Two treadmills built into the set. A soundscape designed to hit somewhere below language. And two characters who spend the entire show trying, and failing, and trying again, to actually talk to each other.
That’s SHE SPEAKS., from Jessica Cadden Wentlent of Motion Arts, playing Sanctuary Theater on Saturday, October 3 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM, and Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 PM. Told through spoken word, aerial dance, and full-out running, this piece pushes at what a body can say when words aren’t enough.
We talked to Jessica about compartmentalizing trauma, feeling claustrophobic inside “acceptable,” and what it took to build a set with treadmills in it.
In your own words, what is your show about?
This show is about how we hide — unintentionally or with consciousness — our secrets, and how that affects both our own inner world, and that of the people around us. Can we actually compartmentalize what we’ve gone through, without it affecting the way we behave, and the way we treat others? What would happen if we entered the process of integrating our greatest fears, our deepest traumas, into our body and mind here in the present. What is the cost of waking up? Is it possible to hold the darkest matter of our lives in the palm of our hand, and boldly claim that it is ours?
These are some of the questions we propose in SHE SPEAKS., with no belief that there is a “correct” answer. Through spoken word, dynamic movement, aerial dance, and fierce running, two characters will boldly face these trials.
What sparked this piece?
I frequently create art that involves trauma processing, and I’m deeply interested in both the overt and the subtle ways in which we communicate with one another. SHE SPEAKS. deals with both of these themes. I’ve devised two characters here that are wrestling with complex superobjectives, and placed them in the same arena where they must constantly interact with and attempt to communicate with one another. This creates friction that we hope brings about a point of connection and curiosity with our audiences.
What does “Fringe” mean to you as an artist?
Fringe is the outskirts. The place to play. The scene where we can press the edges outside of conventionality. I often become bored of the straight and narrow. I feel claustrophobic if I stay too long inside the confines of a typical system, marching on like a puppet who is consistently expected to move, talk, look, or create in a typically acceptable way. Fringe is home for artists, creating a canvas for exploration and risk-taking. That is why we are here.
What do you want someone to feel — or think about differently — after seeing your show?
In any piece of art I make, I strive to create opportunities for the audience to feel connected and curious. SHE SPEAKS. brings things up one more notch. I think this play will leave people temporarily speechless, and perhaps pensive, for moments or days after they see it.
What’s been the hardest or most surprising part of making this?
There’s a lot of intricate parts to our play. Our set designer has fashioned two treadmills in our playing space for our actors to run on. Our media designer has been developing extraordinary visuals to accompany our movement. Our sound designer has created a deep and guttural soundscape that allows one to feel this work viscerally. And the actors are doing an amazing job of finding this work in their own bodies, co-creating these characters with me and taking the work to beautiful places even I hadn’t anticipated. Putting all of this together like a puzzle is our challenge. We love taking it on each week in rehearsals.
Anything else you want people to know before they walk in?
Please join us with an open mind, prepared to look in any direction (even up) to catch the action of our actors. There are non-explicit hints of trauma in our story, so please breathe deep as you connect with our work. We will have resources in our playbill for anyone who may want to reach out for support as they work through the stories in their own lives.
Catch SHE SPEAKS. at Sanctuary Theater on Saturday, October 3 at 3:00 PM or 7:00 PM, or Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 PM, as part of the 2026 Scranton Fringe Festival. Buy tickets here. Our thanks to Jessica for the depth and honesty she brought to these answers.
