Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Freshworks Series Will Showcase New Works by Moire del Carmen and Rickia Davenport

Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) will continue its Freshworks creative residency this fall with two new works-in-progress presented at KST’s Alloy Studios. Moire del Carmen will debut Baquiné on October 3–4, and Rickia Davenport will share The Choice on November 7–8. Tickets are Pay What Moves You, $15–$30.

Written and performed by Puerto Rican trans artist Moire del Carmen, Baquiné draws from the Afro-Caribbean tradition of honoring a child’s passing as the birth of an angel. Blending humor with themes of grief, identity, and queer resilience, the one-act play reimagines loss as a space for art, joy, and transformation.

In November, Pittsburgh native Rickia Davenport will present The Choice, a dance-theater work that combines contemporary, hip-hop, and modern dance with evocative imagery. Inspired by her own experience of child loss, Davenport’s work highlights the complex reproductive health challenges faced by African American women and celebrates their strength, resilience, and voices.

Freshworks supports emerging Pittsburgh-based artists in developing interdisciplinary performance work, providing resources, rehearsal space, and production support. Since its launch in 2013, the residency has been a vital platform for experimentation in dance, theater, music, and multimedia.

Ticket Information

Moire del Carmen: Baquiné

Friday & Saturday, October 3–4, 2025 | with post-show discussion
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Tickets are Pay What Moves You ($15–$30)

Rickia Davenport: The Choice

Friday & Saturday, November 7–8, 2025 | with post-show discussion
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Tickets are Pay What Moves You ($15–$30)

Pittsburgh Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL (Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center)

9.3% of votes

2. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Paragon Theatre)

8.9% of votes

3. THE PROM (Stage 62)

8.4% of votes

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