just watched the whole rap game because I just knew at one point in time I would really love that to be an option,”
That was secondary, though.
“I was primarily focused on trying to make it to the NFL,” he says, “and rap was the plan B. I wanted to be an NFL player-slash-rapper-slash-motivational speaker.”
Because of his uncle’s death, as a high school football player, he had to move around to various people’s houses, but he was driven by both fear and ambition.
“Coming from the inner city,” he says, “you really don’t see a lot of people doing things that are out of the normal and you think you’ll be stuck there your entire life, so you don’t really see more possibilities for yourself. Moving to New Jersey was the first eye opener for me to be like, ‘Man, there’s so much more to life, and I can pretty much do anything.’
“But it wasn’t until I was around 16 years old that I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. That’s where I began this path of self-discovery and where I began to sprout into this individual who’s just very consciously aware of the decisions that I make.”
Shelton did go on to play football (wide receiver and free safety) at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, but dropped out after one semester, overwhelmed by taking on too much between the team, the classes, the gospel choir and other “distractions.”
At a loss for what to do, in 2017, he reached out to his grandmother and made a trepidatious move back to his old stomping grounds in Pittsburgh.
“At first, I was really trying to keep the positive mentality,” he says, “and everybody in the hood was able to really recognize that I changed, that I was different, and they respected me. But being around the environment just pulled me back in and I definitely reverted to some of my old ways and adopted some of my old ways of thinking, and that led me into a further state of depression and anxiety.”
This time, the remedy was fasting, praying and getting back to the church.
“I had this grandiose vision for my life when I was around 16 years old,” he says, “and I knew that the only way that I’d be able to achieve that vision was to get back into alignment. And so, 2019 was the year that I really decided to take my faith more seriously.”
He began to build a following for the freestyle raps he released on social media every Thursday and, in 2020, he won Point Park University’s inaugural Vigor, Vibe and Venture competition to establish himself as a music entrepreneur. From the Mac Miller Foundation, he acquired equipment to enhance his recordings.
While working two part-time jobs — one with school kids that was suspended due to the pandemic — he was collaborating remotely with Maya Brown, a hip-hop producer in Texas. She produced the singles that became “Da First Mixtape.” He’s since displayed his growth and his natural flow with two more, “Off Days” and “Invite Only.”
When he’s writing, he says, “I just put myself in the 9-year old Yusef shoes. I was in the streets and I understood that mentality, so whenever I make my music, I’m just thinking about speaking to that young kid. I’m not really focused on just like trying to make broad music. I have a specific target and it’s just my younger self, the one who didn’t have a purpose, the one who didn’t have parents, the one who didn’t have guidance. And if I could like just give him some guidance through my music or just like really just be able to speak to his struggle, I know he would be able to relate.”
What also sets Shelton apart as a performer is using a live band. At the Hazlett, he will be joined by pianist/guitarist/music director Drew Bayura, drummer RJ Williams, violinist Tomi Adebayo (violin) and singers Dejah Monea, Aris Ross, and Stacia Vonn, along with choreography by Kontara Morphis and dance by Rickia Davenport.
“Last summer,” he says, “I performed with a live band for the first time and I loved the energy. I think it just makes the music come to life a little bit more. It goes from you just being a regular rapper on stage to you having a whole concert experience. For me, it’s exhilarating when I hear those heavy drum hits and that electric guitar. It really amps me up and I just vibe off of that.”
‘IGNITE’ is at the Hazlett, North Side, at 8 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20 to $30; newhazletttheater.org.
Ys1 Yusef Shelton Da First Sparks Your Spiritual Side with Hip-Hop Experience “Ignite”
Artist Ys1 — Yusef Shelton Da First — is a true orator out of Homewood in Pittsburgh. I recently sat with him to discuss his upcoming hip-hop musical experience, Ignite, the first New Hazlett Theater CSA show of 2023. Each response to my questions flowed with the poetry, eloquence, and the quick-thinking that makes him an entrancing rapper. Delving into his background in hip-hop, Ignite is Ys1’s first foray into a full-scale theatrical production. In the following conversation, he tells me what it took to get here.
Treat yourself to his deeply feel-good musings on spirituality, overcoming adversity, and the meaning of one’s life, and you might feel a little more grounded, peaceful, hopeful.
Ignite has three showings, Thursday, February 16th at 8 PM and Friday, February 17th at 11 AM & 8 PM. Tickets range from $20–$30 and are available at https://newhazletttheater.org/events/ignite/.
Vanessa Reseland: Can you just tell me your full name and what you want to go by and the name of the show?
