About

Third Rail Projects

Third Rail Projects has been hailed as one of the foremost groups creating site-specific, immersive, and experiential performance. The partnership is dedicated to the collective and individual works of Zach MorrisTom Pearson, and Jennine Willett and their projects that re-envision the ways in which audiences engage with contemporary performance. They have made work in New York, nationally, and abroad since 2000. Their long-running, award-winning immersive hit Then She Fell was named as one of the “Top Ten Shows of 2012” by Ben Brantley of The New York Times and acclaimed as one of the best theater experiences of 2013 by Vogue.

Fundamental to the director’s work is the notion of re-imagining contexts for presenting contemporary performance, as exemplified by a history of creating projects sought after by avid theatergoers as well as those seeking unique experiences. Collaboration is integral to the work, in the creative process as well as in partnerships with each new site, community, and cultural landscape. This manifests in numerous points of inquiry and programmatic objectives that foster artistic exchange and shared practice across unique communities.

In recent years, Third Rail has launched several major works which were met with critical accolades and audience recognition: As Time Goes By in St. Petersburg, Russia; Sweet & Lucky with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Learning Curve with Albany Park Theater Project in Chicago; Ghost Light

with Lincoln Center Theater’s LTC3 at the Claire Tow Theater; Ikaros with La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls (WOW) Festival; Behind the City with The Macallan; and The Grand Paradise, which ran for 11 months and garnered rave reviews and Critic’s Picks from The New York Times and Time Out New York, among others.

The directors and their collaborators work nationally on new immersive and site-specific projects, and internationally through the Global Performance Studio (GPS), which combines Third Rail’s creative and educational offerings through a program of cultural listening and collaboration. The directors have been the recipients of several prestigious awards, including two New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards, a Chita Rivera Award for Choreography, a Drama Desk Awards Nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience, several fellowship awards including two CEC ArtsLink Back Apartment Residencies (Russia), a Theater Fellowship from the Bogliasco Foundation (Italy), an IllumiNation Award from the Ford Foundation, and more. Third Rail Projects has also been recognized as part of the creative team of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning virtual reality adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Wolves in the Walls and as contributors and featured artists in the Emmy Award-winning series IMMERSIVE.WORLD by ALL ARTS. In 2016, Zach, Tom, and Jennine were named among the 100 most influential people in Brooklyn Culture by Brooklyn Magazine.

Artistic Directors


  • Co-Artistic Director

    Zach Morris (he/him/his) is a director and choreographer. He is co-creator of the immersive theater hits Then She Fell, The Grand Paradise, Sweet & Lucky with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and Ghost Light at Lincoln Center Theater’s Claire Tow Theater, among others. Zach's work includes theater, dance, site-specific performance, and multimedia installation art/environments, and he is particularly interested in how all of these can intersect with audience-centered experiential gatherings. Zach has been honored with numerous awards, including a Chita Rivera award and two Bessie awards; projects he has collaborated on have garnered a Drama Desk Nomination, a Peabody Award, and an Emmy Award. His work has been presented nationally and internationally with the support of numerous grants, commissions, and residencies, and he has had the pleasure of teaching, mentoring, and creating new platforms to support the work of artists at home and abroad. Zach holds a BFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon University.


  • Co-Artistic Director

    Tom Pearson is a multimedia artist, the co-creator of Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise, and the director of the Global Performance Studio (GPS), a program for cultural listening and exchange. Tom’s work combines material culture and audience-centered narratives to craft interactive experiences, drawing on a background in performance studies, psychology, and ritual. Tom has been named among the 100 most influential people in Brooklyn culture by Brooklyn Magazine and has received numerous accolades for his work including two New York Dance & Performance (Bessie) Awards, an IllumiNation Award from the Ford Foundation, several international film festival awards, and numerous commissions, fellowships, and residencies. For his writings, Tom had received a Kingsbury Award, Cody Harris Allen Award, Indie Reader Discovery Award, three Reader Views Literary Awards, and a Readers’ Favorite Book Award. Tom’s work and methodologies have also contributed to projects that have garnered EMMY Awards, a Peabody, a Chita Rivera Award, and a Drama Desk nomination. He holds an MA from NYU in performance studies, and a BFA in dance and BA in writing from FSU. More at tompearsonnyc.com.


