PRESS

August 10, 2023: No Proscenium (Review) | American Dreams Are Just Out of Reach in Stunning ‘Port of Entry’(The NoPro Review) | by Patrick B. McLean

August 7, 2023: Chicago Tribune (Review) |Review: ‘Port of Entry’ by Albany Park Theater Project is a tribute to those who came first| by Chris Jones | “Port of Entry’ is an astonishing piece of work… If you go and see this show—and you truly should, for it is beautiful and fresh and a work of reconciliation—you’ll never again travel through Albany Park without turning your head and looking up anew at its windows.”

August 2, 2023: American Theatre Magazine (Feature) | A Warehouse Becomes a Home in ‘Port of Entry’ | Albany Park Theater Project partnered with Third Rail Projects to create a new immersive production that invites audiences into apartments in one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods. | by Emily McClanathan

August 1, 2023: Chicago Reader (Review) | Port of Entry offers an exhilarating journey | Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects’ latest immersive collaboration focuses on immigrant stories. | by Kerry Reid | “It’s a quiet but emotionally rich way of reminding us that our stories may all be different, but they are all intertwined. Port of Entry gives us the gift of being able to hear them up close, and making us see that we’re not bystanders, but fellow pilgrims.”

July 21, 2023: New City Stage (Feature) | Crossed Paths: In “Port of Entry” the Albany Park Theater Project Uses Immersive Theater to Explore the Immigrant Experience | by Mary Wisniewski

June 28, 2023: Chicago Reader (Preview) | Port of Entry creates a home for immigrant stories | Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects’s latest immersive show is ambitious but intimate.” | by Kerry Reid

June 14, 2023: Chicago Sun-Times (Feature) | In ‘Port of Entry,’ stories of Albany Park’s immigrant community take center stage | The Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects have transformed a Northwest Side commercial building to tell the stories of four immigrant families creating a community in Albany Park. | by Elvia Malagón

AWARDS

Still, the Sky receives a 2023 Indie Reader Discovery Award in fiction.

Still, the Sky receives 2022-2023 Reader Views Literary Awards in three categories including the SPONSORED AWARD BY INSIDE SCOOP LIVE! for the Most Innovative Book of Poetry. Listen to interview with Tom Pearson on theInside Scoop Live! Podcast.

Still, the Sky is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner (Fiction-Mythology) and Five Star Review. Readers’ Favorite. Details at Readers’ Favorite.

Still, the Sky nominated for Eric Hoffer Book Award.

MEDIA

“Story Stealers” reading on YouTube, from the Book Launch at The Red Room, NYC on June 9, 2022

“The Night Fishermen” reading on YouTube, from the Book Launch at The Red Room, NYC on June 9, 2022

REVIEWS

“Mesmeric and enveloping… fluid poetry and stunning visual multimedia” — Kirkus Reviews

“Still, the Sky is a labyrinthine poetic epic that fleshes out a resilient and multifaceted mythological brotherhood.” — Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Foreword Clarion Reviews

“This striking collection of dramatic verse interrogates, complicates, and humanizes… A work of originality and power, Still, the Sky… has the expressive clarity of dramatic monologues. Sharply vivid verse, powered by yearning and precision of language” — BookLife by Publishers Weekly (Editor’s Pick)

“A feast for the eye, the heart, the spirit… reminiscent of the best of Robert Graves and Ezra Pound… Clearly a poet — a poet of words, and a visual poet — is at work here. — Pacific Book Review

“A wellspring of carefully-wrought imagery… Pearson’s poetry accomplishes a unique etherealness, precariously tethered to the present with a gossamer string, leaving the reader to feel the distance of millennia.” — Joshua Ryan Bligh, Independent Book Review

“The Greek mythology references provide a special draw to scholarly readers; but the travel through history fueled by Tom Pearson's employment of various poetic devices creates its own unique blend of observation and philosophy. Now, the Greek myths retold here do not necessarily require a background in Greek literature—but those who do hold such interests and background will find the poetry especially evocative, filled with references that offer thought-provoking connections between past and present.” – D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Pearson’s meticulous choice of words and his innate sense of narrative rhythm—coupled with his sublime use of multimedia art… make for an unarguably unique experience.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A stunning collection of thought-provoking [poetry] and arresting artwork… cleverly combining a coming-of-age motif with tales from Greek Mythology, Tom Pearson’s STILL, THE SKY is as much a deliberate statement as it is a placeholder for further examination” — James Weiskittel forIndieReader

