Wholly Unwinding

Dress Code

THEME: A Starry Night

Wear blue, green, & gold in any style!

Director’s Note

“Wholly Unwinding holds a singular place in Hogfish’s history. It is the first world premiere to emerge from our Regenerative Seed Project and Artist Residency which is built on the belief that when artists are given time, community, and deep attention, transformative art can take root.

Over the past four years, one of the great privileges of my artistic life has been witnessing Hailey McAvoy remember her story and lift it into music. Once in a generation, an artist appears whose gifts seem to overflow the boundaries of a single discipline. Hailey is one of those rare artists: singer, actor, composer, lyricist, and visual artist. Her musical language moves effortlessly between folk, popular song, opera, sacred music, and Gregorian chant, creating a singular and magical music world.

Our early conversations about Wholly Unwinding began with letters. Hailey shared memories from childhood and reflections from adulthood, and these became the seeds from which the first part of the musical grew. Those memories were shaped into the familiar architecture of a traditional musical comedy, complete with an omniscient narrator telling the audience who this little girl was and what her life meant. For much of her life, people talked about Hailey rather than to her. They interpreted her body, her future, and her possibilities before asking about her own experience. Armor became the central metaphor of the production. It is the first word she sings. At the beginning of the evening, the stage is filled with both literal and invisible armor. As Hailey encounters the Alexander Technique and begins the profound work of inhabiting herself, she gradually sheds each layer. The armor becomes costume, then memory, then story itself. Eventually even the narration falls away, and Hailey claims authorship of her own life. One by one, theatrical conventions are stripped away until, in the final moments, almost nothing remains between performer and audience. The last song is offered without amplification, a single human voice shared directly with other human beings.

The projections throughout the production are Hailey’s own drawings. Each drawing was created during her Alexander Technique lessons as she crossed portals of discovery, giving visual form to experiences that had lived in her body long before they found words. At the edge of the playing space stands another witness: the casts Hailey wore from early childhood into adulthood. Once instruments of correction, they have been installed into sculpture. At the center of the stage stands a tree inspired by the work of Eli Clare, who writes about the bent and sinuous trees that escaped harvest as British colonists deforested Turtle Island (North America) for the towering masts of warships. Judged unfit because they did not conform to ideals of straightness and utility, these trees were left standing. Many became the oldest and wisest beings in the forest. Their very difference allowed them to endure. This tree is composed of branches lovingly foraged over many years by Lynn Shafer, whose life has been devoted to living in direct reciprocity with the more-than-human world. Each branch carries its own history of weather, breakage, adaptation, and survival. Gathered together, they become not a symbol of perfection, but of resilience, a community of lives shaped by time. Surrounding the theatre are Charles Mary Kubricht’s luminous paintings of tree trunks. Like stained-glass portraits of saints, they invite us to contemplate scars not as imperfections to conceal, but as sacred markings that reveal where life has entered us most deeply. These sacred scars, like Hailey’s own, become maps of survival, invitations to remember who we have always been, and even the very places from which we bloom.”

— Edwin Cahill | Director & Co-Book Writer

Note About the Casts on Display

“A collection of casts and braces from my childhood hangs above your head. These are casts and braces I wore from the age of about 5 to age 18.

Some casts were “walking casts,” used to hold my legs in a permanent stretch for weeks or months after a round of Botox injections. The pink cast with red hearts is from my surgery on January 30, 2003. Because Valentine’s Day was the next holiday, I requested this design. The hospital did not have a premade design with pink and red hearts, so my surgeon spent extra time cutting the red hearts out and affixing them to the pink cast.

Some of the braces have moveable ankle joints. These were worn with agonizing night splints. The other braces were worn in the daytime, with shoes. There is additional foam in the braces, and in some cases, holes cut in the plastic to lessen how intensely they hurt my legs and feet every day.

To me, this collection showcases some of the biggest questions in children’s medicine and disability medicine. It is moving that my surgeon created this design for me. But does that change the fact that he never answered my questions? That he handled my body like inanimate meat? The braces were clearly made with the intent to help. How do we measure help when they also caused so much pain? When they never became obsolete, only shifted through the years?

Why do we listen to children when they say, “I would like pink with red hearts,” but not when they say, “Something about these treatments feels wrong to me?” When corrective braces cause as much pain as they prevent, who do they serve? Are they helping the disabled person? Or simply living on as an extension of the “Ugly Laws,” minimizing the visual impact of disability for the comfort of the able-bodied population?

Should a child be able to consent to medical treatment?
When a child is disabled, should treatment aim to increase their ability at any cost?
Where is the space for agency?
Where is the space for joy?
Who are these treatments for?”

— Hailey McAvoy | Composer, Lyricist, Co-Book Writer, & Projection Artist

Synopsis

Wholly Unwinding, an autobiographical work, traces Hailey McAvoy’s journey from being “othered” toward healing and self-acceptance. Living with cerebral palsy, she spent her early life navigating an exhausting cycle of medical treatments that sought to “fix” her body at great emotional and physical cost. Over time, societal ignorance made her internalize the belief that her body was something to correct or distance herself from.

Through her study of music she discovered the Alexander Technique, a hands-on somatic practice that became a life-changing turning point. Through that work she reconnected with her body not as a broken shell that needed to be fixed , but as a source of intelligence and possibility. What began as physical re-education expanded to become a deeply transformational experience where she was able to reclaim her voice and confront, head on, the limitations set by medical and social narratives creating for her a more, and opening to a more integrated and loving sense of self.

Wholly Unwinding moves fluidly between grounded scenes of childhood and richly imagined spiritual landscapes, reflecting a profound inner and external journey. As she progresses, she pushes past long-held defenses, finds transformative support from her community of friends, and begins to remember parts of herself that had been buried. Her path unfolds as a pilgrimage, leading her through forests, across oceans, weathering storms, arid deserts, and star-filled nights, that guide her on her healing journey.

