OZ Arts Nashville Will Host BRAVE NEW WORKS LAB 5th Annual Program
Ebonée Amos, Lenin Fernandez, and Jennie Liu & Andrew Gilbert headline the four-work program
Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville premieres four new daring performances by local artists in the 5th annual Brave New Works Lab program, May 14-16. The Lab has quickly become one of the most influential development programs for contemporary performance in the region, launching more than 20 new performance projects from Nashville artists, some of which have continued to develop into full-length works and touring productions. The 5th year of the Brave New Works Lab features a line-up of thrilling original works from rising stars of contemporary dance and performance art: Eboné Amos, Lenin Fernandez, Jennie Liu & Andrew Gilbert, and Amanda Reichert. Each evening of Lab performances includes all four short pieces on a single program, offering local audiences a chance to experience a wide breadth of some of the city's most cutting-edge artistic voices.
The four projects created for the Brave New Works Lab 2026 program capture the energy and imagination of the local arts scene:
Eboné Amos explores the Black Radical Imagination theory through dance and soaring vocals in collaboration with musician Alex Dolezal and singer O'Neal Black. The new work dramatically juxtaposes traditional spirituals with Afro-contemporary movement, creating a tension between historical grounding and future-reaching imagination.
Lenin Fernandez creatively combines large-scale visual spectacle and a dynamic score from Osvaldo Goliov to concoct a large group dance piece that utilizes the imagery of water as a tool for exploring aging, grief, and memory. The work features some of the city's most sought-after dance performers, including Becca Hoback, McKay House, Emma Morrison, Asia Pyron, Amanda Reichert, Phylicia Roybal, Alex Winer, and Dawn Zurlinden.
Jennie Liu & Andrew Gilbert make their Nashville debut with an electro-futuristic chamber operetta, drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as Michael Crichton novels, quantum computing, and Stanislavsky's acting technique. Performing with indie superstar Hannah Dorfman, the trio conjure a techno thriller world utilizing electronic song and processed voice.
Amanda Reichert joins forces with playwright Emmalee Manes to create a quirky, eccentric dance-theater work in which the written word springs to life off the page. As an author (played by Saúl Rodriguez) brainstorms different plots for a novel, he unknowingly influences characters who are forced to act out the various scenarios against their will. In a "Truman Show"-esque set-up, the tongue-in-cheek new work explores the complex interior of an author's imagination.
Through the Brave New Works Lab and other local programs, OZ Arts strives to create meaningful opportunities for artists from Middle Tennessee to imagine, develop, and premiere new performance works. Encouraging multimedia experimentation and collaboration across disciplines, the Lab creates a safe space for high-risk artistic adventures and has already served as a crucial incubator for some of the most exciting new work happening in Middle Tennessee. With the Lab, OZ Arts aims to help artists focus on the creative process and collaboration, without being overly burdened by the normal trappings of self-production, such as marketing, administration, detailed technical matters, and venue management.
"The Brave New Works Lab has become one of the region's most vital sources of fresh and provocative new performances," said Mark Murphy, OZ Arts Executive and Artistic Director. "It's particularly meaningful to mark 5 years of this impactful program with exciting artists who give curious audiences a chance to be part of their process of creative discovery."
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