“This exuberant creation delights the eyes and inner ear and lends itself to repeat readings and in-depth thinking…. Poems about Icarus flying too close to the sun explore the responsibility of the father and suggest that a father's neglect is a far more tragic reason for a son's fall than the dangers of the son's ambition.” — R.J. Johnson, The US Review of Books

“Still, the Sky is an impeccably researched and elegantly designed collection combining poetry exploring and reimagining the dual Bildungsromane of Icarus and Asterion with intriguing installation artwork that enhances the text... a well-paced journey that oscillates between action and dreamy lyric contemplation.” – Blue Ink Reviews(Starred Review)

“Still, the Sky is a poetry collection that blends mythology and art in a metaphysical consideration designed to appeal to poets and literature students alike..… a work of literature that ideally should be assigned reading for any class strong in Greek mythology and contemporary poetic reflections of history and lore.” – D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

MUST READ: “Pearson reminds us of the sheer romantic power of mythology but also sculpts and shapes it… There was something forbidden and foreboding lurking in each stanza - encapsulating the bittersweet of coming-of-age and relationship between two young men, lost in what connects them and severs them in the end… a must-have collection masterfully marrying the past with the present.” — Kristiana Reed, Reedsy Discovery

PODCASTS

Listen to Interview with Tom Pearson on the Inside Scoop Live! Podcast.

INTERVIEWS & GUEST POSTS

From Q&A with Tom Pearson for BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly:Do you think your theater work has influenced your writing? Definitely. My work in theater and my writing have always been intertwined, but only in the past few years have I put the writing forward on its own. My first book, The Sandpiper’s Spell, follows a sort of ritual/ceremonial structure much like my immersive performances. Still, the Sky continues this, but with a theatricality also enhanced by the design elements of the artwork in the book. Contemporary poetry is frequently considered autobiographical, but I often employ character-driven narratives while considering the reader experience and structural as well. That’s the choreographer/director in me meeting the poet. Read the full interview.

From Interview with Tom Pearson for Pacific Book Review: What do you hope your readers take away from this book? I am always hesitant to say because I hope that the work will offer reflection for them, that readers will take away something very personal that the words and images conjure. Mythology and poetry are both interesting because they can be super specific but also open channels into larger associations. I’ve created a lot of provocations about coming of age and relationships, especially between men, that get rather complex, and so I hope there is enough detail in these that they might create sensory or memory pathways that register on some deep level with readers whether identifying through first romantic or sexual relationships, or relationships with mentors or father-figures, or connecting with the sacred feminine forces that are also very present in these stories. Read the full interview.

From Interview with Tom Pearson for Review Tales:When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A caster of spells. A sorcerer. Or an architect. I really wanted to build a pyramid. Read the full interview.

From Interview with Tom Pearson for Indie Reader Discovery Awards: Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?) I am motivated by the ideas themselves and how they develop, what they say that they want from me. Sometimes, that means the idea becomes a book of poetry, sometimes a piece of visual art, and sometimes a performance-based work. I am motivated to be authentic and to be medial, to move things from one space to another—to really listen and invite inspiration and then work it into something that is shareable that could help someone else. Read the full interview.

From Paw Prints, Guest Essay at Author Anthony Avina’s Blog: ”I have begun to meditate on what these little threads mean over time, how a body of work forms from the scraps of previous work, how material moves forward and themes reiterate, or ideas sift and fold back together again to create specificity. It becomes a pattern for world building, one iteration at a time. It makes the work larger through the micro-expressions along the way—allowing for volunteer images that might invisibly imprint upon the eventual narrative.” Read the Full Essay.

From Indie Spotlight: Tom Pearson by Sue Bavey: “I’ve been writing poetry since I was very young, and most of my works start as word images or movement gestures, and either become dances or poetry. Sometimes the poetry also becomes theater, and sometimes it is all intermingled with the multi-media woks I create. But poetry is my mother tongue. And when I say that, really poetry and dance are the same for me; they come from the same symbolic thought patterns and deep distillation of imagery.” Read the Full Q&A.