Through this physical and emotional awakening, she embraces her identity as a queer woman, reconciles the relationship with her body, and unearths a lifelong sense of spirituality. The journey takes us to new world of gratitude and blooming as she reclaims her body as a home. And a gift.

Wholly Unwinding shows us that real healing is not perfection, but a remembering that allows the freedom to fully inhabit one's true self.

Song Order

RUNNING TIME: 90 Minutes without intermission

Laying Down Armor

Gentle Road I

Doctor Doctor

Does A Frightened Bird Know

Rootbeer Anesthesia

Gentle Road I Reprise

In A Dark Forest

Tell Me My Directions

I Am The Ocean

Viriditas

Carry You Home

Gentle Road II

Hold My Hand

I Have to Love You

Now I Am Blooming

Access Information & What to Expect

Hogfish is committed to makingWholly Unwinding performances accessible and supportive experiences for all audience members. Click below for an overview of what to expect, what access accommodations will be in place, and what additional access services are being offered during the Saturday, July 25th show to better serve our community.

For any questions or additional accessibility requests, please write to us at info@hogfish.org or call at (207) 358-0598.

Access Information

People

CAST

Orchestra

CREATIVE TEAM

PRODUCTION TEAM

Accessibility TEAM

Accessibility Coordinator | Alison Mahoney
Accessibility Council | Amelia Garretson-Persans, Michaela Knox, Kim Moody, Greg Moomjy, Mason Norton, & Meg Wolff
Audio Descriptions (7/25) | Julie Scala
ASL Interpreters (7/25) | Summit Colman & Margaret A. Walden-Evans

LOCATION

Halo at the Point, 20 Van Aken Way, Thompson's Point, Portland ME

*Thompson's Point in Portland, Maine is a key transportation hub with access to bus and train services. It's home to the Portland Transportation Center, where Amtrak trains and Concord Coach Lines buses connect. Greater Portland METRO

Definitions

Cerebral Palsy

A group of lifelong conditions that affect development, movement, and posture.

Alexander technique

A somatic education method that teaches students to become aware of their mental, emotional, and physical habits so that they can let go of habits that no longer serve them and cultivate habits that align with their goals - whether that be easier movement, a greater sense of calm and grounding, or a fuller life.

The main tenants include:

1) “inhibition” - learning to go off auto-pilot - not to do your habit by pausing and inviting space between a stimulus and your response.

2) “direction” - in that pause, consciously directing your next action by thinking a helpful thought. (Like “let the neck be free” or “notice my breath”)

Headshots

Cast

Hailey McAvoy

Annie Blair

Melisa Bonetti Luna

Cinnamon Denise

Halley Elwell

Jerzy Gillon

Joëlle Antonia Santiago

Gileann Tan

Audrey Luna

Gwen Walker

Matt Cahill

Orchestra

Bethany Pietroniro | Piano

Maya French | Violin

Katie McShane | Cello (7/22 & 7/25)

Ben Noyes | Cello (7/24)

Cinnamon Denise | Bassoon

Joe Beninanti | Percussion

Creative Team

Hailey McAvoy | Composer, Lyricist, Co-book writer, Projection Artist

Edwin Cahill | Director & Co-Book Writer

Jennywren Walker | Assistant Director

Matt Cahill | Creative Producer

Shelby Rhoades | Music Director

Joëlle Antonia Santiago | Choreographer

Zo McGlynn | Sound Designer

Kari Rae Seekins | Associate Sound Designer

Alison Mahoney | Accessibility Coordinator

Madison Poitrast-Upton | Costume Designer

Olivia DeLuca | Lighting Designer

Charles Mary Kubricht | Scenic Designer

Lynn Shafer | Living Set Designer

Holly Taylor | Inclusive Dance Party Leader

Lucy Dhegrae | Electronic Dance Music

PRODUCTION TEAM

Vanessa Garrard | Line Producer

Keaton Harper | Production Stage Manager

Josie Colt | Assistant Stage Manager

Janet Newman | Artist Greenhouse Intern

Bios

CAST

HAILEY MCAVOY | STUDENT Composer-performer Hailey McAvoy, recognized as a “gorgeous-voiced soprano," (Broadway World), is a versatile performer of opera, song, and concert. McAvoy makes her compositional debut with Wholly Unwinding, a chamber opera exploring her life with Cerebral Palsy. She will perform in the premiere with the Hogfish in Portland, Maine in July 2026, and in a New York Premiere at National Sawdust in November 2026. Beyond Wholly Unwinding, McAvoy’s recent operatic performances include appearing as Mem, the lead role in the world premiere of Paola Prestini’s Sensorium Ex at the Common Senses Festival in Omaha, NE, as Julia Child in Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appetit with Opera Praktikos, and as Zora in Svadba with Hogfish. Equally active as a concert performer, McAvoy has appeared in concert with the Metropolitan Opera for their Opera Evolved series, and will perform at the Royal Opera in London in a showcase of Sensorium Ex in June 2026. She has sung at the The Greene Space, the Appel Room at Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, the Baton Rouge Symphony, Opera Ithaca, Seattle’s Sound Salon, Jazz and Classics for Change, and others. As a performer with the neurological condition cerebral palsy, McAvoy is committed to making the performing arts more inclusive for all. She has published essays on accessibility in AGMAzine and Our Singing Bodies and she has appeared as a panelist on accessibility forums with such organizations as the Metropolitan Opera, Opera America, and The National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more, visit www.haileymcavoy.com

Three time Hogfish artist-in-residence Hailey McAvoy returns this summer to present and star in the world premiere of her new musical Wholly Unwinding, which is the first main stage production at Hogfish that began its life as a regenerative arts seed project. The show and Hailey’s return as an alumna embodies Hogfish’s mission to cultivate artists and productions that regenerate creative and physical health to individuals, communities, and the planet.

