(2003) December 5 and 6 –  9th Annual Washington, DC International Improvisation Plus+ Festival; Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre. Alex Caldiero performance poet, scholar, author (Salt Lake City, Utah) performs live his poem, Sphota  Probe, with dancers  Maida Withers and Katia Chupashko.  Katia performs an improvised version of an early Thresholds Crossed * SOLO (Katia Chupashko) created by Maida Withers using a vertical standing wood casket with light inside and a red interior designed by Carl Gudenius.  For the duet,  Maida Withers improvises around Katia who is performing a version of her choreographed solo and also engages Maida and a second reclining casket on stage.

Alex Caldiero, distinguished sonosphere/poet, from Salt Lake City,  has written a truly amazing evening-length poem “Sphota Probe” that he performs on stage with the dancers.

NOTE: Maida used the title Thresholds Crossed for a title for a later Russian/American political work. There is no connection to these two works, created by Withers…..only a shared title with complete different implications.

What the press is saying

"Saturday's Program.....demonstrated some of the hallmarks of improvisation: that surprise is at the forefront: that simplicity leads to complexity: that spontaneity is a relentless master: that pushing through rough or dull spots sometimes gets you somewhere and other times not; and that a good or interesting idea overdone is neither good nor interesting." Lisa Traiger