READER REVIEWS

“These poems continually whisper with the vividness of harried existentialism… in beckoning calamity and breathless quietude, astir with temptation and desire… Tom Pearson invites us into a space where he is vulnerable and intimate.” — Khushi Gadhiya

“A mirage of experiences, emotions, memoirs and so much more… a complex collection of poetry, one that requires multiple readings to fully digest and appreciate” — Emily-Jane Hills Orford

“A thought-provoking and artfully written collection of poems” — Miche Arendse

“The poetry collection creates a shared view of coming-of-age… in vivid verse, driven by yearning… a maze of fragmented memories, confessions, and tributes” — Manik Chaturmutha

“Compelling figurative representations, an explosion of social, artistic, emotional, and intellectual expressions that carve their meaning in a fusion of written and visual art…. a poet with a strong, intelligent, and lyrical voice.” — Vincent Dublado

“Still, the Sky presents a multiplicity of modern retellings of Greek stories that are frequently dazzling in their uniqueness… Tom Pearson’s use of language is surprising, direct, and reaches an astonishing depth.” – The Bookish Elf

“Still, the Sky is a book I recommend to art and poetry lovers alike with the certainty that any who have yet to venture into the realms of mythology will be enraptured.” — Sarah Stuart

“… a perfect balance between raw, grated, difficult, emotional pain and beautiful words… an invigorating, razor-sharp poetry collection… fierce, provocative, and sensual” — Readers’ Corner

“Heartfelt, emotional, and thoughtful… a marvelous and moving work of art that fans of poetry and mythology will not be able to put down.” — Anthony Avina

More Reader Reviews at:

Goodreads

Amazon

STREAMING

THE NIGHT GARDEN Streaming on Vimeo (Rent $2.99 / Buy $9.99 Buy)

THE NIGHT GARDEN IMDb

AWARDS

Best Experimental Short Film ROMA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Rome, Italy)

Best Experimental Short Film TOKYO INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Tokyo, Japan)

Platinum Award Experimental Smart Phone Short Film FOCUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.)

Best Experimental Short Film CROWN WOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Kolkata, India)

Best Experimental Film SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Shenzhen, China)

Most Innovative Short Film OBIETTIVO CORTO INTERNATIONAL SMARTPHONE FILM FESTIVAL (Molise, Italy)

Best Mobile Film Short TORONTO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (Toronto, Canada)

Best Experimental Short LONDON INDIE SHORT FESTIVAL (London, UK)

Best Mobile Film MOSCOW RUSSIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Moscow, Russia)

Best Poetic Film SHORT INVICTUS FILM FESTIVAL (Porto, Portugal)

Best Smartphone Film THE BARCELONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Barcelona, Spain)

Best Sound Short FREEWHEELING FILM AWARDS (London, UK)

Silver Award, Best Experimental Short Film FLORENCE FILM AWARDS (Florence, Italy)

Special Mention ATHENS INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY ART FILM FESTIVAL (Athens, Greece)

Honorable Mention NEW YORK MOVIE AWARDS (New York, NY)

Honorable Mention, Best Smartphone Film MYKONOS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Mykonos, Greece)

Honorable Mention, SEATTLE FILM SUMMIT (Seattle, WA)

Outstanding Achievement Award (Mobile Short): INDIE SHORT FEST / LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Los Angeles, CA)

Honorable Mention, NEXGEN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Pune, Maharashtra, India)

Honorable Mention, SHORT INVICTUS SHORT FILMS EVENTS (Porto, Portugal)

FINALIST

Finalist Best Actress (Renata Zhigulina, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Marta Luné, Anastasia Nesterova, Daria Karpova) EUROPA FILM FESTIVAL (Barcelona, Spain & Resistencia, Argentina)

Finalist EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL BARCELONA (Barcelona, Spain)

Finalist SEOUL INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Seoul, South Korea)

Finalist BIZARRYA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Porto, Portugal)

Semi Finalist BERLIN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Berlin, Germany)

Semi Finalist KANSAS ARTHOUSE CINEMA (Kansas City, MO)

Semi Finalist BLOW-UP INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILMFEST (Chicago, IL)

Semi Finalist SAN FRANCISCO ARTHOUSE SHORT FESTIVAL (San Francisco, CA)

Semi Finalist NEAR NAZARETH FESTIVAL (Afula, Israel)

Semi Finalist DUBLIN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (Dublin, Ireland)