ANNIE BLAIR | GRANDMOTHER/TEACHER Movement and dance have been a steady thread in my life. As kids, my sisters and I invented dances to the stories on our Storybook Princess records. That early play grew into studies in ballet, modern, yoga, and Body-Mind Centering. A turning point came with Authentic Movement, which opened the joy of moving exactly as I wished, moment by moment. From there I trained in Processwork (Process-Oriented Psychology), a body-based awareness practice, and Social Presencing Theater, an arts-based method for exploring social change. For a time I had a private practice in which I supported individuals in accessing their own body wisdom through Processwork, Authentic Movement, and Social Presencing Theater. I now facilitate a small group of women to tell their stories through movement, words, and visual art. My newest passion is DanceAbility, an improvisational dance approach that fosters artistic connection among people with and without disabilities. Learning how to include everyone in a dance is profoundly satisfying.

MELISA BONETTI LUNA | STUDENT COVER Dominican-American, mezzo-soprano, Melisa Bonetti Luna’s performances include Carmen in Hogfish's CarmXn, as well as Carmen in Lincoln Center’s Rubenstein Atrium in a new spanish-language and tango arrangement production of the piece, Carlotta in Zorro with Opera San Jose, the premiere of The Climate Opera Project at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), soloist for Bach’s Magnificat & Christmas Oratorio at Carnegie Hall, the grammy-nominated original cast album and premiere of Three Way with Nashville Opera, recording of a new wind orchestra arrangement of Granados’ Tonadillas, Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems with the Philadelphia Orchestra and iSing! Festival in Lincoln Center and the Kimmel Center, and a follow up concert with the Sichuan Symphony orchestra in China, Federico Garcia Lorca in Ainadamar with the Lexington Philharmonic and Kentucky Opera, Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Virginia Opera, Anita in West Side Story at First Ontario Concert Hall in Canada, and a tour of recitals in Bologna, Italy through Ebe-Stignani Masterclass. Melisa also focuses on programming performances representing LatinX composers of today, including a recent event she curated at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Melisa is also a passionate advocate for disability inclusion in opera and in classical music, educating and developing strategies with organizations on what real inclusion looks like.

WHY ACCESS IS IMPORTANT TO ME

“Judy Heumann, who was at the forefront of the Disability Rights Movement said, “ We will no longer allow the government to oppress disabled individuals. We want the law enforced. We will accept no more discussion of segregation.” Lack of access as segregation. I want to have the option to be included in the same spaces as everyone who doesn’t have access needs. Without access or the consideration of it, we deny a whole group of people in the building, on the stage, in a conversation, on public transportation, in a place of worship, in a place of community, in a place to dance, in a place to have fun, to live.”

— Melisa Bonetti Luna

CINNAMON DENISE | FRIEND (she/he/they) is a Cultural Media Producer & Performer - vocalist, songwriter, producer, and bassoonist known for blending R&B, soul, funk, and often incorporating her bassoon, "James the Bassoon," into her performances. A 500-hour certified Hatha yoga instructor, Cinnamon Denise (CD) brings a somatic, whole-body intentionality to everything they create. CD holds a Bachelor of Music in Media Writing and Production from the University of Miami and a Master of Music in Music Technology Innovation from Berklee College of Music. When not creating (because when is that?!), CD is building a life she loves with her sondog, Sir Luther Vandross Murray — aka "My Lufie." CD loves hiking, being outdoors, and learning about nature.

WHY ACCESS IS IMPORTANT TO ME

“It can be too easy at times to assume that we know what a disabled person looks like, or how a neurodivergent person behaves.

And the ease of making these assumptions comes from a lack of curiosity. No two people with the same disability are the same. Subsequently, access looks different for different people.

That’s exactly why proactive access matters - making everyday activities accessible from the start allows our community to know that it is not something that is “nice to do.” It is the right thing to do.

Access for me has and will always mean being seen, seeing others, and making accessibility the standard in our communities and not the exception.”

— Cinnamon Denise

HALLEY ELWELL | FRIEND Originally from Hallowell Maine, Halley Elwell is a singer-songwriter whose evocative music blends elements of jazz, folk, pop and rock, drawing inspiration from artists like Laura Nyro, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. Known for her rich voice and insightful lyrics, Elwell's music has been featured on radio stations across Maine and Massachusetts and recognized by ASCAP and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. In 2025 she released the Spontaneous Mutation project, a concept album and podcast exploring her experience living with a facial difference and neurofibromatosis.

JERZY GILLON | FRIEND Jerzy Gillon, a native of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a soprano and educator recognized for her dynamic stage presence and expressive storytelling. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a Master of Music from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her performance work spans operatic, orchestral, and community-centered projects. Selected roles include Cendrillon (Pauline Viardot) with CJ Productions, a company dedicated to bringing opera and professional training to inner-city students; the title role in Bill Banfield’s Edmonia with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra; Mariola in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain Out of Darkness; Annina in La Traviata (Verdi); and Cendrillon (Massenet) with Opera for the Young. She has also organized and performed music of the Holocaust for an annual community Yom HaShoah program in collaboration with colleagues and the Jewish Federation of Madison. In addition to performing, Jerzy is a dedicated educator and currently serves on the voice faculty at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Carter School of Music at New Shiloh Baptist Church, where she is committed to nurturing the next generation of artists. She is excited to spend the summer with Hogfish as an artist in residence, creating and collaborating with fellow artists.

WHY ACCESS IS IMPORTANT TO ME

“To me, access means more than simply accommodating someone. It means creating a world where people have what they need to fully participate, contribute, and exist without having to constantly explain or justify those needs. I think true access is rooted in care and understanding, not tolerance. It is the belief that everyone deserves to belong without their presence or needs being treated like a burden or a spectacle.”

