PUSH PHYSICAL THEATRE

Intense athleticism, gravity-defying acrobatics, and soulful artistry are the trademarks of award-winning, genre-defining PUSH Physical Theatre. Founded in Rochester, NY in 2000 by husband-and-wife team, Darren and Heather Stevenson, out of a desire to “push” the boundaries of conventional theatre, PUSH has since earned an international reputation as one of the world’s leading physical theatre companies.

Over the last two years PUSH has performed at the International Festival for Jewish Theatre in Jerusalem, appeared Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse, garnered multiple awards including “International Fringe Encore Series”, four “Best of the Fest” awards as well as “Critics Choice Best Show” at Orlando Fringe and “Outstanding Production” at Ottawa Fringe, a “Jenny” in Winnipeg and “Media Pick” with a 5 out of 5 star review in Edmonton.

PUSH has also been featured in acclaimed collaborations with the Grammy-winning Ying Quartet, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and Pulitzer Prize-nominated composer Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon’s two multi-media operas.

PUSH also produces its own works including RACE or ‘You’ve Seen Me Before,’ in collaboration with artist Hassiem Muhammad (online 2020); Generic Male: Just What We Need, Another Show About Men (2021); Someone No One Can See, a collaboration with transgender artist Penny Sterling (2022); and Hyde (2023).

PUSH has been recognized for service to the community through the Rochester Community Foundation’s 2023 Ames-Amzalak Award for Nonprofit Excellence, University of Rochester’s Lillian Fairchild Award, Performing Artist of the Year Award from the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, and the “Community of Color” Black History Month Anton Germano Dance Award, honoring advocates for an inclusive and diverse community who affect positive change.

PUSH engages underserved populations in areas with some of the highest poverty rates and too little access to the arts, and provides workshops for children with disabilities, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and adults in senior facilities.

To serve historically excluded communities, we are well aware of the need to seek out sources, inspiration and material beyond the lived experiences of our core company. Our creative consultants and focus groups include Black artists such as Thomas Warfield and Hassiem Muhammad, transgender artist Penny Sterling, people from rural areas, people with various disabilities, members of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and members of the University of Rochester Office of Diversity and Inclusion.