Semi Finalist DUMBO FILM FESTIVAL (Brooklyn, New York)

Semi Finalist NYACK FILM FESTIVAL (Nyack, NY)

Semi Finalist ONLINE ISOLATION SHORT VIDEOS FESTIVAL (Moscow, RU)

Semi Finalist ARFF AMSTERDAM AROUND INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Semi Finalist SERBEST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Kishinev, Moldova)

Quarter Finalist MELECH TEL-AVIV INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Tel-Aviv, Israel)

Nominee LA INDIES FEST (Los Angeles, CA)

Nominee HONG KONG WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (Hong Kong)

OFFICIAL SELECTION

LONDON MOVIE AWARDS (London, U.K.)

CHICAGO INDIE FILM AWARDS (Chicago, IL)

LA SUN FILM FESTIVAL (Los Angeles, CA)

VEGAS SHORTS (Las Vegas, NV)

BERLIN INTERNATIONAL ART FILM FESTIVAL (Berlin, Germany)

MONTREAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (Montreal, Canada)

FILMS ON PHONE (APP)

MOSCOW SHORTS (Moscow, Russia)

VENICE SHORTS OF CALIFORNIA (Venice Beach, California, U.S.)

GOLDEN BRIDGE ISTANBUL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Istanbul, Turkey)

THE MOODY CRAB FILM FESTIVAL (Moga, Punjab, India)

NEW YORK LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL 2022 (New York, NY)

ALL THAT MOVES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (São Paulo, Brazil)

ANATOLIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Istanbul, Turkey)

AFRICAN SMARTPHONE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Lagos, Nigeria)

PHARE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Albion, Mauritius)

SCREENINGS

Screening with the FILMS ON PHONE FESTIVAL app.

December 16-21, 2022: Screening at the AFRICAN SMARTPHONE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Lagos, Nigeria) | Official Selection

July 1–August 4: Screening via Vimeo On-Demand with the NEW YORK LIFT-OFF FILM FESTIVAL 2022.

April 14, 2022 at 1:00PM (13:00) EDT: THE PAUS PREMIERES FESTIVAL 2022 (Online, free with registration) — Register to View | Official Selection

May 8-18, 2022: Screening online at ROMA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Rome, Italy–Screening online, all films for one $5 pass) | Winner Best Experimental Short Film

Month of May: Screening at FLICKFAIR (Online, $4.99 for monthly festival viewing) On-Demand Film Festival Platform | Official Selection

May: TOKYO INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL | Winner Best Experimental Short Film

July 10–14: Screening online with the SEOUL INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.

August 18, 2022 at 8:36PM ET: NYACK FILM FESTIVAL, Hotel Nyack, Nyack, NY.

September 16: SEATTLE FILM SUMMIT, Hyatt Regency Lake Washington At Seattle's Southport and online screenings. Seattle, WA.

The New York Times | Review | September 9, 2021
“Gathering Apart Until We Can Meet Again” by Alexis Soloski
“A fairy tale, an act of collective creation and, as Third Rail describes it, ‘an offering, for dark nights’…a generous piece… made with kindness and care.”

No Proscenium | Review | September 8, 2021
“Return the Moon’ Shoots for the Stars (The NoPro Review)” by Kathryn Yu
“exceedingly elegant and poetic… The company makes remarkable use of silhouette and shadow; they demonstrate a mastery of composition and timing.”

No Proscenium Podcast | Interview | September 10, 2021
Return the Moon and the Science of Immersion

The Dance Enthusiast | Review | September 22, 2021
“IMPRESSIONS: Third Rail Projects in "Return the Moon’ on Zoom” by Cecly Placenti
“…like nothing I have experienced on Zoom. Part storytelling and part celebration, the interactive virtual experience connects people through shared memory and metaphor when quarantines and social upheaval have highlighted disconnection.”

New York Theater | Review| September 8, 2021
“Return the Moon Review: Third Rail Projects latest site-specific experiment” by Jonathan Mandell
“an eerie, airy 75 minutes that is as much secular ritual as work of theater... one of the most inventive companies in New York”

This Week in New York | Feature | September 9, 2021
”Third Rail Projects’ ‘Return the Moon”
“a melding of celebratory toast, ritual, and folktale… As a bonus, participants get a little package in the mail a few days after the show that lets them relive the tale as well as make their own, which is a lovely touch.”