— Jerzy Gillon

JOËLLE SANTIAGO | FRIEND Joëlle Antonia Santiago (b. New York, NY) is a choreographer. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the Harriet Hale-Woolley Award for the Arts, acting as an Artist in Residence at the Fondation des États-Unis where she created work throughout the 2023-2025 season (Paris, France). She has presented work at X-posed on the Chelsea Highline, Roulette Intermedium, Chelsea Piers, The Clark Art Institute, NYU Tisch School for the Arts, The International Studio and Curatorial Program, la Fondation des États-Unis and CitéSHORTS Festival de Court Metrage (Paris). Santiago was a choreographic fellow for AXIS Dance Company, one of the nation’s most acclaimed ensembles of disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse performers. She is an adjunct professor at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she directed the Summer High School Dance Intensive. She currently teaches Dance History/Theory and acts as a choreographic mentor to the Pre-College students. Santiago has guest lectured at the Fulbright Association and published writing in The Whitney Review of New Writing, IMPULSE Magazine, and CultureBot. Upcoming projects include premieres with director Anne Bogart (BAM Next Wave Festival) and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Nazareth Hassan (Performance Space New York). Santiago began her training in the dance studios of NYC. She graduated Cum Laude from Barnard College of Columbia University, studying with Jodi Melnick, Katie Glasner, Caroline Fermin, Dr. Seth Williams and Dr. Janet Jacobsen (2020). She is a nominee of the Barnard Bold Award, honoring philosopher and activist Grace Lee Boggs.

GILEANN TAN |FRIEND Gileann Tan is a Filipino-American soprano and experimental performer based in NYC. Her past operatic roles include Zerlina (cover) in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, the Baker's Wife in Sondheim's Into the Woods, and Amina in scenes from Bellini's La Sonnambula. She competed in the Vassar College Concerto Competition where she received the Lucia V. Torian '69 Prize, the Kneisel German Lieder Competition (finalist), and the Friends of Eastman Opera Theater Competition (finalist). Sacred works include Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, BWV 199, BWV 78, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor. Gileann made her professional operatic debut as Dormouse and Alice (cover) in City Lyric Opera's production of The Garden of Alice by Elizabeth Raum. She is a collaborator with American Opera Projects and has performed in the premieres of several new operas since 2023. Gileann is a Haus girly and works as the Soprano II Section Leader at Church of the Epiphany in NYC. She loves bel canto, musical theater, improvisation, and experimental theater making, and is always looking for people to help her stretch and grow. Thank you to the Hogfish team for this incredible opportunity!

AUDREY LUNA | ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TEACHER CHORUS Audrey sings because it is a source of energy, creativity, and beauty in her life. It has been transformative in her personal self actualization, giving her the opportunity to heal and express herself. Making music and helping musicians find their voice has been her life's work. Music is a personal language that she feels honored to continue to learn to speak. Decades performing internationally on the operatic and concert stage, teaching voice, and Alexander Technique are the roadmaps she uses to guide other musicians as they discover their own personal music language. It is an honor to witness their growth.

GWEN WALKER | ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TEACHER CHORUS Gwen is an expert voice and Contemporary Alexander Technique teacher. Her unique approach to training young artists from a somatic perspective as well as from a contemporary commercial vocal perspective has made her a sought-after guest artist and private teacher around the world. Gwen’s areas of research all relate back to reducing mental and physical tension for today’s artists and increasing gender and social equity in the greater theatre industry.

MATT CAHILL | ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TEACHER CHORUS Matt’s pursuit of authentic singing-acting as a performer and teacher led him to study the Alexander Technique at the Balance Arts Center where he received his AmSAT Teacher certification in 2020. Since then he has taught Alexander Technique to performers at Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard where he created and led the programs for classical singers and musical theater performers, as well as where he currently teaches at the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway. Matt maintains a private studio in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and in NYC and loves helping anyone, performers and non-performers, find more freedom and ease in their life and the activities they love.

ORCHESTRA

BETHANY PIETRONIRO | PIANIST Pianist Bethany Pietroniro is guided by a conviction that music can be a medium for community, healing, and lasting meaning in a world full of fluctuations. She frequently joins colleagues in the creation of distinctive programs that expand the traditional concert experience. A devotee of chamber music and song in many genres, Bethany holds equal reverence for the established canon, the overlooked corners of classical literature, and living composers who are writing it forward. To this end, she has performed the world premiere of Bebop Riddle II for cello and piano by American composer Augusta Read Thomas at the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Louise Farrenc’s sextet for piano and winds at Concerts in the Village, and Martin Bresnick’s Caprichos Enfáticos for percussion quartet and piano with the Evolution Contemporary Music Series. Larger ensemble appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center, the Bach Institute at Emmanuel Music, and The Orchestra Now. A recent program with Seattle’s Sound Salon series brought together repertoire for voice, flute, cello, and piano by Maurice Ravel, Nadia and Lili Boulanger, and Robert and Clara Schumann under the theme of healing through music. In summer 2026, Bethany will join Hogfish Regenerative Arts in Portland, Maine as a pianist in residence for the premiere of Wholly Unwinding: a piece that explores themes of disability and embodiment through the composer’s lived experience. Other upcoming events include chamber music and solo performances at Downtown Music at Grace in White Plains, NY. Visit bethanypietroniro.com for calendar and additional info.

MAYA FRENCH | VIOLINIST Maya French is a violinist and serves as Executive Director and Co-Artistic Director of Palaver Strings. Over the past decade, she has helped guide the ensemble’s artistic and organizational growth, expanding equitable opportunities for string players, music teachers, arts administrators, and other artistic collaborators while stewarding Palaver’s sustainable development through a shared leadership model. Maya has studied and performed at renowned institutions and festivals including Kronberg Academy, Tanglewood, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Bay Chamber Concerts’ Screen Door Festival, Orford Music Academy, Manchester Music Festival, and Kinhaven Music School. She is a graduate of the Boston University School of Music and is certified as a teacher of the Suzuki Violin Method as well as Music Learning Theory, an approach to early childhood music education. An active performer, Maya maintains a full season of chamber music and chamber orchestra engagements and is deeply committed to music as a catalyst for social change and community building.

