Fri. & Sat. August 4 & 5 at 8pm.  Sun. August 6 at 7pm. (Note non-standard curtain time) Created by TEAM SUNSHINE PERFORMANCE CORPORATION and THE PHILLY PIGEON/JACOB WINTERSTEIN Directed at Ko by Alex Torra (Team Sunshine) With participation by KoFest artists, a secret lineup of local performers, and members of the Detroit ensemble A HOST OF PEOPLE In an era where facts don't seem to matter, in an area where fractious town meetings are the rule, and in a time when we have lost all sense of the humanity of those who disagree with us — we invite you to an evening of utter nonsense. What is it? The Society of Civil Discourse is an interactive night of debate, appreciation, hating and rhetorical excess. It’s  all about style, not substance. The event gives people a chance to have fun in community, with art at the center. Its an event where the line between performer and audience member gets blurred. You can come and quietly watch the entire night, or you might take us up on this opportunity to show off your best rhetorical skills. You might even be might tapped for the Great Debate that concludes the evening. But most of all, you'll have the opportunity to learn to love the people you argue passionately with. SO WHAT HAPPENS? The best way to understand is to watch this brief video: As you can see, the evening’s events will happen in several phases. Attendees get name tags and there is a brief period for mingling, beverages, after which all present are called to order and invited to become members of the fictitious SOCIETY OF CIVIL DISCOURSE.  After a brief and fun induction ceremony, audience members are invited to circulate between three or four different talking stations at their own pace.  At these stations your trained facilitators will guide you into a debate, gripe session, appreciation. You might defend an opinion: Pick a card with silly opposing views on it. Defend one.  You listen to others make noises of appreciation 0r disagreement. And at any time you can take a break to get a drink or a snack. THE FINAL PHASE IS THE GREAT DEBATE: Professional Argument Teams and a few outstanding audience members selected from Phase 1 engage in a 5 round debate over a secret topic. After choosing a team name there will be 5 debate rounds: Round 1: Opening Statements Round 2: Personal testimony Round 3: Fake statistics Round 4: Mime Round 5: Closing statements We invite you to watch, heckle, applaud and vote for the winners. The meeting of the Society of Civil Discourse is formally adjourned but you are invited to stay and hang with all the cool people you've just met — and argued passionately with.

Fri. & Sat. July 14 & 15 at 8pm,  Sun. July 16 at 4pm Created and performed by SARA JULI TENSE  VAGINA: an actual diagnosis is about motherhood — its beauty, challenges, isolation, comedy and influence on the human experience. This hour-long evening-length solo uses humor, movement, sounds, songs, text and audience participation to reveal “all that is awesome and all that sucks” when it comes to being a mother. TENSE VAGINA focuses on the seldom-discussed and taboo aspects of motherhood, such as loss of bladder control, tears, monotony, loneliness and dildos. The narrative is anchored in sharing the physical therapy Sara received at The Pelvic Floor Rehab Center of New England as she sheds light and humor on her treatment of post-childbirth urinary incontinence. Created and Performed by Sara Juli with an original set by Pamela Moulton, Costume by Carol Farrell and with Lighting Design by Justin Moriarty, adapted by Sabrina Hamilton. The show runs 1 hour with no intermission and is not appropriate for children due to its strong language, subject matter and dildos. WE WILL BE PROVIDING ON-SITE CHILDCARE FOR THE SUNDAY, 4PM SHOW.  Please call the box office after July 3 at (413) 542-3750 to reserve and so that we can get information about your child.  

“Who knew a tense vagina could be so funny?” – Dance View Times “Tense Vagina is the rare piece that harnesses art and advocacy into perfect harmony, making for an unforgettably hilarious and edifying experience.” – Independent Weekly "Like a standup routine performed in a supine position while doing Kegel exercises.” – The New Yorker "Tense Vagina is thrillingly feminist, and very much belongs to the current zeitgeist.” - The Five Point Star

Fri. & Sat. July 28-29 at 8pm, Sunday July 30 at 4pm NEW WORLD PERFORMANCE LAB Conceived and performed by JAIRO CUESTA Directed by JAMES SLOWIAK Two years ago, NWPL set out on an expedition to understand their hometown’s relationship with rubber. Through the pillaging of natural rubber in the Amazon forests, and the working class citizens who broke their backs building tires – Akron, OH became the "Rubber City." In this solo performance Colombian actor and NWPL C0-Artistic Director,  Jairo Cuesta performs a ritual of storytelling, a sacrifice to heal the city. In this moving evocation of the jungles of the Amazon where countless indigenous men, women, and children were mutilated and massacred in the mad search for natural rubber, Cuesta seeks to lead the public on a quest for the sources of a city’s sorrow. Through his virtuosic physical and vocal skills, Cuesta enacts a ritual of storytelling, a sacrifice to heal the city by confronting the violence and blood on which the city is built.  The piece has been directed by University of Akron theatre professor and NWPL co-artistic director James Slowiak. DEATH OF A MAN is an attempt at authentic intercultural understanding by reengaging the past and bringing it alive in the present. The performance is not meant to sentimentalize the story or merely invoke empathy, but to interrogate, criticize, and empower by opening a dialogue between text, past, present, performer, and audience.  The performance event is based loosely on John Tully’s book, “The Devil’s Milk: A Social History of Rubber,” along with other historical and fictional sources. Cuesta and Slowiak traveled to the Amazon in 2016 where they engaged in meetings with members of the indigenous community represented in the performance. Watch this fascinating video about their trip to the Amazon.