  • Co-Artistic Director

    Jennine Willett is a director, choreographer, writer, and educator. Her prominent co-creations include Then She Fell, The Grand Paradise, Ghost Light at Lincoln Center Theater’s Claire Tow Theater, and Learning Curve, a collaboration with Chicago’s acclaimed youth ensemble Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) named one of the Top Ten Shows of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, Time Out Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times. Most recently, she co-directed and designed the immersive experience of Port of Entry, Third Rail’s second collaboration with APTP, currently running in Chicago. Jennine has been honored with a Bessie Award for Then She Fell and a Chita Rivera Award for Ghost Light, and she was part of the creative team of the virtual reality film Wolves in the Walls by Fable Studio, winner of both Peabody and Emmy awards. Jennine teaches courses for numerous academic institutions and arts organizations nationally and internationally. She looks for ways to transport and connect audiences by exploring relatable life experiences, hoping to build human connections and mutual understanding through performance. Jennine holds an MFA degree from Florida State University in performance and choreography.

Staff


  • Associate Artistic Director

    Marissa Nielsen-Pincus is a performing artist, teacher, and founding member and associate artistic airector of Third Rail Projects. Since 2001, she has been a collaborating artist on Third Rail’s creative processes nationally and internationally. In addition to performing, Marissa led the rehearsal directing teams and was assistant director for Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise (2016), as well as a member of the directing team for Learning Curve (2016), Third Rail’s collaboration with the Chicago youth theater company APTP. Marissa teaches performance skills regularly in NYC, as well as nationally and internationally. She is also a certified Body-Mind Centering® Practitioner.


  • Associate Managing Director

    Edward Rice has worked with Third Rail Projects since 2012 on a number of projects including Then She Fell (performer), The Grand Paradise (performer, directing team), and Learning Curve (directing team) and is the company’s associate managing director. He has performed professionally since 2007 (Brian Brooks Moving Company, Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects, Laura Peterson Choreography, Elephant Jane Dance, Alexandra Beller/Dances, Punchdrunk's Sleep No More, NYC, among others). He has taught dance and performance both nationally and internationally and offers workshops through Third Rail Projects. He holds a BS and an MFA in dance performance from Illinois State University and the University of Iowa, respectively.

Collaborators

Third Rail Dance (2001-2007)

Co-Founders
Tom Pearson, Brian Weaver, Jennine Willett

Third Rail Projects, LLC (established 2008)

Founding Partners
Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, Jennine Willett

Current Projects/Collaborators

Individuals: Martha Bijlsma, Lia Bonfilio, Andrew Broaddus, Elizabeth Carena, Devika Chandnani, Alberto Denis, Kristin Dwyer, Coyle Girelli, Joshua Gonzales, Sean Hagerty, Taylor Hollister, Daria Karpova, Simon Kluth, Julia Kelly, Roxanne Kidd, Noah LaPook, Justin Lynch, Berette Macaulay, Mary Madsen, Rebekah Morin, Brigitta Muntendorf, Tara O’Con, Anastasia Nesterova, Johannes Nies, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Jenna Purcell, Katrina Reid, Edward Rice, Kim Savarino, Isaiah Singer, Konata Stallings, Kana Sugimura, Anna Szulc, Lisa Verhahn, Ryan Wuestewald, Renata Zhigulina.

Companies: Albany Park Theater Project, Flex Ensemble.


All Collaborators (2001-Present)
Performers, Artists, Designers, and Production

Rafael Abdulmajid, Rachel Abrahams, Alina Abuzyarova, Gabriella Acquaviva, Andrey Adamovsky, NJ Agwuna, Donna Ahmadi, Albany Park Theater Project, Matthew Albert, Jeff Aldrich, Aleksandra Aleksandrova, Stephanie Armitage, Anna Aschliman, Charles Au, Nick Auer, Alexandra, Bagdasarova, Daniel Baker, Brett Banakis, Heather McDevitt Barton, Erika Boudreau-Barbee, Iman Barnes, Debra Beardsley, Julia Behringer, Michael Bell, Anna-Alisa Belous, Eric Berey, Rachel I. Berman, Kate Black, Kasey Blanco, Montana Blanco, Lia Bonfilio, Corinne Brenner, Andrew Broaddus, Kelsey Buerger, TJ Burleson, Quentin Burley, Cameron Burns, Sarafina Bush, Yulia Bylenok, Derek Capps, Kristen Carcone, Elizabeth Carena, Giulia Carotenuto, Kyle Castillo, Amy Castro, Suzanne Cerreta, Odilia Chan, Devika Chandnani, Serena Chang, Andrew Chapman, Nina Chernysheva, Keene Cheung, Patricia Chiu, Nargiz Chynalieva, Amy Conoly, Andrea Dohar Corbett, Ian Corbett, Ethan Covey, Brittany Crowell, Christopher Cummings, Jack Cummins, Dan Daly, Ross Daniel, Larry Daniels, Elisa Davis, Jae Day, Morgaine De Leonardis, Barbara Erin Delo, Will Delorm, Leyla DeMolina, Mark DeNardo, Alberto Denis, Vinny Deponto, Lindsey Dietz Marchant, Djamilya Djarkynbaeva, Katie Dolan, Bree Doobay, Jared Douglas, Brendan Duggan, Steven Dunlap, Caitlin Dutton-Reaver, Joshua Dutton-Reaver, Kristin Dwyer, Jacob Ely, Lena Engelstein, Justin Faircloth, Peter Farr, Lindsey Ferguson, Natalia Firulina, Kim Fischer, Colby Foss, Zhauna Franks, Benjamin Freedman, Heather Frew, Lea Fulton, Rebecca Fung, Noah Fusco, Dana Gal, Julia Galanski, Katie Galaro, Kelly Garone, Samantha Gass, Amy Gernux, Shelby Gilberto, Doug Gillespie, Margaret Gleberman, Gierre Godley, Joshua Gonzales, Anna Gorchanuk, Gabriela Gowdie, Jared Gradinger, Elena Gradkovskaya, Jamie Graham, Matt Gratz, Jesse Green, Kathleen Green, Brighid Greene, Dondré Greenhouse, Sean Hagerty, Carolyn Hall, Ashley Handel, Joseph Harris, Cody Hayman, Sarah Herdrich, Shiloh Hodges, Emma Hoette, Muriel Hoffman, Taylor Hollister, Garrett Hood, Paul Hudson, Shannon Humiston, Johanna Hunter, Eva Jaunzemis,