KATIE MCSHANE | CELLIST (7/22 & 7/25) Katie McShane is a cellist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and improviser. She is a highly adaptable player with years of varied performance experience, including multiple U.S. tours and a degree in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory, under her belt. She has a broad life in music, with interests in old time, renaissance polyphony, and guitar rock being guiding forces. Her creative project is rock band ‘pond 1000’ for which she writes all the music. Katie is also an experienced teacher with a degree in Music Education from Ithaca College, and training in Dalcroze, Suzuki, and Creative Ability Development methods. She currently teaches at ‘Lilly Pond Music Studio’ in Bath.

BEN NOYES | CELLIST (7/24) A multi-faceted individual, Benjamin Noyes (b. 1974) has many talents all revolving around an exceptional focus on the cello. With a particular interest, fascination and devotion to the qualities and production of sound, he channels his creativity and music into areas including, but not limited to performing, teaching, composing, recording, producing, drawing and writing. He is widely acclaimed for his performances of solo recitals, chamber ensemble concerts, and various classical and non-classical ventures. Pursuing the artist’s life has led him to collaborations and performances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, performing, teaching, coaching and motivating individuals of all ages and professions with his signature, one-of-a kind projects.

CINNAMON DENISE | BASSOON (she/he/they) is a Cultural Media Producer & Performer - vocalist, songwriter, producer, and bassoonist known for blending R&B, soul, funk, and often incorporating her bassoon, "James the Bassoon," into her performances. A 500-hour certified Hatha yoga instructor, Cinnamon Denise (CD) brings a somatic, whole-body intentionality to everything they create. CD holds a Bachelor of Music in Media Writing and Production from the University of Miami and a Master of Music in Music Technology Innovation from Berklee College of Music. When not creating (because when is that?!), CD is building a life she loves with her sondog, Sir Luther Vandross Murray — aka "My Lufie." CD loves hiking, being outdoors, and learning about nature.

JOE BENINANTI | PERCUSSION Joe Beninati was born and raised in a suburb of New York City. He graduated from SUNY Purchase College with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and later studied percussion at Lehman College with Howard Hirsh (Judy Garland). His versatile skills encompass a diverse range of genres, including Jazz, Rock, Latin and Soul. He currently runs the recording studio and is the sound engineer at 317 Main St. Joe can be found teaching drums, performing live with various bands and in the studio as a session drummer all around Southern Maine.

CREATIVE

HAILEY MCAVOY | COMPOSER, LYRICIST, CO-BOOK WRITER, PROJECTION ARTIST Composer-performer Hailey McAvoy, recognized as a “gorgeous-voiced soprano," (Broadway World), is a versatile performer of opera, song, and concert. McAvoy makes her compositional debut with Wholly Unwinding, a chamber opera exploring her life with Cerebral Palsy. She will perform in the premiere with the Hogfish in Portland, Maine in July 2026, and in a New York Premiere at National Sawdust in November 2026. Beyond Wholly Unwinding, McAvoy’s recent operatic performances include appearing as Mem, the lead role in the world premiere of Paola Prestini’s Sensorium Ex at the Common Senses Festival in Omaha, NE, as Julia Child in Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appetit with Opera Praktikos, and as Zora in Svadba with Hogfish. Equally active as a concert performer, McAvoy has appeared in concert with the Metropolitan Opera for their Opera Evolved series, and will perform at the Royal Opera in London in a showcase of Sensorium Ex in June 2026. She has sung at the The Greene Space, the Appel Room at Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, the Baton Rouge Symphony, Opera Ithaca, Seattle’s Sound Salon, Jazz and Classics for Change, and others. As a performer with the neurological condition cerebral palsy, McAvoy is committed to making the performing arts more inclusive for all. She has published essays on accessibility in AGMAzine and Our Singing Bodies and she has appeared as a panelist on accessibility forums with such organizations as the Metropolitan Opera, Opera America, and The National Endowment for the Arts. To learn more, visit www.haileymcavoy.com

Three time Hogfish artist-in-residence Hailey McAvoy returns this summer to present and star in the world premiere of her new musical Wholly Unwinding, which is the first main stage production at Hogfish that began its life as a regenerative arts seed project. The show and Hailey’s return as an alumna embodies Hogfish’s mission to cultivate artists and productions that regenerate creative and physical health to individuals, communities, and the planet.

EDWIN CAHILL | DIRECTOR, CO-BOOK WRITER, & MUSICAL STAGING American director, producer, and librettist Edwin Cahill’s unique background as a concert pianist and Broadway actor “a talented pianist, a first-rate singer, and an engaging stage presence” (New York Times), and linguist with studies at the University of Paris Sorbonne-Nouvelle who served as a French/Italian Political Analyst for Medley Global advisors, informs his “joyful and passionate directing” (onmilwaukee.com) that is “light, effortless, and fits the space like a glove” (Music4awhile), leading to a body of work in theater, musicals, and operas that “will make hearts melt” (Broadway World), is “seamless…completely engrossing the patron in the idiosyncrasies of Mozart’s music” (dosavannah.com), “achieved the nearly impossible...and staged every scene with urgency, inventiveness and most importantly, a reverence for the music” (The Huffington Post), and reached the pop culture breakthrough of the “brilliant and highbrow approval matrix” (New York Magazine). His work has led critics to acclaim that “Cahill has perhaps invented a new style of opera…punk opera comique” (dosavannah.com) and that he created “by far the most enjoyable and thought-provoking Don Giovanni New York has heard in many a year.” (Opera News)

JENNYWREN WALKER | ASSISTANT DIRECTOR is an AMDA NYC graduate, actor, singer, and director with a thirty-year career in New York and Maine spanning film, theater, audiobooks, and audio dramas. Born into an artistic family dedicated to community-driven performing arts, she is thrilled to join Hogfish in elevating thought-provoking, inclusive stories. Jennywren is profoundly grateful for all she calls family; Milk, Blood and Found. You can find Jennywren just being herself, it's a full time job. Uva uvam videndo varia fit.

