Rhythm Bath

An immersive dance installation by Susan Marshall and Mimi Lien. Produced by the Institute on Disabilities and Studio Susan Marshall.

Support for Rhythm Bath has been provided to the Institute on Disabilities by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Performance Schedule

Performances September 17 through 24, 2023 in Philadelphia

Performance Location: Christ Church Neighborhood House, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Our space is open to ticket holders for exploration before and after performances. Dancers perform in the space, intermittently, over the course of an hour.

Capacity: 40 people per performance.

Schedule, September 17 through September 24

Sunday 9/17, open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Performances at 3:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday 9/20, open from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Performances at 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Thursday 9/21, open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Performances at 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
Friday 9/22, open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Performances at 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
Saturday 9/23, open from 12:30 p.m. to 10 .pm.
Performances at 1 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.
Sunday 9/24, open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Performances at 3:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.

Rhythm Bath Know Before You Go

Download this Know Before You Go as a PDF with photos: Rhythm Bath "Know Before You Go" (PDF document)

The Institute on Disabilities, Temple University and Studio Susan Marshall welcomes you to Rhythm Bath. We hope the following information will help you plan your visit.

About Rhythm Bath

Rhythm Bath is a dance performance-installation that strives to be welcoming to both neurodiverse and neurotypical audiences. It is being designed in conversation with the neurodiverse community and is co-produced by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University and Studio Susan Marshall. Rhythm Bath premieres September 17 through 24, as part of the 2023 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Rhythm Bath will be open for exploration 30 minutes before and after each performance.

Rhythm Bath lasts approximately one hour. During the performance, you are invited to sit, stand, walk, wander, roll and come and go as you please. The dancing will happen around you. When you arrive, you will receive a “Sensory Timeline,” informing you of the sound volume, lighting levels and dancing intensity of the various sections of the performance.

Preview Video

Scroll upward on this web page to experience a 1.5-minute audio-described preview video.

Location

Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N. American Street, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 922-1695

Located behind The Arden Theatre and Historic Christ Church.
Enter through the glass, double doors. Press buzzer on the right-hand side to be admitted.

Environment

As you enter Christ Church Neighborhood House, one of our Rhythm Bath ushers will greet you. Our ushers and volunteers will be wearing white t-shirts with the words “Rhythm Bath” in an abstract design.

You will give your name to a member of our Box Office Team, who will be seated at a table in the lobby. If you have a printed ticket, you can show it, but it is not necessary.

You will take the elevator or stairs to Floor 4: Theater.

Two Spaces

Rhythm Bath performances take place in two spaces, both inside the 4th floor theater.

One space is large, with a white floor and a combination of dark and brick walls. It is, at times, brightly lit, with a billowing fabric ceiling; this is where the dancing happens. White chairs, shaped like eggs, line two of the walls. White rolling chairs and low walls are spread throughout the space.

You will hear recorded sounds and see theatrical lighting effects and changing set elements.

At timed intervals, ten dancers will move through the space, sometimes as a whole group, sometimes in smaller groupings.

The second space, located off the main space, is darker and smaller, and is separated from the large space by a white slatted wall. The light in this space is very low and there is a long, low bean bag couch for sitting. Small pieces of paper are scattered on the floor. A two-foot high square structure with an open top radiates light and a stream of air.

Audience members are encouraged to lift the pieces of paper over the airstream and watch/feel them take flight. This smaller space also offers two cones that emit air streams which blow ping-pong-like balls into the air—you are welcome to interact with them.

Quiet Spaces

Rhythm Bath offers a “Quiet Lounge” designed with our neurodiverse friends in mind. Our Quiet Lounge is located on the second floor, in the Great Hall. An usher will be happy to direct you! There is also a “Quiet Corner” in the foyer adjacent to the theater.

Accessibility

Rhythm Bath is a wheelchair-accessible space that welcomes all art lovers. All performances offer:

ASL interpretation.
Audio Description.
A “Quiet Lounge” and a “Quiet Corner” designed for those who need to take a break from the performance.
AIRA: We also offer unlimited access to the AIRA visual description mobile app. AIRA connects people who live with vision loss to professional Visual interpreters who are available on demand, 24/7. Programs and other print information are available in Braille and through QR codes.
Designated area for service animal relief.

Note: Tactile ASL interpretation will also be available on September 23, at the 2:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. performances.

