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Pop! A Pop-Up Performance Festival

Artistic Director

POP! was a free festival of pop-up theatrical experiences created by emerging theater artists. It took place over the course of one weekend in Bushwick in September of 2016.   POP! presented a wide range of theatrical forms. POP! was akin to a theatrical pub-crawl. Audience members traveled from space to space experiencing original happenings at each location. Those in the know had a map and a schedule, but many people happened to be in the right place at the right time. At the end of each night, everyone was invited to Gold Sounds Bar for the best concert of their lives: Doll Parts--a Dolly Parton Cover Band.

I was awarded a Mark Bly Creative Capacities Fellowship from LMDA to make POP! happen. I conceived the project, curated the artists, and produced the festival. 

Co-Producers: Will Rucker and Emily Zemba

POP! is now being manifested anew by myself and Ato Blankson-Wood. Our first POP! was part of Queer@Here Arts Center in June of 2025.

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Artists/Shows:

Ato Blankson-Wood | UNTITLED PROJECT
Movement Performance at and around Gold Sounds Bar

Hunter Kaczorowski, Lauren Dubowski | A SCANDAL AT THE TABLE
Shadow Puppet Opera Dinner Party at Hell Phone Speakeasy

Jack Ramsey | A CLASSICAL AFFAIR

Classical Piano at Three Diamond Door Bar

Lydia Blaisdell, Katie Van Winkle | BEAR EATS BEAR
Self-Guided Audio Experience in Maria Hernandez Park

Phillip Howze | 462 HALSEY STREET
Site-Specific Play at Thames Street & Porter Avenue (vacant lot)

James Cusati-Moyer | RIPE FRUIT: AND HOW MY FATHER KILLED JIMMY
Solo Clown Performance at Gold Sounds Bar

Shannon Matesky | THE LOVE MEDLEY
Spoken Word at Three Diamond Door Bar

Lauren Zeftel | A NOVEL EXPERIMENT
Staged Reading at Bushwick Public House (Basement Venue)

Emily Zemba | BREAK UP
Theater-for-One at Gold Sounds Bar

The Middle Voice Theater Company, TJ Weaver | 
THE HAWTHORNE PLAY

Ensemble Devised Play at Bushwick Public House (Basement Venue)

Brian Rady | BRIAN RADY SINGS: PORTRAITS 
Autobiographical Musical Storytelling at Three Diamond Door Bar

Emma Wiseman and Rowan Magee | GET READY FOR ONE HUNDRED OWLS IN A ROOM 
Absurdist Puppetry Experiment at Bushwick Public House

Doll Parts: DOLLY PARTON COVER BAND 

Gold Sounds Bar

Tom Pecinka| MONEY CAR
Traveling Theatrical Absurdist Game Show 

POP! Assets

© Kelly Kerwin, 2025

 

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