PIPER DEDEK | DIRECTING INTERN

MATT CAHILL | CREATIVE PRODUCER believes that large scale, immersive, multi-sensory performing arts experiences offer a unique opportunity to create meaningful community rituals for modern humans. That belief has led them most recently to found Hogfish, a regenerative arts production company and residency at the historic Beckett Castle, surrounded by an internationally recognized rose garden on the coast of Maine. Hogfish is building an artistic sanctuary and body of work dedicated to restoring creative and physical health to individuals, our communities, and our earth. www.hogfish.org

At Hogfish with his husband and co-founder/director Edwin Cahill, Matt synthesizes nearly two decades of experience as a performer, educator, director, producer, and administrator of opera. Highlights include directing the Maine premiere of Ana Sokolovic’s SVADBA for Hogfish in 2025, starring as Papageno in Peter Brook’s Molière Award-winning Une Flûte Enchanté, teaching for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera and the Circle in the Square Theatre School, producing the fundraiser concert series “You Are Not Alone” featuring a performance of the title song by Betty Buckley for The Trevor Project, the national suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, and serving as associate artistic director of SongFest and lead artist faculty of Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard’s high school voice and musical theater programs.

SHELBY RHOADES | MUSIC DIRECTOR maintains an active schedule as opera coach, pianist and music director and was most recently seen at Hogfish as the music director of the 2025 main stage production SVABDA. She is currently a member of the music staff with Palm Beach Opera, where she has completed three seasons. She is frequently a private coach for international singers engaged at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Oper Frankfurt, English National Opera, in addition to varied regional houses in the US. Shelby previously maintained the position of Principal Coach and Director of Emerging Artists Program at Virginia Opera, from 2013-2020, and Charlottesville Opera, 2009-2019. She has also been a member of the Vocal Arts Faculty at the Juilliard School, from 2008-2013. Other previous engagements include Central City Opera, Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, The Duffy Institute (Virginia Arts Festival), Yale University, Aspen Opera Theater, University of Washington, and Pacific Lutheran University, as well as festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest and Commonwealth of Virginia. Among her various activities as an opera coach, Shelby specializes in New Music. She has prepared premieres by composers such as Spears, Corigliano, Heggie, Henze, Muhly, Ades, and Saariaho. Other highlights include preparing counter tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo for his album ARC, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2019 for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, and the premiere of Kept, a chamber opera for the Virginia Arts Festival, with tenor Bill Burden. She has also appeared as pianist in concert with tenor Lawrence Brownlee on multiple occasions since 2004. Shelby has worked with conductors such as David Effron, Gary Thor Wedow, Ari Pelto, John DeMain, Andrew Bisantz, Ann Manson, Julius Rudel, and George Manahan. She holds a B.A. in Piano Performance, (Anderson University), and an M.M. in Chamber Accompanying and Vocal Performance, (Ball State University.)

JOËLLE ANTONIA SANTIAGO | CHOREOGRAPHER Joëlle Antonia Santiago (b. New York, NY) is a choreographer. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the Harriet Hale-Woolley Award for the Arts, acting as an Artist in Residence at the Fondation des États-Unis where she created work throughout the 2023-2025 season (Paris, France). She has presented work at X-posed on the Chelsea Highline, Roulette Intermedium, Chelsea Piers, The Clark Art Institute, NYU Tisch School for the Arts, The International Studio and Curatorial Program, la Fondation des États-Unis and CitéSHORTS Festival de Court Metrage (Paris). Santiago was a choreographic fellow for AXIS Dance Company, one of the nation’s most acclaimed ensembles of disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse performers. She is an adjunct professor at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she directed the Summer High School Dance Intensive. She currently teaches Dance History/Theory and acts as a choreographic mentor to the Pre-College students. Santiago has guest lectured at the Fulbright Association and published writing in The Whitney Review of New Writing, IMPULSE Magazine, and CultureBot. Upcoming projects include premieres with director Anne Bogart (BAM Next Wave Festival) and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Nazareth Hassan (Performance Space New York). Santiago began her training in the dance studios of NYC. She graduated Cum Laude from Barnard College of Columbia University, studying with Jodi Melnick, Katie Glasner, Caroline Fermin, Dr. Seth Williams and Dr. Janet Jacobsen (2020). She is a nominee of the Barnard Bold Award, honoring philosopher and activist Grace Lee Boggs.

ZO MCGLYNN | SOUND DESIGNER New York City-based audio engineer specializing in opera, theater, and live music, Zo McGlynn has dedicated herself to applying her knowledge and skills to facilitate the creation of impactful art that centers community. Sensorium Ex (Beth Morrison Projects); The Gospel at Colonus (Little Island); Gotta Dance (Rikki Kane Larimer); A New Brain, Children of Eden (St. Bart’s Players); additional work at The York Theatre, The David Rubenstein Atrium and the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, and the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

KARI RAE SEEKINS | ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER Kari Rae Seekins is an award-winning Sound Designer, Composer, and Interdisciplinary Artist. A native Mainer, she spent much of her career in Montreal and Los Angeles before returning home in 2020. Her work spans theater, film, and immersive environments, and has been presented in theaters, galleries, and museums internationally. In recent years, her creative practice has also been informed by her work as a Vibrational Healing Practitioner, exploring how sound shapes perception, transforms space, and influences human experience. She is excited to join the creative team for Wholly Unwinding.

OLIVIA DELUCA | LIGHTING DESIGNER Olivia DeLuca is a lighting designer based in New York City. Wholly Unwinding is her fifth production with Hogfish. Her past design credits with Hogfish are The Magic Tree, She-Wolves, CarmXn, and The Breasts of Tiresias. Olivia also works on live events and interactive entertainment, where her associate design credits include Stranger Things: Face the Dark and F1 Grand Prix Plaza Las Vegas, and her assistant design credits include The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience, Six Flags Fright Fest, and Scooby-Doo Mystery Putt.

