Rattlestick Theater Reveals Newest Slate of Waverly Performance Studio Artists

Rattlestick Theater has revealed the newest slate of artists whose work will be supported via the Waverly Performance Studio, a nimble new programming model that provides artists with process-driven development spaces tailored to their needs. Waverly Performance Studio enables Rattlestick and the artists it champions to step away from the traditional season format to embrace an innovative, artist-centered approach.

Participating artists include Basil Kreimendahl, who will collaborate with co-directors Will Davis and nicHi douglas, and writers Paul Castles and Mkhululi Mabija, who will partner with director Qondiswa James and music director Nonku Phir.

As renovation continues at its historic Waverly Place home, Rattlestick will embark on a year of intimate presentations and public exploratory workshops through Waverly Performance Studio, giving audiences unparalleled access to the creative process. By programming work in various phases of development, from Initial Spark to Proof-of-Concept to Full Production, Rattlestick deepens its commitment to expanding the boundaries of live performance and centering on artists at every stage of creation.

Will Davis, Artistic Director, says, “Not all theater can be developed behind music stands. Waverly Performance Studio has become a North Star for Rattlestick, guiding how we support artists, shape our programming, and invite audiences into the creative process. It’s a space where experimentation leads, form is reimagined, and audiences are welcomed into the heart of the artistic process.”

WAVERLY PERFORMANCE STUDIO

Launched last year as part of a five-year plan to center transformative development at the heart of its mission, Waverly Performance Studio (WPS) is designed for projects that extend beyond traditional script-based workshops, supporting work that demands more expansive, process-driven exploration.

This year’s WPS programming includes two major projects announced below, all in different stages of exploration, and one to be announced later this year:

sadie river’s drag ball on the lawn

By Basil Kreimendahl
Co-directed by Will Davis and nicHi douglas
Cast: Esco Jouléy, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Erin Markey and Preston Martin
Location: The Wild Project, 195 E. 3rd Street

Presentation Dates:
Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 PM
Friday, October 24 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 PM

The first WPS workshop will be sadie river’s drag ball on the lawn by Basil Kreimendahl. Over a two-week period, co-directors nicHi douglas and Will Davis will delve into the play’s surreal, theatrical drag vocabulary. The workshop will culminate in three distinct showings of performance, with no two showings the same.

sadie river’s drag ball on the lawn follows a drag family training in “realness” on the wrong side of the floodwall in Butchertown, KY, under the guidance of their fabulous House Mother, Sadie River. With a cast of four, the play juxtaposes two worlds - the hyper-realistic world of Sadie’s front porch and the expressionistic realm of her imagined drag ball - to explore the intersections of hope, family, class, and performance.

The Call
Co-produced with Story Bridge and Chesray Dolpha
Music by Paul Castles and Book and Lyrics by Mkhululi Mabija
Directed by Qondiswa James
Music Direction by Nonku Phiri 
February 2026

The Call is a bold, new, queer African musical that places joy, artistry, and survival at the center of its storytelling. Rooted in Shakespeare’s The Tempest yet reimagined through South African history and queer lived experience, it uses African drag as a dramaturgical engine — a way of shaping narrative, conjuring spectacle, and celebrating the brilliance of marginalized communities. Rather than focusing solely on harm or exile, The Call foregrounds the color, creativity, and resilience of queer life on the African continent, offering audiences a story that is both deeply specific and globally resonant.|

Rattlestick is thrilled to partner with Story Bridge Productions to bring this project to New York audiences, testing how the story resonates across different contexts, and furthering its musical elements for a two week workshop in February 2026