Important Notes

Audience members who generally need support to access public spaces are encouraged to bring their support person with them. Tickets are available at no cost to DSPs or family members who provide support.

Audience members who live with vision loss are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes before performance times to explore the performance space. An audio describer and/or sighted aide will be available to support your exploration. Sighted guides will be available to provide assistance during performances, and service animals are welcome.

Restrooms

Accessible, gender-inclusive restrooms are located on the ground floor of Christ Church Neighborhood House.

Additional restrooms are located on the second floor of Christ Church Neighborhood House, behind the Great Hall. While the stalls are accessible, there is a small lip at the doorway that leads to the second-floor restrooms.

You are welcome to use the restroom that most closely aligns with your gender identity or expression. Support people/companions are welcome in all restrooms.

Travel

Public Transportation

Subway: Market-Frankford Line: 2nd Street Station.
SEPTA Bus Routes: 5, 17, 21, 25, 33, 42, 48, and 57.
PATCO: 8th & Market Street Station.
Megabus: 6th & Market Street Stop.

Parking

Limited street parking is available in front of Christ Church on Second Street, on Market Street, and in the surrounding neighborhood.

Recommended Parking Apps:

Parking Lots with Hourly Rates:

There is parking directly behind Christ Church Neighborhood House at 210 Filbert Street (map view of 210 Filbert Street). You can access it by driving down the cobblestone street that runs next to The Arden Theater. This is a cash only lot.
Parkway Lot, 37 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia (map view of lots near North 2nd Street). This lot is located directly across the street from The Arden Theater.

While You Wait

Christ Church Neighborhood House is in Old City, Philadelphia, on the grounds of the Historic Christ Church. Learn more about Christ Church and available tours.

Coffee and Dining Options

There are many nearby options for coffee, sweet treats, or dining. These are some of our favorites:

About Our Artists

Choreographer: Susan Marshall

Set Designer: Mimi Lien

Dancers:

Lighting: Jeanette Yew

Music and sound: Dan Trueman and Jason Treuting

Costumes: Oana Botez

Assistant Set Designer: Tatiana Kahvegian

Assistant Lighting Designer: Vittoria Orlando

Technical Director: Nathan Lemoine

Production Manager: John Flak

Stage Manager: Betsy Ayer

Producers: Rhythm Bath is co-produced by Studio Susan Marshall and the Institute on Disabilities, Temple University, College of Education and Human Development.

Funders

Major support for Rhythm Bath has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Mellon Foundation; Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts; and generous individuals. Rhythm Bath was developed in part during residencies at PEAK Performances at Montclair State University, and the Clark Theater as part of Mimi Lien's artistic residency at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Rhythm Bath In The News

Reserve Tickets

An Immersive and Inclusive Dance Installation

Rhythm Bath Program (Word document)

Renowned choreographer Susan Marshall and Tony Award-winning set designer Mimi Lien combine forces to create Rhythm Bath, an immersive and inclusive dance installation. Rhythm Bath blends performance, meditation, and wonder, inviting you to sense the dance happening around you. Come and go as you like—explore the accessible, transporting space of shifting fabric, light, sound, and movement.

This world-premiere event was developed in conversation and collaboration with neurodiverse individuals and communities. Rhythm Bath will offer ASL interpretation, audio description and unlimited use of Aira visual interpretation technology. A quiet lounge will also be available.

Though most appropriate for people ages 13+, Rhythm Bath welcomes all art lovers. Please refer to our Know Before You Go guide (above) for more information.

Rhythm Bath is produced by Studio Susan Marshall and the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, College of Education and Human Development.

Access

Rhythm Bath was developed in conversation and collaboration with neurodiverse individuals and communities. Rhythm Bath will offer ASL interpretation, audio description and unlimited use of Aira visual interpretation technology. Programs will be available in Braille and through QR codes. A quiet lounge will also be available.

Know Before You Go: American Sign Language (ASL) Version

Audio Description Notes: Podcast Player

Audio Description Notes Transcript

Welcome to Rhythm Bath by Susan Marshall and Mimi Lien, produced by the Institute on Disabilities Temple University and Studio Susannah Marshall. These are the notes on audio description.

Rhythm Bath is an immersive and inclusive dance installation developed in conversation and collaboration with neurodiverse individuals and communities. Rhythm Bath blends performance, meditation, and wonder, inviting you to sense the dance happening around you. Throughout the performance, come and go as you like. Feel free to move around the space and explore the accessible transporting space of shifting fabric, light, sound, and movement.