HVY Journalists | Review | September 5, 2021“Return the Moon’: A Zoom Masterpiece by Third Rail Projects” by Meagan J. Meehan“a masterpiece of mixed media that combines text, movement, cinematic visuals, and music... something entirely new, engrossing, haunting, tranquil, and enjoyable.”

DOWNLOAD THE INITIAL PRESS RELEASE FOR IKAROS AT WOW

DOWNLOAD THE FULL FESTIVAL PRESS RELEASE FOR WOW

La Jolla Playhouse's 2019 Without Walls (WOW) Festival Trailer

PRESS

The San Diego Union-Tribune | Review | October 19, 2019
”Walk-through experiences the highlight this years Without Walls Festival” by Pam Kragen
"Genius and visceral… One of New York’s most acclaimed site-specific theater troupes makes its San Diego debut at this year’s Without Walls Festival with the dance theater piece “Ikaros,” a meditation on humankind’s eternal desire to take wing.”

Olin College of Engineering | Feature | | October 22, 2019
Olin’s Second Creative in Reference Takes Flight with Help From Olin Students Special to Olin
“I’m finding it really incredible and inspiring to have so many different perspectives on what it means to create and design,’ he says, ‘it’s helped me to envision new ways in which art, design, and engineering all fit together.”

KPBS | Interview with Tom Pearson | October 16, 2019
KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando highlights Third Rail Projects' "Ikaros," a site specific work that is part of La Jolla Playhouse's Without Walls (WOW) Festival 2019. Thanks to Sean Hagerty for use of the music.

BROADWAYWORLD (San Diego) | Review | October 19, 2019
“BWW Review: WITHOUT WALLS FESTIVAL at La Jolla Playhouse - PDA, TALL TALE OF THE HIGH SEAS, INCLUSION, & IKAROS” by E.H. Reiter
" … inspires conversation and contemplation… I couldn't stop thinking about it after I saw it.”

SAN DIEGO STORY | Review | October 21, 2019
“The Point Loma Pause as Art: Ikaros at the WOW Festival” by Janice Sternberg
“… Exquisite visual imagery, every-gesture-counts dance, and an evocative recorded sound score… performed with impeccable clarity… Even pedestrian moves convey a sophisticated choreographic intelligence.”

NO PROSCENIUM | Review | October 23, 2019
“We Don’t Need Walls Where We’re Going: 2019 Without Walls Festival Diary: San Diego’s Liberty Station became ground zero for groundbreaking work” by Noah Nelson
“There’s a depth of precision to Third Rail’s choreography that few others dare match, and that’s on display here in abundance.”

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL PROGRAM FOR MIDSUMMER: A BANQUET

PRESS

The New Yorker | Feature | August 26, 2019
Goings On About Town/Theatre/Now Playing
“… delectable in more ways than one… the director and choreographer, Zach Morris, keeps everything tight, so, even as the central quartet of confused lovers goes into peak farce mode, with a zany mess of swoons, fisticuffs, and tumbles, it all comes off flawlessly.” — Maya Phillips

American Theatre Magazine | Feature | August 13, 2019
In ‘Midsummer,’ Love Is What You Eat By Jessica J. Wu

Time Out New York | Review | July 24, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet By Naveen Kumar
“In a triumph of versatility, the eight performers in this inventive and delightfully madcap adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream not only play its royals, lovers, faeries and rude mechanicals, but also serve a light and delicious five-course tasting menu throughout… Morris’s can make scrappy wonders with precious little. The effect is captivating in the way of children's stories before CGI: Playfulness and imagination are required. By dessert, the evening may seem like a dream from which you’d rather not wake.”

PIX 11 News | Feature | August 5, 2019
A New Type of Theater: Midsummer: A Banquet

The New York Times | Review | August 4, 2019
At These High-End Dinner Theaters, Classics Come With Crudités By Alexis Soloski
”… this “Midsummer” makes nifty use of the space.”

Theatre Review NYC | Review | July 26, 2019
Midsummer - A Banquet: A Review By Edward Medina
“… a delectable evening… cleverly directed and choreographed by Zach Morris and the savory and sweet components consist of a six-course tasting menu designed and executed lovingly by Emilie Baltz…. the manuscript is freshly and skillfully adapted by Zach Morris and Victoria Rae Sook.”