Ys1: My name is Ys1 Yusef Shelton Da First, and what I do is I rap to ignite purpose. I have a show February 16 and 17th called Ignite…and it’s gonna be fire.
VR: That’s a good catchphrase.
Ys1: Yeah. Bigtime.
VR: Can you tell me a bit about the format of your show? How much of it is hip-hop?
Ys1: I would say, like, 95% of it is hip-hop. The other five is storytelling through documentary-style films that will be playing during the show as well as some other musical-element performances. There’s gonna be multiple different instrumentations throughout the show, but primarily, it’s going to be a hip-hop experience, a rap performance. I’ll have a live band, backup singers and dancers. Man, it’s really a dream come true.
VR: It’s your first time creating a theatrical piece?
Ys1: It’s my first time putting on a full production. Last year, in 2022, I was booked for a [rap] show practically every other weekend throughout the whole entire year. This is my first time ever having the resources and this space, the platform to really host and curate my own event. This is my first time putting on my own production.
VR: How do you feel about that?
Ys1: Just last night we were having dance rehearsal, and it was my first dance rehearsal with the dancers, and I had two dancers on both sides of me as I’m looking into the mirror, and I got flustered with emotions. I’m like, “Hold on, hold on, hold on, stop the music. Cut everything off —
“Just be still for a second.”
I really wanted to cry because I remember being a little 12/13 year old boy rapping with my homies in a rap group, and then now, here I am 10/15 years later, and I’m actually living out the dream. I’ve always imagined being able to do stuff like this. It’s surreal to me.
VR: Can you tell me a little bit about that journey?
Ys1: It’s been a very long journey, and I overcame a whole lot to get to this space. It really started when I was 13 years old, and I was in a rap group with a couple of my homies. I was not even trying to be a rapper at first. My friends convinced me to get on songs, and from that space, I always used music as an outlet for me to be able to express what was going on around me in my community and my family, and it was the thing that I was able to use to be able to mark the time of where I was at that point and space in my life.
Around the time I was 16 years old, I had a very, very huge change and shift in my life where I accepted Jesus into my heart, and it opened me up to a whole new path for life. I started making music that would be coined as “gospel rap.” It was very different from the rap that I was making when I was growing up and in the hood and living the lifestyle.
Now, the music that I make in this space that I’m in is really music that will give you a bit of both worlds. That’s why my rap name is Ys1 because I’m a holistic individual. I’m not just giving you the me that’s from the streets that’s putting on a facade of, “I’m so hard and so tough and so gangster,” but I’m also not just giving you, “I’m this church boy, and I’m so straight up that I don’t make no wrong decisions.” The music that I make is well-rounded. I’m able to share where I come from and the things that I’ve experienced and how I got through those experiences, but I’m also able to share the principles of God, and I’m able to share my morals and my character and my values and the things I truly believe in.
VR: Can you talk a little more about faith and breaking the cycles of adversity?
Ys1: Part of why my brand is called “Da First” is because I really want to encourage people to be the most genuine and authentic version of themselves. For me, faith was a tool that I used to discover who I am. If I am a creation, then there must be a creator, and if there’s a creator then there must be some sort of intention for my being. There must be a reason why I’m on Earth. So I always encourage people to try to get back to the original first reason why you were placed on this Earth.
VR: Some people who might not have spiritual side to them might be a little nervous to hear that this is about faith or has to do with God. What would you say to them about your show?
Ys1: I don’t make my music for people who are religious. I make my music because I was a nine-year-old boy who did not have either one of his parents. I was raised a Muslim, but I didn’t know what to believe fully. I understand what he was thinking when he didn’t have faith. I understand that whole frame of thinking, and so I speak to him directly, and I know that if I could hit his heart, then there’s a lot of other people who will relate to that message.
There is grief that happens a lot in the city of Pittsburgh. There’s a lot of sorrow and mourning because of death. We understand that people don’t really have the space to know what to do with that grief and that sorrow. We created that space where other people could come and receive that healing through music.
VR: When it comes to this show in particular, was there a story or a concept first?
Ys1: It’s the story of how I got here. If you come to the show, you’ll see it’s me literally showing you where I was as this boy who was lost and my whole journey of navigating adolescence and turning into an adult and now being an adult and walking in purpose and living life passionately on fire. It’s a concert with a storyline. It is a very big, explosive rap deliverance. That is for sure.
VR: Are you the sole performer in this show?
