Dates: 5/14/2026 - 5/17/2026
📍 Theatre: University of Rhode Island, J Studio
Ballet RI
825 Hope Street, Providence, RI
Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: 401-353-1129
In a world that demands silence, she moves.
Sophie Treadwell’s searing 1928 play, a landmark of American expressionism, is reborn in this striking new ballet. Machinal tells the story of a woman caught in the cold machinery of modern life: her body controlled, her voice ignored, her choices not her own. Through stylized choreography and haunting rhythms, this adaptation strips away dialogue to reveal the raw, physical truth of one woman’s rebellion. Stark, visceral, and fiercely contemporary, Machinal is a portrait of alienation — and a dance of defiance.
In collaboration with University of Rhode Island and co-adapter Rachel Walshe, Yury Yanowsky breathes new life into this theatrical masterwork.
Ballet Rhode Island will present the world premiere of MACHINAL: A DANCE OF DEFIANCE, the first ballet adaptation of Sophie Treadwell's 1928 expressionist play, running May 7–10 in Providence and May 14–17 in Kingston, RI.
Ballet Rhode Island (Ballet RI) has unveiled its 2025-2026 Season - a bold, expansive year of live performance across six theatres in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Learn more!
Where is University of Rhode Island, J Studio located?
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