Established in 1997, the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble is a
permanent collective of jazz musicians, modern dancers, and actors.
Performers collaborate through an ensemble-based process to create
politically-charged, original works. Strike Anywhere’s mission is to
inspire empathy, creativity, and social awareness through
provocative performance and innovative education. Its work is
guided by the words of Bertolt Brecht, "Art is not a mirror held up to
reality but a hammer with which to shape it." SA performances always
feature live music, physical theater and modern dance. The company
applies structures and concepts from American jazz to their interdisciplinary
improvisations to create performances that are engaging
and alive. Strike Anywhere is the preeminent theatre company in the
United States practicing Soundpainting, a universal sign-language
developed by composer Walter Thompson for live composition with
improvisers.
Following a six-year residence at the Theatre at St. Clements in Times
Square, Strike Anywhere formed an alliance with the Brecht Forum, a
progressive social-justice organization. From 2003-2014, Strike
Anywhere produced a variety of shows and outreach programs at the
Brecht Forum. From 2007-2009, Strike Anywhere became a resident
company of the Zipper Factory. The company enjoys a strong alliance
with the Irondale Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and has coproduced
several shows there.
Strike Anywhere tours extensively. Internationally SA has been
presented at festivals and conferences in: Indonesia, France, Spain,
Italy & England. The company has appeared at dozens of venues
including: B.A.M., American Airlines Theater, P.S. 122, The Irondale
Center, Theatre at St. Clements, Theater for the New City, Galapagos,
and HERE Arts Center. National venues include: Long Center (TX),
Stateside at the Paramount (TX), Goethe Institut (Washington DC),
Theatre Building Chicago, Magdalena Festival (RI), KO Festival of
Performance (MA), Catskill Festival of New Theatre (NY), Network of
Ensemble Theatres Festival (HI, MA, ME, NC & CA) and the Fury Factory
Festival (CA). Educational venues include: Bucknell University, Brown
University, Penn State, Trinity College, Drew University, Hood College,
Muhlenberg, N.Y.U., Pace, C.U.N.Y. and several S.U.N.Y. schools. Strike
Anywhere's Artistic/Producing Director, Leese Walker, is the recipient
of the 2011 BAX Arts Educator Award, the 2010 Arts Presenters
Emerging Leaders Scholarship, and the prestigious 2004 APPEX
Fellowship, a 6-week artistic exchange between 16 international artists
in Bali, Indonesia. Strike Anywhere has been featured on Radio France,
NPR, WBAI, German Public Radio and U.S., French and German
television.
Strike Anywhere is a proud member of the Network of Ensemble Theaters (N.E.T.), and the Alliance of Resident Theaters (A.R.T./NY)