SPLIT MY SOUL - Creature Works

Mechanics' Hall and Creature Works present Split My Soul by choreographer Kelsie Steil.

Split My Soul is a riveting dance-theater production that explores the conflict and integration between seven complex characters: The People's Jester, Lady Martyre, Fizzy Head, Mystery Man, Twisted Mistress, The Kid, and Your Inevitable Death.

These characters work with and against one another, exposing their inner stories and perils as they navigate locally crafted set pieces such as stairs, textural walls, and a plethora of ropes.

Set to an original score by renowned composer Michael Wall, Split My Soul provides a cathartic visual and sonic experience to unpack mental health challenges and scenarios.

Steil believes the theatrical embodiment of internal characters and archetypes can help heal relationships, build empathy for the attributes and tendencies of ourselves and others, and shift perspectives towards the people and stories of our lives.

THE CAST

Nate Nichols, Mystery Man

Emily Pleadwell, The Kid

Sharoan Cohen, Twisted Mistress

Hannah Haines, Your Inevitable Death

Laura Faherty, Lady Martyre

Hannah Ranco, The People's Jester

Nancy Salmon, Fizzy Head

Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 PM (doors 7:30 PM), approximately 85 minutes. $20 member, $25 general admission. There is a $5 surcharge on the day of the show.

ABOUT CREATURE WORKS

Creature Works, under Maine-based choreographer Kelsie Steil, creates character-driven dance-theater that explores the full spectrum of human experience. The company investigates mental health, emotional complexity, and archetypal storytelling, translating lived and observed experiences into movement, narrative, and performance.

Through stage and film works, ensemble and duet projects, and potent collaborations, Creature Works prioritizes emotional honesty, theatrical invention, and rigorous dance craft. Performances challenge audiences, provoke reflection, and invite deep engagement with the human condition.

ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHER

Kelsie Steil is a New England–based choreographer, director, and dance artist whose work blends dance and character to create emotionally resonant, story-driven performance. She explores mental health, domestic scenarios, and human archetypes through character profiles drawn from lived or observed experiences. Her choreography seeks the moments where movement and message collide, often leaning into dissonance and a sense of unreality to deepen impact. Kelsie’s creative process is collaborative and grounded in care. She builds safe, communicative environments for performers, combining rigorous rehearsal with dialogue, group exercises, and playful experimentation that foster trust and emotional risk. Her practice spans live performance, dance film, and interdisciplinary collaboration, often working with composers, filmmakers, and other artists to develop original scores and multimedia elements.

Prior to the founding of Creature Works in 2026, all of Kelsie’s work was presented under her own name. In 2025, she premiered Split My Soul, an evening-length, character-driven work refined through an immersive study of Commedia dell’Arte. The piece demonstrates her signature approach to choreography, blending theatricality, emotional depth, and movement invention. Her collaborative projects include CRAVING THE MYSTIC, adapted into an award-winning film by Jennifer Hoffer, and Rummage Lane, a full-length duet co-created with choreographer Hannah Haines.

Kelsie earned the Contemporary Dance Award at Plymouth State University for her achievements and choreography, recognizing her early commitment to innovation, storytelling, and emotional resonance in dance. Her work has been presented across New England at venues including SPACE Gallery, Lila Dance Festival, Engine, Franco Center, Dance Annex, and City Theater.

PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

Mechanics’ Hall is located at 519 Congress Street. Our main entrance is between Loquat Shop and the Art Mart. The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.

Parking is available at the Arts District Garage, located on Casco and Brown Street, with a rate of $5 per hour. Metered street parking is available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and other nearby streets. Free hourly street parking is available between Parris and Alder Street.

ACCESSIBILITY

To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. There is a wheelchair-accessible elevator.

If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 207-773-8396.

SPLIT MY SOUL was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.

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Host or Publisher Mechanics' Hall (Maine)