The Komisar Scoop |Review | September 8, 2019
“Midsummer: A Banquet” is charming Shakespeare plus tapas By Lucy Komisar
”… a delightful way to spend [a] mid-summer eve… The direction by Zach Morris is often magical, with actors walking around with glass jars lit gold and red with candles or climbing a pillar which has turned into a tree topped with a garland of leaves (set by Jason Simms).”

Time Square Chronicles | Review | August 12, 2019
Downtown’s Midsummer – A Banquet of Magical Moments By Ross
”… as directed and choreographed by the inventive Zach Morris, his immersive version of arguably one of Shakespeare’s best comedy is a lullaby of sweet kisses backed by some charming harmonica and the odd twang of a musical saw being played just right.”

The Front Row Center | Review | July 29, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet By Austin Yang
”… this inimitable evening experience has bloomed with double the charm… Under Zach Morris’s airtight direction and fluid choreography, eight incredible actors with strong comedic characterizations milked every beat of their onstage antics.”

New York Theater | Review | July 27, 2019
Midsummer A Banquet Review. Shortened Shakespeare and Finger Food via Third Rail Projects By Jonathan Mandell
”… the show’s director and choreographer Zach Morris (co-artistic director of Third Rail Projects) stages some fine and funny scenes.”

Lighting & Sound America | Review | August 12, 2019
Theatre in Review: Midsummer: A Banquet (Food of Love Productions/Third Rail Projects) By David Barbour
”… a lively production of A Midsummer Night's Dream paired with a distinctive tasting menu… In many ways, the most impressive thing about Midsummer: A Banquet is the ease with which it unfolds. Actors switch characters and costumes, the dishes arrive, and musical interludes are heard, all without breaking the overall mood of communality and good feeling.”

New York Theatre Wire | Reviews | September 2019
Two views of "Midsummer: A Banquet By Lucy Komisar and Paulanne Simmons

TheaterMania | Review | July 24, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet — Though It Be But Little, It Is Fierce
”everything from the spirited ensemble of actors doing double and triple duty to the napkin-wrapped peach they elevate to a dessert with the name "Love Bundle" has an organic charm that makes this romp in the forest a perfectly imperfect night in New York City.”

Off Off Off Online | Review | August 4, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet By Edward Karam

Eye on Dance | Review | August 25, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet By Celia Ipiotis
”Designed with a gastronomic twist, Midsummer: A Banquet tells a magical tale of love and mayhem between appetizers, entrees and desserts. Culinary delights mix with a fresh approach to the Shakespearean comedy in this immersive theater realization… Athletically directed and charmingly choreographed by Zach Morris, the play never feels forced, nor do the interactions between actors who double in roles and triple as wait staff. Additionally, Sean Hagerty’s music and sound design buoys the production.

Woman Around Town | Review | July 31, 2019
Midsummer : a banquet– The Play’s the Thing By Alix Cohen

Theater Scene | Review | August 10, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet By Victor Gluck

Theater Is Easy | Review | August 15, 2019
Midsummer: A Banquet by Dan Rubins

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR OASIS

PRESS

The New York Times | Review | April 7, 2019
Review: ‘Oasis’ Brings Childlike Whimsy to a Manhattan Mall By Laura Collins-Hughes
CRITIC’S PICK: "Oasis' lets spectators simply spectate. In this age of binge-watching, there’s a quiet satisfaction to seeing a story doled out slowly."

The Dance Enthusiast | Review | April 15, 2019
IMPRESSIONS: Third Rail Projects at Brookfield Place By Erin Bomboy
”Impactful… This episode, one of ten highlighting ‘80s archetypes, could be a well-crafted advertisement for the myriad wonders of Brookfield Place. Yet, as the rapt toddler who mimicked every move reminds me, even lunch holds the potential for unexpected delight.”

Broadwayworld | Preview | April 5, 2019
Photo Flash: Third Rail Projects Presents Free Oasis Performances In Lower Manhattan By A.A. Cristi

Playbill | Preview | March 15, 2019
Creators of Then She Fell to Take Over Brookfield Place With Immersive ’80s Pop-Up Show By Olivia Clement
”Over the course of ten daily episodes, performers chase the promise of escape with quirky interactions, ’80s dance moves, and fleeting imagery.”