MADISON POITRAST-UPTON | COSTUME DESIGNER is a Korean-American designer and artist based in Portland, Maine. Poitrast-Upton received her BFA in Textiles & Fashion Design from Maine College of Art & Design in 2020. Her thesis focused on ethically designed performance wear for women. Having been a thespian/performer for many years, she was passionate about diverse representation and physical safety, without compromising design. After graduating, Poitrast-Upton continued her dedication to creating work that supports marginalized people as a designer at Loquat, a fashion and lifestyle company focused on empowering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices through storytelling, collaboration, and community engagement.

CHARLES MARY KUBRICHT | SET DESIGNER is an artist and set designer in New York and Marfa. Her artwork has been featured in CULTUREVOLT, BOMB, ELLE DÉCOR Italy, Marfa: Transformation of a West Texas Town, Dazzle: Disguise and Disruption in War and Art and P61VMAG. Major institutional solo exhibitions include “Where Time Dwells”, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; “Canyon Series”, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX; “Scanning the Grand Canyon” Austin Museum of Art; “Charles Mary Kubricht, Matrix Series”, Art Museum of South Texas. Kubricht’s public art installations include “Alive-nesses:Proposal for Adaptation” High Line, New York; “paraMuseum: Environmental Exigencies” Rice University, Houston, TX; and “Landscapes Near and Far”, U. S. Port of Entry, Columbus, NM. She was awarded a GSA Art in Architecture Award; Creating a Living Legacy Grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation (New York) and DiverseWorks (Houston, TX); residencies at the Core Program of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, and Yaddo, Saratoga, NY. Her work is in the collection of museums such as Museum of Fine Art, Houston; Blaffer Museum, Austin; Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi; University of Houston, Houston; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. Her opera set designs include Kurt Weill’s “Der Protagonist”, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “L’arbre enchanté” or “Magic Tree” at Fire Island Opera Festival and Hogfish, as well as the projections for Hogfish’s “CarmXn” and set design for Hogfish’s 2025 main stage production SVADBA.

LYNN SHAFER | LIVING SET DESIGNER The goal of the gardener is to experience that moment when all the elements--water, nutrients, weather, the human touch--combine for perfection with our own personal sense of beauty. As witness to that transitory time, you realize one's own limitation in this process. Instinctively, the plants perform their signature display in changing harmonies, always with variations, never quite the same. Within the horticultural symphony of bloom or fragrance, fruit or foliage, we, the humbled facilitators, play a minor role for such a grand reward, and must marvel at the surrounding abundance that nature courteously provides.

HOLLY TAYLOR | INCLUSIVE DANCE PARTY LEADER Holly Taylor (they/she) is a Portland, Maine-based movement artist, choreographer, writer, and educator. Holly’s choreographic work spans site-specific interventions, proscenium performance, and community based interactive projects; her work has been shown on stages, in galleries, and outdoors across New England. As a community-based practitioner, Holly has taught, choreographed, and led movement workshops for youth, teens, and adults via Casco Bay Movers, the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine, TEMPOart and Portland Trails, Portland Youth Dance, and the University of Southern Maine. They completed Side x Side (Portland, ME)’s Teaching Artist Training program in 2025, and earned their certification in the Danceability teaching method with Michaela Knox of Spark Inclusive Arts in 2026. Holly received a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and an M.A. in Performance Studies from NYU Tisch.

LUCY DHEGRAE | ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC is a vocalist and electronic artist based in Portland, OR. Under the moniker XNRG she produces and DJs in a genre of her own making, blending house, deep house, and techno with her love of experimental and avant-garde vocal music. She sees similar values in all-night raves and the Gesamtkunstwerk world of opera, and is excited that Hogfish wants to bring them together for performance. She has contributed her unique blend of opera and electronic dance music for Hogfish’s 2022 production of The Magic Tree, 2023 production of CarmXn, and 2024 production of The Breasts of Tiresias. For more of her tracks and DJ mixes, follow XNRG on Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/

DOUBLE HOUSE ARTS COLLECTIVE | PRE-SHOW ART GALLERY Double House Arts Collective (DHAC) is an inclusive arts collective and studio located in downtown Portland for artists with and without disabilities. Our collective provides an option different from a community support/day program model. Portland is already home to several wonderful day programs. We are creating something organic and new.

In this new model, we are fostering an environment in which disabled and non-disabled artists enter into the Disability Arts movement and local arts scene and community as creative partners. Through our collective and partnerships with local artists and businesses, we hope to build a supportive community, break down social barriers, and decrease stigma associated with being disabled.

All of the artists who are members of the collective have an equal voice in the direction of the art session time, unique workshops offered, and exhibit and event planning. We also provide paid leadership positions to artists with disabilities to further their artistic careers and strengthen their voices in the arts community.

PRODUCTION

VANESSA GARRARD | LINE PRODUCER Vanessa Garrard is a Venezuelan producer with over 16 years of experience across theater, television, and radio. A passionate advocate for the performing arts, she believes theater has the unique ability to spark dialogue, build community, and transform lives. She currently serves as Line Producer for Wholly Unwinding, overseeing production planning and cross-department collaboration. Vanessa is also a Strategic Partner at Ruta Teatral, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to the performing arts through bilingual and Spanish-language programming across the United States. She is honored to join the Hogfish team and grateful to help bring this powerful production to life.