The runtime of this performance is approximately 60 minutes, and the installation opens 30 minutes before the ticketed time slot and after the performance concludes.

The performance includes 10 dancers and each of them have provided their own self descriptions. Rohan Bhargava is a slim Indian man in his late 20s. He is five feet seven inches tall with light brown skin, short black hair, and groomed facial hair. He is wearing a long sleeve blue sweater pushed up to the elbows, full-length grey pants and white sneakers.

Ching-I Chang is Taiwanese, has high cheekbones and long black hair. She is five foot four inches tall. She is wearing a silver skirt silky top, the dark blues of her jacket and white sneakers.

Sydney Donovan is a rosy skin Caucasian woman of average height with long, wavy red hair and a ponytail she is wearing a sky blue silk shirt, tank top and zipper jacket with white sneakers.

Nico Gonzalez is an average height slim mixed-race Latino man with brown hair, brown eyes and light brown facial hair. He wears white sneakers, blue terrycloth shorts, and a sleeveless buttoned-up shirt.

Courtney Henry is a tall brown-skinned woman with a curly black afro. She's wearing a periwinkle a-line dress with a strip of silver fabric around her collar and running straight down the front of the dress. She also wears cream colored sneakers.

Shayla-Vie Jenkins is a female-identified black woman of medium brown color with shoulder length dreadlocks. She is tall and has long limbs, wearing a jumpsuit with silver circle cutouts on the sides of her waist.

Vanessa Knouse is a Caucasian female of average height with pale skin, dark brown wavy hair, and hazel eyes. She is wearing a blue mini dress with silver circles cut out along the middle, with fitted three-quarter length silver sleeves and silver leggings.

Albert is a Spanish male-identified person with shorter length curly brown hair who stands at five nine. He is wearing a sleeveless light blue zipper jumpsuit with white sneakers.

Gabrielle Revlock is an athletic woman five foot seven with curly deep red hair. She is wearing a sleeveless dark blue jumpsuit with a light blue stripe down the side.

Darrin Michael Wright is a white man in his 40s with short curly hair who stands at five eight. He is wearing white sneakers with blue socks, short blue shorts, a blue shirt, and a blue tulle materials zip up jacket that is left open.

These 10 Dancers moved throughout the contours of the space during the entire performance. Broadly, the space is set up with the dance floor in the center and various types of seating on or around it. In the center of the space there is an oval-shaped soft white dance floor 35 feet in length by 20 feet in width at its widest points.

Overhead, suspended from an oval hoop is an oval white fabric ceiling that resembles the organic contours of a cloud with three circular three foot openings and one circular five foot opening throughout. The billowing fabric undulates throughout the performance ranging from six feet above ground level to nearly 10 feet above ground level as contours move up and down in a smooth wave motion.

The entirety of the inside is covered with a cream color tulle-like fabric that softens the light from the spotlights inside. Hundreds of strings of LED lights with small bulbs at the end, extend nearly three feet from one of the circular openings overhead. The lights twinkle and become more and less visible as the fabric curtain rises up and down.

Throughout the stage, there are various types of chairs including white plastic chairs with stationary legs and white plastic chairs with rolling legs. On the front right side and the back left side of the stage on a diagonal, just off center of the oval floor, there is a three and a half foot tall arched wall that spans seven feet in length.

Along the perimeter of the stage are black plastic chairs that are covered in a white fabric, that's suspended from the ceiling by a rope, creating a point at the top. The fabric acts as a pillowy cocoon, enveloping the person sitting in them.

In the back left of the space, curving along the oval of the dance floor and reaching just past the center is a 10 foot tall by 20 foot wide mesh screen.

On the front left corner of the white oval dance floor there are six ten foot tall by one and a half foot wide by six inch in depth white fabric panels, each spaced six inches apart, that connect at the top with the white fabric ceiling. Just behind the panels is an air stream station. This space is also to the right of the door. On the ground in the center is a circular metal fan enclosed in metal bars. The blades are horizontal and blow the air upward. On either side are two black air stream machines with black metal rectangular bases, which extend to cylindrical tubes that expel air out of them. The force of the air coming through the machine suspends a white circular ball in mid air on either side. There's also a beanbag chair and other black plastic chairs around this station.

