Half Straddle

HALF STRADDLE

Composer / Sound Designer / Performer

My best friend, Jess Barbagallo, introduced me to Tina Satter in 2008. She needed some help editing video for a project. At the time, Tina was creating a theater company called Half Straddle, with Jess, Eliza Bent, and Julia Sirna-Frest. I composed a sound score, as well as some original songs that were sung as part of the company’s debut theatrical production, The Knockout Blow, at the now-defunct Ontological Hysteric Theater in New York’s East Village. I sat on the side of the stage and played tracks I had made in GarageBand from my iPod, and mixed the three, wired microphones from a tiny sound board.

 

Since then, I have collaborated with Tina and her company to create original music, soundscapes and scores for most of the company's theatrical works, including Seagull (Thinking of you), Ancient Lives, and In The Pony Palace / FOOTBALL. Most recently, I co-composed music with Erin Markey for Ghost Rings, a song-cycle which premiered at New York Live Arts in 2016. I also arranged, music directed and sound designed that piece, which toured North America in 2017. I've also performed the role of Joel in House of Dance on tour at Culturgest in Lisbon, Portugal, for which I learned some rudimentary tap moves, and wore prosthetic eyebrows.

 

The canon of Half Straddle songs remains very dear to me, and I’ve had to the privilege of performing the songs outside of the context of the plays they were composed for on several occasions. Kimberly Clark, my drag alter-ego, even got to host and music direct an evening called Half Straddle Forever at Joe’s Pub, with guest artists, a backing band, and a 2-drink-minimum.

 

PRESS:

 

 

 

 

 

The song "Map of the Area", from Ghost Rings at New York Live Arts, co-composed by Erin Markey, lyrics by Tina Satter, performed with Tina Satter, Erin Markey, and Kristen Sieh. Audio mixed by Jimin Brelsford.

 

Kimberly Clark performs "I Can Try" from Nurses In New England w/ Julia Sirna-Frest and Jo Lampert at Joe's Pub.

 

 

 

 

 

An excerpt from Ancient Lives at The Kitchen, performed by Eliza Bent, Lucy Taylor, Julia Sirna-Frest, Emily Davis, and Jess Barbagallo.

 

early HS press shoot

An early Half Straddle press shoot by Shonni Enelow, with Eliza Bent, Tina Satter, and Julia Sirna-Frest.