Ys1: There will be other individuals interwoven throughout the show who will give you different elements such as singing or violin. I have a drummer and someone who will play keys and play guitar. They’ll each have a spotlight to be able to showcase their abilities. These are all individuals I have seen in the city of Pittsburgh who are working toward moving humanity forward with really dope music and being very great at their craft. I’ve seen that they were rising as young stars in the city, and I just wanted to highlight each one of these individuals.
VR: Who are some of your collaborators?
Ys1: Drew Bayura is my MD [musical director]. He is extraordinary. He plays so many instruments and is responsible for helping put together all of the live arrangements. I’m grateful for Broughton Ganaway, another amazing individual who does lighting and projection. He is literally a genius. I have another friend named Dejah Monea. She could literally sing the roof off the building; she’s amazing. Two accompanying artists, Aris Ross and Stacia Vonn. They have such a warm, generous, loving spirit. Tomi Adebayo in an amazing violinist. RJ Williams, this kid is crazy. He plays drums; he’s 18 years old now. He’s been traveling the world with a whole bunch of different people in the industry, and I’m really excited to have him be a part of the show because his energy is everything. He brings so much fun and so much joy into the atmosphere. We also have my man, Marcel Johnson. He is going to be the host of the whole entire show. He’s a transformational speaker and a life coach, and he’s also my best friend.
The dancers! We have Kontara Morphis and Rickia Davenport. They’re very childlike in a way that they make learning these routines fun. They’re both educators as well. I’m very grateful for y’all.
VR: Can you touch on your experience being a person of color from Pittsburgh, being an artist and having this platform to inspire young Black kids who need to see people like you accomplishing their goals.
Ys1: The neighborhood that I’m from in Pittsburgh is Homewood. Homewood has been very synonymous with gun violence and death and drugs and addicts, but I really want to shift the narrative to show that you can be from Homewood and be an amazing individual. There are some very, very dope people that come out of Homewood. Why I think it’s so important for me to be consistently elevating is that I have a story that is so relatable to so many people. I haven’t really seen anyone in the mainstream that has been able to tell the story of what it was like coming up in Homewood — the community and the love that was actually in that community. I didn’t choose to have that story. I was just given and blessed with that story to be able to tell it. I have a message and a story that will register with a lot of other neighborhoods in America, in Pittsburgh, in Homewood. I know it’s gonna hit home with some people.
VR: So, after your audience sees the show, what would you want to be running through their minds on the way home?
Ys1: So, what I know that they’ll take away from this show is that they will walk away from this experience being filled. They will be fulfilled knowing there is love for them specifically. Whenever they walk away from this show, they will feel inspired to do what they were sent to Earth to do.
Ignite has three showings, Thursday, February 16th at 8 PM and Friday, February 17th at 11 AM & 8 PM. Tickets range from $20–$30 and are available at https://newhazletttheater.org/events/ignite/.
Nathan Wagner’s Perdita Focuses on Hope in the Wake of Loss
By Vanessa Reseland and David Bernabo
Photos be Renee Rosensteel
Continuing Recital’s sponsored partnership with the New Hazlett Theater, we are presenting a series of editorially-independent previews and reviews of the 2022–23 Community Supported Art (CSA) Performance Series. Below is our review of Perdita by Nathan Wagner, a collaborative response from Vanessa Reseland and David Bernabo with guest panelists Eric Graf, Ariel Xiu, and Luis Zul. Read their bios at the end of the review.
***This review contains spoilers***
The description for Nathan Wagner’s Perdita reads a bit flat on paper. A high school student is bored in class. He’s incredibly bright and can breeze through the curriculum, but he’s having trouble navigating the social experience. Also, a ghostly bard–Shakespeare–is following him around, distractingly quoting passages from his own books. Fine. But there’s a twist. What reads as a somewhat pedestrian high school tragicomedy turns out to be an immensely powerful story about compounding traumas and the search for hope in the form of self-realization and the cultivation of community. This difficult thematic terrain is expertly executed by an impressive cast. They seamlessly bring to life a complicated 100-page script (with only six days of rehearsals) that is crammed with anxieties, micro- and macro-aggressions, humor, and an endless string of Shakespearean zingers. Floating between outsized caricatures and detailed, complicated emotions, Perdita is a surprisingly stinging critique of systemic bigotry as well as a how-to guide for moving forward in the wake of loss.
Ethan Davis Butler, Anya Epstein, and Danielle Powell.
