FRESH VOICES Will Come to Touchstone Theatre

Touchstone Theatre, the Lehigh Valley's only ensemble theatre company, will present its annual production of Fresh Voices—a series of original devised performances created by first-year Moravian University/Touchstone Theatre Master of Fine Arts students. Performances will run June 5, 2026 at 8pm, and June 6, 2026 at 2pm, in Touchstone's home black box theatre in Southside Bethlehem.

What began over 20 years ago as part of Touchstone's apprenticeship program has evolved into the capstone project for first-year MFA candidates. Developed over the course of six months under the guidance of the ensemble, these works debut every June as the student's first opportunity to introduce themselves to the community as artists. Past productions have explored a wide range of styles, including film, movement, pop-up experiences, and guerrilla-style experimental theatre; as well as a variety of themes including school shootings, Black female identity, parasocial relationships, and faith.

When approaching this project, creators Jolie Lanning and Anisa Hosseini were both invested in telling stories through a feminist lens. Through exploring this shared interest, they developed a framework connecting their three pieces—two solo works and one collaborative piece—into a cohesive performance: the past, the present, and the future. Each piece tells a distinct story in a unique style, unified by themes of female empowerment.

The production opens with Hosseini's solo performance, Introducing Ṭáhirih, centered on the courageous actions of Ṭáhirih, the Persian poet and women's rights advocate. The piece weaves together the experience of an American-born Iranian college student with the harsh realities faced by women in Iran during the Qajar Dynasty. Through this work, Hosseini poses the question: “When you are given the freedom to speak, what do you owe to those who were not?”

Lanning's solo performance, PERIOD., explores the present-day experiences of young girls and menstruating youth navigating puberty in the age of social media. Inspired by watching her younger sister begin puberty, along with her own research into social media algorithms, this performance art and video projection piece sparks conversation about how communities can better support youth and destigmatize menstruation. Coinciding with the performance will be a period product drive benefiting S.T.A.R. Bethlehem and the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT+ Center.

The evening concludes with footage from Lanning and Hosseini's youth empowerment initiative, In the Future, Girls Can…, a party for girls ages 9-14 focused on celebrating creativity, community, and imagining the future through art and play. “We want to end the performance with hope. We delve into some very raw, sometimes dark, and upsetting topics. We're looking ahead with dreams for a better future, and this current generation of young girls is pivotal to that dream coming true,” says Lanning. The event will take place May 31, 2026 at Touchstone Theatre and is currently seeking participants.

Touchstone's season is sponsored by Astound Broadband. Print sponsorship is provided by Working Dog Press, and media sponsorship is provided by WDIY 88.1FM Lehigh Valley Public Radio and Lehigh Valley with Love. Touchstone is also generously supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

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