Jason Jeunnette, Yuen Jie, Faith Johnson, Brian Johnston, Leslie Jones, Julia Jurgilewicz, Rebecca Kane, Kyla Kantor, Russell M. Kaplan, Daria Karpova, Katie Kavett, Julia Kelly, Roxanne Kidd, Maria Kirichenko, Sergei Kochetkov, Annette Koehn, Madison Krekel, Caroline Labreche, Kate Ladenheim, Noah LaPook, Andrea Lepcio, Sergei Lesenko, Kerry Liu, Karen Loewy, Ange Lopilato, Natalie Love, Kevin Lowry, Kinki Luk, Marta Luné, Valentina Lutsenko, Justin Lynch, Jeffery Lyon, Mary Madsen, Ben Magnuson, Katya Maiorova, Renata Mambetova, Samat Mambetshaev, David Mancini, Bina Maracchini, Kaitlin Marsh, Zach Martens, Amanda Martin, Chris Masters, Rob Mastrianni, Josh Matthews, Aaron Mattocks, Elena Matveeva, Emma Mcdonnell, Zach Mcnally, Meiko's Starlight Orchestra, Lawrence Jay Milman, Manelich Minniefee, Veronika Mironova, Tyrone M. Mitchell, Maxim Mityashin, mmmedium, Justin Mock, Louis Mofsie, Krista Morgenson, Rebekah Morin, Teddy Mueller, Jordan Muller, Lauren Muraski, Parker Murphy, Moe Mustafa, Taylor Myers, John Nehlich, Anastasia Nesterova, Alz Ng, Haylee Nichele, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Natalya Nikolaeva, Ekaterina Novikova, Casey Nuckols, Tara O'Con, Alannah O'Hagan, Kanyet Osmonkolov, Janie Paw, Bobby Peatman, Tanya Perez, Eh-Den Perlove, Anna Pestereva, Wil Petre, Emily Petry, Gwen Petry, Lindsay Pierce, Carly Plagianakos, Mayya Popova, Yulia Potapenko, Jenna Purcell, Amy Quanbeck, Carrie Radigan, Derek Rainey, Anastasia Rebkalo, Katrina Reid, Grigori Ribachonok, Edward Rice, Claudia-Lynn Rightmire, Josh Roberts, Ashley Robicheaux, Christina Robson, Yulia Rodina, Sebastiani Romagnolo, Kelsey Rondeau, Mary Rubi, Ruslan Rychagov, Nargiza Ryskulova, Kim Savarino, Andrew Scheer, Alex Schell, Zoe Schieber, Jordan Schulze, Brigid Scruggs, Julie Seal, Maya Selezneva, Samara Seligsohn, Taylor Semin, Marina Shamova, Sidney Shannon, Mackenzie Sherburne, Mayuna Shimizu, Tatiana Shin, Bre Short, Isaiah Singer, Susan Brandis Slavin, Jessy Smith, Nicole Smith, Margaret Snell, Eric Southern, Tori Sparks, Patrick St. John, Monique Stachiw, Taylor Steward, Bryan Strimpel, Rustam Sultanaliev, Elizabeth Svenningsen, Sam Swanton, Jennifer Sydor, Jeff Sykes, Jake Szczypek, Lutin Tanner, Bennett C. Taylor, Michael Taylor, Shelby Terrell, Simon Thomas-Train, Nicole Timpone, Stacie Fields Tobar, Tommy Tse, Niko Tsocanos, Ekaterina Ulitina, Yegor Vassilyev, Rachel Viola, Kristina Vnook, Daniel Von Sowulo, Yulia Voronovskaya, Evelyn Wan, Carlton C. Ward, Terra Warman, Megan Watters, Kristi Webber, Barry Weil, Sarah Weinflash, Charly Wenzel, Claire Westby, Raven White, Mackenzie Whiting, Michaela Whiting, Madeline Wilcox, Lucy Wild, Kerrin Willett, Kryssy Wright, Ryan Wuestewald, Catherine Yau, Karen Young, Ka Yuen, Marlis Yurcisin, Aibermet Zaiyrova, Renata Zhigulina.

