Freshworks at KST's Alloy Studios Will Feature Lucy Chen and LaTrea Derome
Lucy Chen and LaTrea Derome to explore unique cultural narratives at KST's Alloy Studios
Kelly Strayhorn Theater will welcome two artists, Lucy Chen and LaTrea Derome, to the Freshworks residency program and respectively showcase their performances in progress, Dressed in Red on Friday & Saturday, April 3 - 4 and A Conversation. on Friday & Saturday, May 1 - 2 at KST's Alloy Studios. Lucy explores femininity and societal expectations, and LaTrea dives into the often-overlooked Black bisexual men's experiences. Both showings are at 7:30pm - 9:00pm, including post-show discussions.
Freshworks is KST's creative residency for emerging artists and collaborators based in the greater Pittsburgh region. Freshworks made its debut in 2013 and supports playful exploration in performance through interdisciplinary work in contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia. Many Freshworks alumni have used this program as a stepping stone, continuing their artistic journeys beyond their residencies and going on to perform on larger national stages. Past notable alumni include Jasmine Hearn, Jesse Factor, Nick M. Daniels, Darrell Kinsel, and more.
Each year, the Freshworks panel asks, “Is this project relevant to the world today and to the current moment?” to assess to what extent proposed projects address contemporary issues and needs. Lucy and LaTrea's performances in progress respond to this question thoughtfully. Rather than offering definitive statements, their works invite audiences to sit with complexity and consider how individual stories resonate within our shared cultural landscape.
Dressed in Red, by dancer, choreographer, and designer Lucy Chen, is inspired by Classical Chinese dance and contemporary movement. Dressed in Red reflects on Lucy's experience of the complex relationship between how we see ourselves, how we present ourselves, and how others see us. Lucy shares, “I think something that everyone kind of struggles with as they grow up is this idea of finding what perception and identity fits with you, and also how you want to portray yourself and communicate your being to other people”.
Drawing on her experiences growing up Asian American and half-Asian, Lucy blends traditional Chinese dance elements, including water sleeves, with contemporary movement for personal expression. The red fabrics serve as a symbolic thread, revealing how personality is constructed through external expectation and internal negotiation.
In the performance in progress, A Conversation., multidisciplinary performance artist LaTrea Derome guides us through the vantage point of often quieted, dismissed, and overlooked Black bisexual men through dance theater. LaTrea is intentional about leaving the audience a message: “To acknowledge bisexual men exist.”
Previously, LaTrea has premiered a solo dance work _lostncompleX in January 2020 as a part of the insideTRACK residency with PearlArts Movement & Sound, choreographed A Cynic and An Optimist as a part of CLOse Ups: Song For A New Year with PCLO, and featured artist in City Theater's Spotlight Series, premiering his work Last of Seven. At Freshworks, he is particularly interested in the challenge of artistically conveying the Black bisexual experience through dance and spoken word.
For those inspired by Lucy and LaTrea's upcoming performance in progress and would like to participate in the Freshworks program, KST is currently accepting applications for the 2026/2027 cycle through Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 11:59pm. The program provides emerging artists with planning support and guidance, studio space, production staff, lighting and sound design, a stipend and resource budget, and encouragement for creative risk taking.
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