In the first act, the audience is, to some extent, in the dark. Ethan Cole, played by the charming and adept Ethan Davis Butler, is a self-proclaimed comedian, cracking legitimately funny jokes that also act as a cover for some form of past trauma. He cracks jokes in class, in the hallway, and in the principal’s office. He’s often too smart for his own good, answering every teacher’s request with a clever, word-heavy campaign of resistance. A cycle forms. Each scene starts innocently but ends in a fever pitch. A teacher is questioning the class or pairing students up for partnered assignments. Five minutes later, Ethan has detention or is nearing expulsion. The cycle repeats throughout the first act, often leaving Ethan in a shell of frustration and isolation.
Surrounding Ethan is a cast of friends and foes whose punchy dialogue keeps the pace of Perdita lively. There are caricatures of the high school microcosm–“the nerd, the bully, the weirdo” — and while the play’s focus remains on Ethan, occasionally, the caricatures are given an opportunity to dig into their own histories. For example, we hear allusions to the “not straight” sexual orientation of Barbara, hilariously played by Danielle Powell. Elsewhere, there’s a cafeteria scene where Ethan reveals his personal losses to his love interest that is reminiscent of a scene in The Breakfast Club where the detainees divulge their hidden pains. But the romantic interest, Sarah, played with skillful awkwardness by Anya Epstein, doesn’t get a chance to express much of her personal history. She often exists solely as a safe place for Ethan to open up and allow his story to be told. Perhaps diving deeper into the family lives of these characters, as the play does with the bigoted rival Kennedy, played with a pitch-perfect sense of entitlement by Mason Down, could flesh out the world as Ethan attempts to find his community within it.
High school, the concept and the place, is another character. The high school in Perdita is a curious conflation of current day politics and nods to 1990s pop culture high school-based dramedies. There are scene change music cues styled like those from Saved By the Bell and My So-Called Life. Anthems like Wheatus’s “Teenage Dirtbag” send us back twenty years, for better or worse. There’s a literal shout out to Baz Luhrmann’s film Romeo + Juliet, and of course, who could forget the Shakespearean plot of 10 Things I Hate About You. Given these reference points, it’s lucky that the teen angst in Perdita is dialed down, opting for drama instead of melodrama.
Regarding the physical representation of high school, set designer Samantha Olszewski used only the required elements–a whiteboard, half a dozen desks, and two painted lockers. Though somewhat bare and lackluster, the set clearly resembled a high school and the modular mobility of the set kept between scenes fluid and quick.
Danielle Powell and Ethan Davis Butler.
If you are the type of viewer that is concerned about the realism of Perdita’s high school, our review panel has you covered. One panel member is a current high school principal, and they found the play’s depiction of school life to be a bit hit or miss. The “three strikes and you’re out rule” was flimsy, placing us directly in Saved By the Bell territory. But Ethan’s expulsion did cause audience confusion over the play’s timeline–are we watching one day? A week? A semester? How quickly are these characters developing?
But what rings true is the trauma affecting students who largely lack the maturity to fully identify and express the emotional pains percolating within them. Perdita shows how the adults–the principal and a few of the teachers–can exacerbate a student’s pain or discomfort. The mismatch of generations, ideas, and world views within the student body, faculty, and staff was, at times, painfully realistic.
Ethan Davis Butler and Mason Dowd.
In Act I, tension is built over a series of short vignettes–classroom arguments and hallway conversations. Act II opens up, spending more time with each scene, building towards uncovering the source of Ethan’s trauma–the suicide of his sister, a transgender girl.
In Act I, Ethan is persistently “nagged” by a mirage of Shakespeare. A gender-defying grace flows through The Bard, portrayed by the soft-spoken June Almonte. As the Bard is seen only by Ethan, it is as if this The Bard knows Ethan intimately, but it is unclear how. The realization in Act II that the bard is Ethan’s sister is immensely powerful, retroactively making the lackluster marketing strategies and the tense string of self-defeating decisions from Ethan all worth it. With such a reliance on the trope of a coming-of-age, high school story, it’s the last quarter of the play that sets it apart and makes the story new for the audience.
There is a stunning moment when the Bard took down her hair and sat with Ethan over a large book as Ethan told a story of sitting with his beloved sister, a trans girl named Perdita.Suddenly, The Bard softened and became less of an ethereal creation and more of a gentle human, a living memory, a recovered child beside a grieving child, connecting over a moving piece of text. Director Tru Verrit-Fleming deserves a standing ovation and a hug for the execution of this poignant moment.
