Reading Theater Project and JCWK Collab for Dance Lab: IN NATURE'S STUDIO

The Reading Theater Project and JCWK Dance Lab have announced In Nature's Studio: Real Bodies, an outdoor performance event at the Reading Public Museum Arboretum, 500 Museum Road, Reading, Pennsylvania. The performance will take place Sunday, July 10, 2022, from 5:30pm to 7pm, and is free to attend. More information can be found at: readingtheaterproject.org/in-natures-studio-2022/

The landscape and walkways throughout the Arboretum will become micro-stages where actors, dancers, and musicians simultaneously perform, some spanning the 90 minutes of the performance event and shorter pieces being performed multiple times. All performances use the park setting and Real Bodies exhibit as inspiration and are appropriate for all audiences. The audience can wander the path on their own or sign up for a guided tour.

This project was inspired by the Reading Public Museum's exhibition, REAL BODIES, supported by Penn State Health and Highmark. This powerful exhibition explores life by displaying real, perfectly preserved human bodies and more than 200 anatomical specimens. More than a simple display of human specimens, Real Bodies will connect audiences to a deeper sense of what it means to be alive.

"In Nature's Studio is collaboration between three distinct organizations in Berks County that are coming together to create community through education and art making. I get excited about the ways that the artists and REAL BODIES exhibit are engaging to create something unique to and for Berks County," said Jessica Warchal-King, Director of JCWK Dance Lab.

Artists include Matt DeAngelis, Madison DJ Fields, Henrik Fotis, Jeanette Fotis, Brad Gale, Richie Maldonado, Kimberly Patterson, Jessica Pennington, Adam Richter, JCWK Dance Lab (Cady Monasmith, Arielle Ridley, and Woosoon Kim) and Trio Jolie (Crystal Jordan, Robin Lilarose, Kirstin Meyers). The production will be coordinated by Vicki Haller Graff and Jessica C. Warchal-King, with support from Kayla Laucks and Stacy Laucks.

The Reading Theater Project is a locally-focused, professional theater company, based in Greater Reading/Berks County, PA. We value collaboration and creative challenges and believe theater is an inclusive experience that can reveal our shared human condition. For more information, visit readingtheaterproject.org or call 484-706-9719.

JCWK Dance Lab combines education/ outreach, physical dance practice, and performance to investigate the ways that dance can be a vehicle for non-violent, positive social change. JCWK Dance Lab works to create Joy, Connection, and Wellness through Kinesthetic stories in Berks County and the surrounding communities. For more information, visit jcwkdancelab.org.

The Reading Public Museum is a dynamic center of lifelong learning and discovery that educates, enlightens, and engages current and future generations through the collection, preservation, and interpretation of objects of art, science, and civilization. The Museum is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA 19611, and is typically open daily from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission to The Museum is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. 

For tickets and information, please visit: readingtheaterproject.org/in-natures-studio-2022/