Rhythm Bath Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

two dancers, one leaning forward, the other backward, beneath billowing fabric ceiling

View slideshow as list

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

dancer with arms stretch upward, beneath white fabric ceiling

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

audience sit in chairs or stand, among performing dancers

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

dancers move among audience who are seated where they choose

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

audience sit near dancers beneath white fabric ceiling that is bathed in light, some using headphones

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

Dancers stand and lean in various poses, one's hand resting on another's shoulder, all watched by audience

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

dancers stand in forward or backward leaning poses, watched by audience who sit or stand where they choose

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

a man in a dimly lit space, among others, holds up strips of spot-lit white paper

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

bearded man with closed eyes leans back into puffy white fabric

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

dancer partially lit with blue light reaches upward toward a round opening in backlit white fabric ceiling

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

two people sitting with arms around one another watch dancers among other audience

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

3 audience members gaze up at white fabric ceiling that's lit from within

Photo by Wide Eyed Studios

Dancers

Rohan Bhargava
Ching-I Chang
Sydney Donovan
Nico Gonzales
Courtney Henry
Shayla-Vie Jenkins
Albert Quesada
Gabrielle Revlock
Vanessa Knouse
Darrin Michael Wright

Composers

Dan Trueman
Jason Treuting

Lighting

Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew

Costumes

Oana Botez

BIOS

Susan Marshall

Susan Marshall is a choreographer who has collaborated with visual artists, scientists, composers, and music ensembles on large theater productions and gallery installations. She is known for employing modest means to resonant effect, and her movement vocabularies, which often include everyday gestures, are distilled to near abstraction and finely calibrated. Interdependency, freedom within constraints, and humor are constants in her work and process. As the parent of a son with autism and as a member of a community of families of neurodiverse individuals, Marshall is excited by the increasing access for neurodiverse viewers and participants in the arts community and is pleased to be a part of this movement working to expand access to cultural events and to dance in particular. Among other honors, Marshall is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and three New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Awards. Her dance company has performed extensively in theaters throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, including in NYC at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Kitchen, New York Live Arts, Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Andrea Rosen Gallery, and nationally at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, the Krannert Center, Gammage at Arizona State University, Walker Art Center and Montclair State University. Her work has entered the repertory of major dance companies, including Nederlands Dans Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Since 2009, Marshall has been a professor and the Director of Dance at Princeton University.

Mimi Lien

Mimi Lien is a designer of sets/environments for theater, dance, and opera. In 2015, she was named a MacArthur Fellow, the first set designer to achieve this distinction. Selected work includes Sweeney Todd (Broadway), Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway, TONY Award, Lortel Award, 2013 Hewes Design Award), John (Signature Theatre, 2016 Hewes Design Award), Appropriate (Mark Taper Forum, LA Drama Critics Circle Award), Preludes, The Oldest Boy (Lincoln Center), An Octoroon (Soho Rep/TFANA, Drama Desk and Lortel nominations), and Black Mountain Songs (BAM Next Wave). Her stage designs have been exhibited in the Prague Quadrennial in 2011 and 2015, and her sculptures were featured in the exhibition, LANDSCAPES OF QUARANTINE, at the Storefront for Art and Architecture. Her designs for theater, dance, and opera have been seen around the U.S. at such venues as Lincoln Center Theater, Signature Theatre, Playwright's Horizons, the Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Joyce Theater, Goodman Theatre, Soho Rep, and internationally at Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre (Russia), Intradans (Netherlands), National Theatre (Taiwan), and many others. She is an artist-in-residence at Lincoln Center and Park Avenue Armory, and co-founder of the Brooklyn performance space JACK.

The producers would like to thank the following individuals and organizations:

Neurodiverse advisors Pamela Quinn, Henry and Lauri Hunt, Tionna McClodden, Sonja Johansson, Keir and Kelly Keebler, Sarah Ackerman, Daniel Bergmann, Brian Foti, Alec Martinez, Nick Renino and Gregory Tino
The Dancing with Neurodiversity Working Group at Princeton University: Naomi Leonard, Sabine Kastner, Brian Herrera
Dancers Bryn Hlava and Mykel Marai Nairne
FringeArts
Christ Church Neighborhood House

For more information, please contact

iod@temple.edu
215-204-1356

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Institute on Disabilities

Performance Schedule

An Immersive and Inclusive Dance Installation

Access

Know Before You Go: American Sign Language (ASL) Version

Audio Description Notes: Podcast Player

Rhythm Bath Photo Gallery

Dancers

Composers

Lighting

Costumes

BIOS

For more information, please contact

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