With all the implications and possible inferences that unfold in the second act, we don’t have long with Perdita after her true self is actualized. The bit of hope she expresses in her own voice, Shakespeare’s text no longer needed, created an audibly emotional reaction within the audience. Soft gasps echoed as she transmogrified from a ghostly guide in Ethan’s ear to a full-fledged human being and embodiment of Ethan’s love and loss. In the final moments, aided by a glorious red glow from stage left, Perdita effectively released herself from the imprisonment of society’s ignorance and experienced a moment of true autonomy before disappearing from Ethan’s view. Tears and sniffles filled the theater. It was a glorious moment in a tragic story that one could only sit in the theater and ask, “What beauty could exist if we simply let people be who they are?”
The memorial to Perdita, made by Ethan’s new friends at the end of the play, ensured that she would not only be remembered, but it seemed to remind us that she was still there. Our modern American culture has such an unequivocal view of death. People are alive and here or dead and gone. Within our panel, we discussed the Mexican view of death, the substantiation of the spirits that linger postmortem. Saying goodbye is not a necessary step in healing. The idea that Evan is “being haunted” by his sister is one way to look at this story. Another is to see the bond and love between them as everlasting. Perdita exists in the way Ethan remembers her. She is a part of his vivid memories, the literature he reads, the way he speaks of her and stands up for her, in the commitment he and his friends make toward fair treatment for the LGBTQIA community in their school, in his belief in himself, and in the questioning of an authority that can so easily drown out the cries of those who challenge it.
June Alvida Almonte and Ethan Davis Butler.
Perdita is a great starting point for people to get acquainted with Shakespeare. This show is an opportunity for those who haven’t experienced the universality of Shakespearean language to apply his poetry to modern and relevant issues. In fact, the scene that enthralled all of us occurred as the students read excerpts from Shakespeare’s various plays and acted them out in class. The teacher noted that Shakespeare was not merely written to be read, it was written to be lived out by actors giving the words breath, and we felt that statement to be true in this scene. There was the story of the play being lived as well as the story within the story. Even the bigoted foil lost himself in the passion of the drama, and they all let their animosities fade. This is the magic of theatre, the healing way storytelling brings people together, and Nathan Wagner’s ode to the theatre was not lost on his audience.
Grief, Empathy, and Education: Nathan Wagner Calls Upon Shakespeare in His New Teen Tragicomedy
By Vanessa Reseland
High school can be a trying place under the best of circumstances. Despite the excitement of growing up, hormones and independent streaks often derail the innocent childhoods on which teens once coasted. In less protected communities and households, that naivete was lost before freshman year.
With less supervision and more freedom than when they were children, high schoolers test their boundaries. Rules are questioned and broken. After stories of mythical creatures and magic have been replaced by more bitter realities, teenagers live in a strange paradox of development and dissolution. Teachers, guardians, and other adults saddle students with stressors as they prepare for their futures but often dismiss their consequential grievances when compared to challenges in “the real world.”
Nathan Wagner, a recent college graduate, is venturing back to high school in his new play, Perdita. When describing his CSA production, he says, “The show is about a high school student and his struggles in dealing with a personal tragedy — the struggle of growing up too fast in a world that’s still treating you like a child and not valuing your opinion or the things that you have to say.”
While trying to claim one’s space between child and adult, it is no coincidence that the title of this show, Perdita, is an Italian word meaning “lost.”
“I picked the name because it’s a character in [Shakespeare’s] A Winter’s Tale that had a translation that I thought worked really well with the character it represents,” Wagner explains. “Perdita is not a main character, but it is a character in the show that I won’t talk about too much because it is a bit of a spoiler.” Wagner, instead, focuses on his subject matter through his main character, Ethan Cole.
“It’s addressing some issues with the educational system as well as dealing with the interpersonal issues that come from grief and the loss of a loved one. [It deals with] growing passed that and becoming the person who you want to be outside of the grief while still remembering the person that you lost.”
In case the subject matter seems a bit overwhelming, Wagner puts us at ease. “Talking in some of the theming, it gets a little heavy-minded, but I think it’s a very fun show. There’s a lot of comedic elements to it, and there’s some Shakespeare in there for flavor.”
He means it. Shakespeare’s work is alive and well in this show.
“One of the aspects of Shakespeare that gets brought in is that the main character has a ghost of a character that speaks Shakespearean quotes to them. In math class, there’s a quote from Shakespeare that says, ‘I am ill at these numbers.’ It’s just a lot of those fun little Easter eggs if you’re a Shakespeare fan, and if not, then it’s just a fun, old teenage drama.”
Wagner conceived of this piece in April 2020, “just after the world ended,” he jokes. Since his first draft, though, his own life has changed in a profound and personal way, affecting the way this production of Perdita explores its issues.
