WITH OURSELVES, WITH EACH OTHER World Premiere to Open in Pittsburgh

Kelly Strayhorn Theater will present the world premiere of WITH OURSELVES, WITH EACH OTHER (WOWEO), an experimental solo dance theater piece by Maree ReMalia exploring the longing to understand where we come from, Friday & Saturday, October 23–24. Co-directed by Adil Mansoor and produced by and created with Hatch Arts Collective, WOWEO is accompanied by a community dinner with Maree, and the workshop Acts of Remembrance with Maree and David Bernabo. Curated in conjunction with WOWEO, Pittsburgh's first AAPI art collective JADED opens the gallery exhibition Remind Me, My Dream, on Friday, October 23.

In September 2026, WOWEO received the prestigious National Dance Project Production Grant as part of the program's final cohort, marking the conclusion of its 30-year history. Set in a “karaoke-funeral-lounge”, WOWEO follows Korean adoptee and ballerina-turned-experimental dance-maker Maree ReMalia as she navigates the grief of losing a parent who raised her and the absence of a parent she never met. Blending dance, storytelling, and pop music, this solo performance honors both the pain of early separation and the deep bonds formed with family beyond blood ties. The audience is seated in the round, on stage with the performer for an intimate experience. 

After years of creating collaborative group dance pieces, Maree shifted into solo performance as a vehicle for activating her own voice and connection to herself and audiences. Maree says, “The work is meant to be a container for grief, celebration, storytelling, and singing in ways that touch on my experiences of the death of my father, adoption, the ache of the absence of my birth mother, and the idea of what's called the 'primal wound'. There is curiosity about how sharing something personal might support deeper connection with others. I hope the work can bring more awareness to how these experiences can shape our sense of self and our relationships.” Sing, laugh, and journey with Maree as WOWEO asks: How can we hold grief and memory while still making room for joy, connection, and new ways forward?

Audiences who'd love to explore WOWEO's themes further can join the Community Dinner with Maree on Monday, October 5, where she joins Kelly Hughes, Founder & Executive Director of Foster Love Project, for a conversation about adoption, identity, belonging, and the creative process. The interdisciplinary workshop Acts of Remembrance, inspired by the creative process behind WOWEO, takes place Wednesday, October 7, with Maree and David Bernabo. For joy and connection, the October 23 performance of WOWEO is followed by a special karaoke afterparty with Liana Maneese.

Opening on the same day as WOWEO in KST's lobby, Remind Me, My Dream is a visual arts exhibition featuring seventeen AAPI artists exploring layered identities and stories. Curator Sara Tang is inspired by WOWEO and shares, “Maree ReMalia's work immediately resonated with me in its playful ability to hold the weight of woundedness with celebratory healing.” Sara hopes the exhibition challenges audiences to lean into new ways of using hope as a way of life.