Why I Sleep with the Lights On

Devised, Written, and Performed by CC Myers

CC Myers plays clarinet and saxophone, and recently graduated from Central High School with Seals of Excellence in both music and theatre.

The Weight of Paper

Devised, choreographed, and Performed by Keilei Downer

This solo performance piece is heavily inspired by theories of the theatre practitioner, Pina Bausch, a revolutionary director and choreographer who founded Tanztheater, a theatre practice that prioritizes convincing storytelling through movement and dance. The piece explores the internal struggle of academic burnout and the harsh reality of wanting to be productive but constantly succumbing to distraction as well as the intense pressure put on young people to function in a certain matter. Created through mostly improvisation and self-reflection, the performance focuses on Bausch’s belief in expressing what inspires a person to move rather than the technique of the movement they are performing. The piece centers on a student repeatedly attempting to complete an assignment, only to be reluctantly drawn away. Emotions intensify as the distractions become louder and louder. Raw, vulnerable, and deeply personal, the piece invites audiences to connect with the familiar feeling of procrastination and academic struggles.

A recent graduate from the International Baccauluarate Diploma Program at Central High School, Keilei joined the DOTS ensemble for the workshop performance of Another Life Story in Spring 2024.  She is passionate about dance and physical theatre 

She was recently seen as Persphone in Hadestown: Teen Edition and in The Old Man and the Old Moon and How to Succeed in Business at Central High School.  She also performed in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Springfield Little Theatre and Big Fish with Springfield Contemporary Theatre. 

Keilei serves as a DOTS Social Media manager.