“I lost my Mom in April, so the grief aspect has been a lot more poignant. A week after my Mom passed away, I got a call that I got accepted for the CSA, so my first thought after getting that call was, ‘Oh, I can’t tell my Mom,’ and that made me very sad, but that has kind of informed the editing process since being accepted, being a little bit more aware of the grief and how poignant that can be and powerful that can be to a person’s mental state.”
Review: True to Its Title, Somewhere Strange Journeyed Into an Ambiguous Surreality
By Vanessa Reseland
As I took my seat in the New Hazlett Theatre, the faintest tweet of a bird caught my ear. It was so faint that I asked the person next to me if they had heard it. They had not. I was there to see Vida Chai’s Somewhere Strange, directed by Lindsay Goranson. I knew this was going to be a musical event, sparked by the past two years of Vida’s life, and I was eager to hear their story. Wait, I heard that bird again! Or did I? I turned to the set for clues.
Stage right was a drum set. Around the kit, a bass guitar, stand up bass, and electric guitar rested on stands like puppets propped on sticks. I eyed them suspiciously, as if they could prompt the opening of the show by themselves, but without a translator, they remained lifeless, vaguely obscured by a single vertical stick and some low shrubbery. Was I not supposed to see these instruments? I saw them.
I turned my head to stage left and saw a velvet maroon couch. On both sides of the armrests were large stones, foliage, and papier-mâché mushrooms. There was a mist (dry ice) in the air and a blue glow. We could have been under the moon. It appeared as though that couch had grown out of the earth as naturally as the carpet made of moss. Above these set pieces, three large paper airplanes were suspended. Scenic Designer, Ningning Yang, had me searching for an explanation. What was the context? Were we in for a story of earthly duality? Nature versus human creation?? Are we in the woods or 9th grade homeroom? Would we visit both?
I was full of premature questions. Fortunately, before long, the lights dimmed. Vida Chai entered the stage, guitar in hand, and a spotlight shone directly onto the maroon couch. They took their place in the center and, slumped back against the cushions. The thoughtful troubadour huffed at their attempted chords until the sought-after finger pattern came to them, and frustration turned to longing. It was an introspective intro, also full of questions:
“How come no one writes me Sullen Love Songs?”
The band stepped out, including Dan Miller on upright bass, Ryan Socrates on percussion/drum kit, and Gray Buchanan on fiddle/electric guitar, and a fully-backed song resonated through the misty room with a country-western twang and Vida’s folk-singer voice. Soon, the arrangement was joined by the backing vocalists, Treasure Treasure and Kelsey Robinson, a delightfully charismatic duo, dressed as mushrooms in the style of 60’s hippy-dippy art folk. It was tempting to lose myself in the glee they shared with the music and each other. Were they Vida’s internal voices? Were they imaginary? Was all of this a dream?
Kelsey Robinson, Vida Chai, Treasure Treasure.
Soon after settling into this easy-going vibe, there was a drastic shift. All thoughtful folk music ceased and was replaced by harsh strobe lights and soundbites about Covid, Russian attacks on Ukraine, and all news terrible. The sights and sounds grew brighter and louder until they climaxed, and the tension popped. This moment, when the experience of world trauma was brought into the theatre, was a challenging one to confront. The word “COVID” has a profound personal affect, and each one of us must face the unique discomfort that comes with it. It is hard to reconcile. Showing us how overwhelming it was to experience the heights of COVID was kind of like telling someone who’s choking that you choked too, yesterday, and it was awful. Even if we would typically have sympathy for the previously choking person, we can’t really focus on anything but the fact that we are choking now. In other words, “too soon?”
And yet, upon hearing the word, “Covid,” sung within the effortless originality of the song Peaks and Valleys, I felt a tear in my eye:
“Time is just a metronome trying to lead us back home,
but I think I left my shoes in someone else’s house.
Clinging onto a friend.
Keep me alive ’til Covid ends.
I love to see the water rolling down your face.”
Our reliance on those in our “pod” was immediate when Covid hit, yet the casual presentation of such a dramatic notion, “keep me alive,” has become a relatable juxtaposition we’ve been living with for years now. Death hangs in our air, and you have a Zoom meeting at noon. Perhaps it simply comes down to the fact that it is more inspiring to watch a person survive than to watch them succumb.
The introduction of one of the dancers, Meghan Philips, was the first masked face in the show. It had an affect that was particular to the Western view of masking. In many parts of Asia, masks have been a common form of respectful safety since the SARS outbreak of 2002 and in Japan since the 1950s. In America, the present-day fallout over mandates and the politicizing of public health made the mask a polarizing prop. It appeared menacing on this new person entering the bubble, essentially bringing Covid into Vida’s woodland bubble.
