Artist's LAB
​(Asobi-Ba/Playground) 

Season 2023-24

Artist's LAB #4 Annie McCoy

Leda: A Modern Reclamation Of An Ancient Myth
Saturday, October 21 at 7:30pm
Grace & St. Paul's Church
123 West 71st, New York, NY
For thousands of years, men have used the myth, of Leda and the Swan, to depict a helpless, powerless, and amorous woman. This retelling gives the power back to Leda while also addressing themes of childhood, violence, forgiveness, and what it means to be a woman at this moment. Using movement Annie McCoy will take on Leda’s journey accompanied with live music by MARLFAUX. This one-woman show was directed by directing team Saki Kawamura and Chase Kniffen
ABOUT THE ARTSIT: 
Annie McCoy is an actress from Orlando who started with a focus on Musical Theatre. However, she developed a passion for physical theatre while attending Circle in the Square. Post graduation she continued to train with Danyon Davis, specifically in Creative Physicality. For the last 7 years, she has been training under and collaborating with Yokko through the Ume group and then through RenGyoSoh. Past productions include Splitfoot (Piper Theatre) and By Wing, Fin, Hoof or Foot (The Ume Group). As well as Ren Gyo Soh’s Butoh-centric Shinka (IT awards winner) and En. During the pandemic, she continued to create in the virtual productions EN:2021 and Saki Kawamura’s IKIGAI (Hollywood Fringe). Annie’s belief is that Butoh is a craft that allows for the opportunity to take accountability and notice of all things past, present, and future in our universe. With this awareness, it is her goal to use the body as a vessel to produce art that is truthful, transcendent, and engaging, while also being environmentally conscious.​​
Artist Lab #5 & #6 info coming soon! 
The RGS Artists Lab (AKA Asobi-Ba/Playground) is explorational, transformational and developmental program for early - mid career artists who are interested in applying RGS Butoh, Movement, and Physical Theatre into their own work. The purpose of this program is creating an opportunity (Ba) for artists to explore their creativity with playful spirits (Asobi) to bloom their potential gifts. We support to produce their work to be seen in public setting to receive constructive feedback for their future development. ​
Program Director: 
​CHASE KNIFFEN is a NYC-based director and designer.  He was the Associate Artistic Director of Virginia Repertory Theatre for ten seasons, where he produced, directed, and designed numerous productions. Select Directing credits include The Sound of Music, The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, Other Desert Cities, Caroline, or Change, Violet, Next to Normal, Gypsy, Fun Home and South Pacific. He has won multiple Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards for his work on those productions. Chase has also designed sets, lighting, and projections for multiple plays, musicals and concerts. He received his BA in Theatre with a concentration on Scenic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and his MFA in Directing from Pace University. www.chasekniffen.com.
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Co-Director:
Saki Kawamura  is a NYC-based theatre director and interdisciplinary artist. The wide range of her work seen in theater, film, and visual art included: IKIGAI: a purpose of living (Hollywood Fringe 2021, Encore Award), The Giving Tree, Grown-ups (Unfix NYC 2021), Precognito (Vireo Production) and IKIGAI (RenGyoSoh Artist Lab). Her regional theatre credits as Assistant/Associate director include Mystic Pizza (Ogunquit Playhouse), A Jolly Holiday: Celebrating Disney’s Broadway Hits, Clue, Murder on the Orient Express (Paper Mill Playhouse), Joy: The New Musical (George Street Playhouse). Her works reflect an international viewpoint, which incorporates eastern culture and values. She aims to create theatrical experiences which will build bridges across cultures. MFA Directing at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. www.sakikawamura.com ​​