Values

  • Third Rail Projects acknowledges that we, as artists, partners, and collaborators live and work primarily on the stolen lands of the Munsee Lenape within Lenapehoking (New York City and surrounding areas). We also acknowledge that our many projects throughout Turtle Island (North America) and around the world intersect with diverse peoples who have stewarded the land through many generations as well as those who are the current and future cultural bearers for their communities—communities that have often been displaced from their original lands. We recognize the complexity of the histories of violence, removal, and continued practices of extraction and colonialism, and we seek to be in Right Relationship* and to honor Indigenous populations in all that we do.

    We are grateful to the tribes in our own Third Rail Projects community, artists and collaborators who have built a body of work with us these past 23 years, artists representing Coharie, Tsalagi (Eastern Band Cherokee), Chickasaw, Choctaw, Kuna, Rappahonnock, Taíno, Hopi, Ho Chunk (Winnebago), and Lenape. And we honor with gratitude the land itself and commit ourselves to protecting our environment and supporting Indigenous visibility, sovereignty, representation, and reparation.

    There are practices that activate these acknowledgments, and we invite everyone to spend time learning more. Visit Native Land Digital to find your community on the Indigenous map. Get involved in Land Back. Visit the Lenape Center of Manhattan. Learn more about culture, activism, and philanthropy through IllumiNative, Cultural Survival, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.

    *”Right relationship” is used here and understood from Indigenous concepts of living in harmony and balance. Right relationship is a concept present in many Native American tribes as well as in Buddhism, Quakerism, Q’ero of Peru, neuroscience, quantum physics, and other practices and ways of knowing that value interconnectedness and embrace multiplicity.

  • Third Rail Projects, a partnership between Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, and Jennine Willett, is committed to the ongoing development of anti-oppressive, anti-racist practices that value Queer, Trans, Asian, Black, Brown, Indigenous, Immigrant communities and other historically marginalized groups in all of our ways of working: our artistic endeavors, our educational programs, our administrative practices, and our partnerships with other organizations. We work to hold ourselves and our collaborators accountable to a culture of Right Relationship* and the values that we prioritize—centering connection, mutual understanding, and agency—as we work towards progress with our anti-Racist and anti-oppression goals.

    *”Right relationship” is used here and understood from Indigenous concepts of living in harmony and balance. Right relationship is a concept present in many Native American tribes as well as in Buddhism, Quakerism, Q’ero of Peru, neuroscience, quantum physics, and other practices and ways of knowing that value interconnectedness and embrace multiplicity.

  • • Creating welcoming spaces where our audiences, employees, collaborators, and students feel respected.

    • Equitable and nondiscriminatory work environments that support the well-being of our employees by outlining clear expectations, creating reasonable work schedules, providing fair compensation, and encouraging open communication.

    • Open channels of communication that can serve to build relationships and address and repair harm when it occurs within a process or intersects with our activity in another community or organization.

    • Hiring and casting processes that value racial diversity and equity, building more long-standing relationships with artists who identify as Asian, Black, Brown, and Indigenous.

    • Fostering positive and inclusive devising and performance environments that encourage exploration, exchange, and discourse.

    • Sharing our anti-racist, anti-Oppression ethos, values, and goals with every artist whom we employ as well as outside bodies such as education partners, students, Global Performance Studio partners, producers, and presenters.

    • Recognizing, honoring, and crediting the contributions of those with whom we work: our collaborators, communities, and source materials.

    • A practice of cultural listening and exchange; acknowledging that we are visitors to the locations where we make site-specific work; honoring and respecting these spaces we work in and their inhabitants as an integral part of the work.

    • Equitable and inclusive marketing and communications that represents the actual diversity of our work and the artists with whom we collaborate.

    • Expanding the accessibility of our offerings through ADA compliance, designing works for individuals with diverse access needs, and through free or subsidized tickets for performances and educational offerings.

    • Honoring the uniqueness of each project and adapting our practices to meet the needs of each creative process and community we work with while assuring that our goals and values remain prioritized.

    • Engaging in the ongoing practice of reflecting on, adapting, and revising our values, creative processes, and ways of working.