Vida Chai Kicks Off the CSA Season by Inviting You “Somewhere Strange” in their Relatable, Relational Immersive Musical Event
By Vanessa Reseland
The perils of self-reflection are not usually traversed by those living in survival mode. There is no time to wallow in a crisis, but what happens when the crisis itself gives you more time than you’re prepared to handle?
Cut to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty, danger, grief, loss, panic, and illness were the world-wide crises, but there was a crisis within the crisis. In our various ways, we were stranded. Some in homes, some without homes, some with family, roommates, partners, some in isolation, in hospitals. For those sheltering in place, the suspension of forward momentum was, at times, wholly unnerving, but there was also a sharpening of focus available to those in search of it.
Vida Chai is one of those enduring humans who rejected the notion of numbing out during quarantine. Instead, they turned inward and found a spark of creation. An indie-folk singer-songwriter inspired by Joni Mitchell and Esperanza Spalding, Vida brings their 2020-inspired musical album, Somewhere Strange, to life at the New Hazlett Theater two years after that spark caught fire.
Somewhere Strange is an immersive musical experience that hopes to envelop your senses and intrigue your imagination. Vida explains, “[Somewhere Strange is] the title track of the album that’s coming out with the show premiere.” They go on, “but it’s also really just my title for where we all were at the beginning of the pandemic.” Vida explains their inspiration, “We were somewhere strange and unfamiliar and just trying to learn these new rules. It felt weird and eerie to be out in Pittsburgh or any major city. It was a strange place.” For those willing to examine themselves, the mental hot spots have been strange places as well.
Thistle and Ray, the two main characters in this story, are brought to life through Kaila Carter’s choreography and dancers, Indira Cunningham and Meghan Phillips. “Thistle is trying to navigate this very unknown time of being in 2020 and the pandemic. They’re searching for meaning, and they’re trying to, at first, survive and figure out ‘how do they get through a day?,’ and then, over time, they start to move more toward, ‘Ok, well, how do I really enjoy my life?’”
“That’s where Ray comes in. It’s a really interesting interplay — the separation between people that happened with masks and with social distancing and also an emotional separation between two people that were not compatible but really wanted to be together.”
“When things go wrong,” Vida ruminates, “you cling onto what’s familiar to you. Through the pandemic, a lot of people deepened certain relationships and maybe distanced themselves from others because they realized, ‘who’s there when you really need someone?’”
Although the devastating heights of the early-pandemic have been slightly leveled in 2022, Vida recognizes that the effects reverberate. “We all, as a society have just experienced this very ridiculous past few years, and I just wanted to create a show to acknowledge, ‘Yeah, this is not normal, and it’s ok if you’re having a hard time, you know, getting through the work day. It’s ok if you need some extra therapy right now. It’s ok if you need more support,’ because I think, in some ways, we’re expected to just keep going through the motions like nothing has changed when, in fact, everything has changed.”
Collaboration is vital to putting this show together, and it is the most thrilling aspect of the production for Vida, starting with their fellow musicians. “That’s my favorite part,” Vida’s smile broadens, “when it [goes] from just me to the band because they’re always going to add their own elements and artistic choices to the music.” The band includes Dan Miller on upright bass, Ryan Socrates on percussion, Gray Buchanan on fiddle, and singers, Kelsey Robinson and Treasure Treasure.
Working with fellow artists, including New Hazlett alum and director of Somewhere Strange, Lindsay Goranson, is a dream come true for Vida Chai, as is working with the New Hazlett Theater itself. “It really feels like the New Hazlett is a part of Pittsburgh North Side history, so I love the simple fact that it’s a very Pittsburgh thing, I think, to have a show here, and that’s where most of the show is set as well. That feels important.”
Also important to Vida is establishing space for queerness in art, in Pittsburgh, and beyond. “I’m non-binary, and I really like that I was able to have a character who is non-binary and uses “they/them” pronouns. You know, something doesn’t have to be in-your-face, there’s-rainbows-everywhere to be queer. I really like the idea of there just being more spaces where it’s kind of an everyday thing because that’s how it should be, in my opinion.” They also highlight the simple reason this show lives in that queer space. “It’s queer because I made it.”
“The more queer people that are visible, doing big, exciting things, the more other people feel empowered to share their voice and apply for that grant and, you know, just put themselves out there because when you see yourself represented, that is huge in having the confidence to be out there and be open.”
Queer or otherwise, Vida has a hope for each audience member after seeing, Somewhere Strange. “I just want people to feel seen and less alone in their experience.”
