Attack Theatre

Attack Theatre builds community with artists and audiences through the process and production of personal, accessible dance-based performance. Blending varied art forms with dynamic contemporary dance, Attack Theatre creates passionate portrayals of everyday life. Under the artistic direction of Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza, Attack Theatre has been making personal, accessible and collaborative dance-based performances with "ninja-like intensity" (Pittsburgh Tribune Review) for fifteen years. They combine modern dance, original live music, multimedia and interdisciplinary art forms to present work in traditional and nontraditional spaces both nationally and internationally. They have collaborated with major regional theaters (Quantum Theatre), NYC Broadway productions (Squonk), museums (Carnegie Museum of Art, Andy Warhol Museum, Frick Art Museum, Mattress Factory), symphonies (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), operas (Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Spoleto USA) and international dance companies (Japan's Nibroll Collective, Belgium's Compagnie Matteo Moles), thereby presenting nearly 100 original works in theatrical and site specific settings. While maintaining a loyal audience in Pittsburgh, they have toured nationally in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, D.C., Texas, Washington, New York and Massachusetts; and internationally, throughout France, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Indonesia, Turkey and Japan. Gaining national recognition, Attack Theatre was featured in Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch in 2007 and the recent Games of Steel was selected for the prestigious 2006-2007 National Dance Project (New England Foundation for the Arts) and appeared in seven theaters nationwide. Additionally, The Kitchen Sink (2006) was chosen as "Best Dance" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Attack Theatre is a three-time recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship award, the Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts Award and the Hardie Award as Arts Educator of the Year for 2006. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has named Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza five times as one of the Top 50 Cultural Leaders of Pittsburgh between 2002 and 2006. Kope and de la Reza were finalists for the Governor of PA's Silver and Gold Award recognizing their excellence in innovative services for the elderly. Attack Theatre also conducts residencies in contemporary dance, creative movement and aesthetic education in universities, primary and secondary schools, arts festivals and community centers. The company's outreach programs focus on demystifying the artistic process and building community. Attack Theatre also operates a rehearsal and performance studio that serves small arts groups and the neighboring community as, "an important training ground for the next generation" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Attack Theatre's multifarious repertoire includes dance/rock operas, lighthearted duets and compelling large group works.