Commissioned, developed and produced as part of the HERE Artist Residency Program
Premiered September 12-23, 2017
HERE, New York, NY
With crackling wit and startling honesty, the women of cakeface serve up a silver-sequined dissection of the American Dream. Synthesizing razor-sharp choreography and a poker-faced delivery of original text, the cast shatters the facade of "making it." Featuring live-mixed sound and visuals from electronic duo Prism House and clips from the 80s cult public access tv show of the same name, Stairway to Stardom honors the contributions of the wildly passionate but questionably talented among us.
written + directed by Amanda Szeglowski
choreographed by Amanda Szeglowski
performed by Ali Castro, Jade Daugherty, Ayesha Jordan, Nola Sporn Smith, and Amanda Szeglowski
sound + video design by Prism House (Brian Wenner + Matt O’Hare)
scenic design by Aviva Novick
costume design by Oana Botez
lighting design by Amanda K. Ringger
main photo by Benjamin Heller
gallery photos by Maria Baranova
run time 1 hour
The development of Stairway to Stardom is supported by The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation's Women Playwrights Commissioning program. Stairway to Stardom has been supported in part by Marble House Project, a not-for-profit organization.
critical acclaim for stairway to stardom
“Absorbing and
suggestive, this droll dance-theater piece is less campy and more disciplined”
- Time Out New York (4 stars & Critics’ Pick)
“Vastly entertaining and
ridiculously clever” - This Week in NY
“Szeglowski’s cast members, for their part, are nothing but
talented, and are capable of getting into the minds of their audience with
bitterly truthful life stories. Even better, they make you laugh along the
way.” – The Village
Voice
“The work is truly exciting
and hypnotic” - Hi! Drama
“Crystalline delivery…These performers, speaking
from simultaneous narcissism and mediocrity, are unquestionably talented.”
- Eye on the Arts
“The brilliance of this piece
of dance-theatre…is that the dignity of each of the participants of the
original Stairway to Stardom is lovingly maintained, all while the deadpan delivery of the text is
flawlessly executed” - Stage
Buddy
“The cast’s commitment is admirable, their
talent evident. Entertaining and funny, Szeglowski gives us a space to laugh at
the classic catastrophe of being an artist, perhaps, to keep from crying.” - The Dance Enthusiast
“This is a
theater experience that breaks the mold, in all the best ways”
- Washington Square News
stairway to stardom
Commissioned, developed and produced as part of the HERE Artist Residency Program
September 12-23, 2017
HERE, New York, NY
With crackling wit and startling honesty, the women of cakeface serve up a silver-sequined dissection of the American Dream. Synthesizing razor-sharp choreography and a poker-faced delivery of original text, the cast shatters the facade of "making it." Featuring live-mixed sound and visuals from electronic duo Prism House and clips from the 80s cult public access tv show of the same name, Stairway to Stardom honors the contributions of the wildly passionate but questionably talented among us.
written + directed by Amanda Szeglowski
choreographed by Amanda Szeglowski in collaboration with the company
performed by Ali Castro, Jade Daugherty, Ayesha Jordan, Nola Sporn Smith, and Amanda Szeglowski
sound + video design by Prism House
(Brian Wenner + Matt O’Hare)
lighting design by Amanda K. Ringger
costume design by Oana Botez
set design by Aviva Novick
photo by Benjamin Heller
gallery photos by Maria Baranova
run time 1 hour
critical acclaim for stairway to stardom
“Absorbing and suggestive, this droll dance-theater piece is less campy and more disciplined”
- Time Out New York (4 stars & Critics’ Pick)
“Vastly entertaining and ridiculously clever”
- This Week in NY
“Szeglowski’s cast members, for their part, are nothing but talented, and are capable of getting into the minds of their audience with bitterly truthful life stories. Even better, they make you laugh along the way.”
– The Village Voice
“The work is truly exciting and hypnotic”
- Hi! Drama
“Crystalline delivery…These performers, speaking from simultaneous narcissism and mediocrity, are unquestionably talented.”
- Eye on the Arts
“The brilliance of this piece of dance-theatre…is that the dignity of each of the participants of the original Stairway to Stardom is lovingly maintained, all while the deadpan delivery of the text is flawlessly executed”
- Stage Buddy
“The cast’s commitment is admirable, their talent evident. Entertaining and funny, Szeglowski gives us a space to laugh at the classic catastrophe of being an artist, perhaps, to keep from crying.”
- The Dance Enthusiast“
This is a theater experience that breaks the mold, in all the best ways”
- Washington Square News
watch the trailer here