KEATON HARPER | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER (he/they) is a wearer of many hats, most of which are quite silly looking. They are a Maine-raised, Seattle-based performer, playwright, director, scenic painter, and stagehand. In 2025 they were the Assistant Stage Manager for the main stage production of SVABDA. Technical credits include St. Michael's Playhouse in Vermont, Des Moines Metro Opera, Vermont Shakespeare Festival, Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, The Santa Fe Opera, and most recently Teatro ZinZanni Seattle. They hold a BA in Theatre and Film and Television Studies from the University of Vermont, trained for many years as a classical harpist, and can often be found in the summertime learning new clown and mime techniques at the Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. In 2023, Keaton directed and produced their adaptation of the 1955 film The Court Jester at the Off-Center for the Dramatic Arts in Vermont, where their latest play Pests Present: Funeral also premiered last October. More than anything, Keaton is passionate about old comedy, and had the pleasure of contributing to MarxFest 2024 in NYC as a panelist on Harpo Marx, who they sometimes dress up as (and really, that says more about them than anything else - despite saying nothing at all).

JOSIE COLT | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Josie Colt (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist and community arts organizer in Portland, Maine. With a background in storytelling, puppetry and animation, they have collaborated with artists, filmmakers and theater companies, exploring themes of dreams, spirits, and nature as ancestry. Josie is passionate about bringing people together around art as an accessible means of connection, experimentation, and play. She is founder of Portland Drawing Group and Portraits As You Pass, offering figure drawing events and hand-drawn portraits to the public. Josie also works as an event coordinator at Mayo Street Arts and as a teaching artist across schools in Maine.

JANET NEWMAN | ARTIST GREENHOUSE INTERN a senior at Providence College, is studying English and Film. Throughout her schooling, she has written as an opinion writer for The Cowl and is a part of the Board of Multicultural Affairs. Janet is joining Hogfish for a third summer as a part of the Hogfish Artist Greenhouse Intern program. She is most excited about helping to build an artistic sanctuary and body of work that will restore a healthier balance between our planet, the stories we tell, and how we live. Throughout this experience, she hopes to learn more about Hogfish and how we can help the community where she was born and raised in Maine.

Thank you to our community partners!

The commissioning of Hailey McAvoy for Wholly Unwinding and the development of the opera received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Thank you to our volunteers & donors

VOLUNTEERS & IN-KIND DONATIONS
Maile Buker
Jon Cahill
Nananda Col
Jacob Cowley
Rick Dedek & Finn Dedek
Katharine Doughty
Stephen Estabrook
Cynthia Gray & Steve Gray
Ruth Greene-McNally
Michelle Lynn Hall
Joanie Klayman
Joy McManigal
Mason Norton
Mary Noyes
Bettina Pearson & David Sloatman
Carolyn Radding
Michell Rawding
Lynn Shafer
Elizabeth Straka
Janey Thibodeau & David Thibodeau
Charli Ware
Kathy White & Doug Bixby

COMMUNITY MEMBER
$50+
Beth Ackerson
Amy Hausmann
Amanda Petrozzini

CSA HALF SHARE
$500+
Maile Buker
Mr. & Mrs. David H. Critchfield
Sarah Nadeau
Kiley Wilkens O’Brien
Tina Petra
Molly Schen

CSA FULL SHARE
$1000+
Danielle Clark
Nananda Col
Eva Polin Frank & Halsey Frank
Eileen Gillespie & Tim Fahey
Cyrus Hagge & Jessica Tomlinson
Rachel Lomas & Andy Bowman
Maura Melley
Mary Noyes
Anne & Don Palmer
Judith Saryan & Victor Zarougian

CSA GARDENER LEVEL
$6000+
The Christopher and Jean Angell Charitable Fund
Anne Lapointe
Scott Raspa & John Staples
Morgan & Bobby Sze
Amy Woodhouse & Tobey Scott

CSA ROSE LEVEL
$10,000+
Margot & Roger Milliken
Drs. Frank & Colette Morris
Paula Volent
Carol & Joe Wishcamper

ANNUAL FUND
Deborah Adams
Pat & Bob Allen
James Arndt
Victoria Auger
Ann Barksdale
Judith Blake
S. Clarke
Doug Clopp
Tamara Descoryphees
Lawrence DuPerre
Jonathan Edgerton
Barbara Emerson
Graham Feree
Matthew & Julie Forsyth
Mabel Gerquest
P. Griffin
Judith Grodowitz
Greg Hall
Alix Hanlon
Mollie Heron
Jeff Herriman
Nancy Hoopes
Elizabeth Horton
Scott Ihrig
Jamie Isaacson
Sarah Lacasse
Janine Leffler
Lydia Maier
Buzz Makarewicz
Christine McAvoy
Joy McEpso
Alan Mcllhenny
Cindy Milne
Sandra Mihos
Alice Moore
Sayad Moudachirou
D.O. Neill
Abby O’Brien
Erin O’Keefe
Dave Parlin
Donna Ryan
Rebecca Sahlin
Lisa Teague

Tickets are offered at a price that is a small fraction of what would be required to pay for the full production in an effort to make regenerative work accessible for as many people as possible. We need your help to make this possible and continue bringing regenerative productions and work to Southern Maine and beyond. Please consider donating today. Any amount would be appreciated. Even the smallest pebble makes a big ripple. If you are interested in volunteering, we have a variety of volunteering needs that match all interests. It takes a village and we welcome you to be a part of ours.

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Wholly Unwinding

From the Creator

Tickets

Timing

Wednesday and Friday Shows

7-8pm | Pre-Show Immersive experience

8-9:30pm | Wholly UNwinding

9:30-10pm | Post show inclusive dance party

Saturday Matinee

1-2pm | Pre-Show Immersive experience

2-3:30pm | Wholly UNwinding

3:30-4pm | Post show inclusive dance party

Dress Code

THEME: A Starry Night

Director’s Note

Note About the Casts on Display

Synopsis

Song Order

Access Information & What to Expect

People

CAST

Orchestra

CREATIVE TEAM

PRODUCTION TEAM

Accessibility TEAM

LOCATION

Definitions

Cerebral Palsy

Alexander technique

Headshots

Cast

Orchestra

Creative Team

PRODUCTION TEAM

Bios

CAST

ORCHESTRA

CREATIVE

PRODUCTION

Thank you to our community partners!

Thank you to our volunteers & donors