This production offers a take-home treat to remember the shared experience as well. “The album, Somewhere Strange, will be available at the New Hazlett Theater,” Vida says, “like a soundtrack for the show, and that will be a special thing for the people who are actually at the show. They can have that association and that memory with the music, which is so cool.”
The New Hazlett has announced the 10th season of its Community Supported Art program, with five premier performances from Pittsburgh-based artists. The programs will start in October 2022 and continue through April 2023.
“This year’s CSA Artists represent the many dedicated, multi-faceted theater artists that have kept this industry alive over the past two years,” says Director of Programming Kristin Helfrich. “They are creators and authors, but they are also educators, box office managers, directors. This season is dedicated to these artists who are committed to the live stage. These are their stories.”
Offering a wide range of performances from original plays, to a hip-hop performance, to movement-based work, the five shows offer something for anyone interested in the scope of the arts scene in Pittsburgh.
Past CSA contributors have included artist Brittney Chantele’s reimagined performance of their A Fire On Venus album, and most recently, Feralcat’s Dissasembly series. All shows this season will be live and on stage at the North Side’s New Hazlett Theater.
This year’s performers include music with Vida Chai, a play about Shakespeare by Nathan Wagner, a live hip-hop performance by Ys1 (Yusef Shelton Da First), a play with movement by Jasmine Roth, and an “8th-grade fan girl adventure” with Kelly Trumbull.
“After having several Zoom readings of this play over the course of the pandemic, I believe it is at a place where it needs an audience,” says Trumbull. “It is my hope that this isn’t the finished product and the CSA experience will help this piece continue to grow.”
For a full schedule of events and information on tickets, visit newhazletttheater.org.
Broadway World: New Hazlett Theater Announces 10th Season
New Hazlett Theater Announces 10th Season Of Community Supported Art
The New Hazlett CSA Season offers a broad range of performances, including several original plays, a hip-hop performance, a multidisciplinary concert, and more.
The New Hazlett Theater is thrilled to announce its 10th Season of Community Supported Art (CSA), boasting five premiere performances from Pittsburgh-based artists. Running from October 2022 to April 2023, The New Hazlett CSA Season offers a broad range of performances, including several original plays, a hip-hop performance, a multidisciplinary concert, and a movement-based work.
“This year’s CSA Artists represent the many dedicated, multi-faceted theater artists that have kept this industry alive over the past two years,” says Director of Programming Kristin Helfrich. “They are creators and authors, but they are also educators, box office managers, directors. This season is dedicated to these artists who are committed to the live stage. These are their stories.”
2022/2023 Season Lineup:
Somewhere Strange
A musical exploration by Vida Chai
October 13-14, 2022
Perdita
A play about high school, love, and Shakespeare by Nathan Wagner
December 1-2, 2022
IGNITE
A live hip hop experience by Ys1 (Yusef Shelton Da First)
February 16-17, 2023
Painting Lessons
A play with movement by Jasmine Roth
March 23-24, 2023
Morning Reckoning An 8th-grade fangirl adventure by Kelly Trumbull
April 20-21, 2023
“Watching Brittney Chantele’s A Fire on Venus CSA performance really inspired me by showing me how far you could take the performance of an album,” says CSA Season 10’s first artist, Vida Chai. “I’ve been performing in Pittsburgh and beyond for 10 years and have been longing for the space and resources to fully realize a theatrical performance for a long time.”
Each year the CSA Performance Series supports five emerging Pittsburgh artists as they develop a new work for the New Hazlett stage. The artists selected for the 2022/23 season range from an eclectic musician to an up-and-coming hip-hop sensation to several groundbreaking playwrights. The unpredictability of the past two years inspired some artists to get even more creative than before. CSA Season 10 at the New Hazlett is honored to showcase some of the diamonds formed under the pressures of the pandemic.
“After having several Zoom readings of this play over the course of the pandemic, I believe it is at a place where it needs an audience,” says CSA Season 10 artist Kelly Trumbull. “It is my hope that this isn’t the finished product and the CSA experience will help this piece continue to grow.”
Past CSA contributors include recording artist Brittany Chantele, choreographer Kaylin Horgan, and director/playwright NaTasha Thompson. The New Hazlett Theater’s CSA program provides opportunities for diverse voices to shape the future of theater in Pittsburgh while connecting audiences with fresh productions that challenge their perceptions about what live theater can be.
All shows in CSA Season 10 will be live, onstage at the New Hazlett Theater. Prior to attending, please see the most updated health and safety guidelines. Accessible seating and assistive listening devices are available for all productions. Please email Phoebe Orr with any questions.