AWARDS

2023 Peabody Awards
Lucy and the Wolves in the Walls wins a PEABODY AWARD in the new category of Immersive and Interactive.
The citation reads: ‘Lucy and the Wolves in the Walls’ is at its heart, a celebration of wonder. For its invitation to be curious at every corner, ‘Lucy and the Wolves in the Walls’ receives a Peabody.

2019 EMMY Awards
Wolves in the Walls: It’s All Over wins a 2019 EMMY Award for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media (Juried) - 2019.

PRESS

VARIETY | Review | January 19, 2018
VR Review: ‘Wolves in the Walls’ By Janko Roettgers
“Fable Studio put a lot of work into making Lucy believable as an interactive character. This included teaming up with New York’s immersive theater company Third Rail for choreography and motion capture…”

No Proscenium | Review | April 25, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Making ‘Wolves in the Walls’ VR with Third Rail Projects (EXCLUSIVE); Fable’s Peter Billington writes about their collaboration with the immersive theatre company By Peter Billington for No Proscenium
”Many months later, through a combination of luck, timing and mutual friends, Jennine Willett and Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects arrived at our studio. After showing them an early prototype of Lucy, Zach asked, “What’s the major dramatic question?”

We weren’t prepared. We didn’t even understand the dialect. We knew about narrative arcs and proprioception, cognitive overload and color theory, but we had no clue how to answer his question. The next 48 hours was a period of thought expansion previously reserved for scenes in The Matrix. By the end, we knew that we desperately wanted to collaborate with them on this project.”

The Verge | Review | January 19, 2018
Wolves in the Walls is a virtual friendship wrapped in a detective story By Adi Robertson
”Wolves director and Fable co-founder Pete Billington says visiting Then She Fell was a pivotal moment for the team. Despite being dropped in the middle of a moving world, “you never felt like you needed to try and figure out where you should be looking. Your focus was always [on] where you needed to be, the moment it needed to be,” he says. “We realized that was exactly what we wanted to do in virtual reality.”

VR Geschicten | Review | July 26, 2019
Wolves in the Walls: Immersive Theater Goes Virtual by Pola Weiß
“Wolves in the Walls was created by an interdisciplinary team—which isn’t unusual for VR. However, next to the filmmakers and game designers, a third type of expertise joined the fray: no less than renowned theater group Third Rails Projects, who have become a success in New York through their widely-acclaimed play, Then She Fell”.

Meta | Feature | November 20, 2020
VR Films for the Whole Family: ‘Wolves in the Walls’ and ‘SPHERES’ Join ‘Gloomy Eyes’ and ‘The Line’ on Oculus Quest By Blog Meta Quest
”Based on the award-winning children’s book written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean, Wolves in the Walls blends an AI-powered protagonist and choreography from immersive theater company Third Rail Projects to create a uniquely compelling and emotionally engaging experience unlike what’s come before it in VR.”

Animation Magazine | Feature | April 14, 2023
‘Bob’s Burgers,’ ‘El Deafo,’ ‘Wolves in the Walls’ Among Peabody Nominees By Mercedes Milligan
“Through the endearing and earnest narrative of Lucy and her quest to find the source of mysterious happenings in her house, this wonderful interactive VR fable based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, which continues in Lucy’s extended life across platforms, invites us along to explore the fine line between imagination and reality and reminds us of that liminal space of possibility that we occupy as children.”

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR CONFECTION

PRESS

The Washington Post | Review | March 11, 2019
At this show, you get to eat cake. But you might feel a little guilty about it. By Maura Judkis
"[Confection] is the type of silver covered dish you’d find at a formal banquet. Sometimes, when performers lift the top off, there’s something wonderful underneath. And sometimes, there’s something that will rattle you"

The Making of Confection | Youtube Documentary & Discussion | 2019
Exploring Third Rail Projects' Confection at the Folger Shakespeare Library

The DCist | Feature | March 6, 2019
Wander Forbidden Rooms, Sneak Some Dessert, And Learn Some History At Folger’s Immersive Show ‘Confection’ By Allie Goldstein
“The thrill of Confection is being so close to the images, getting to feel the fabric of the costumes brush against your skin or sitting at a banquet table as the performers prance by at eye level."

MD Theatre Guide | Review | March 11, 2019
Theatre Review: ‘Confection’ at Folger Theatre By Peter Orvetti
"Confection’ is worth seeing while you can. Like a good meal, you will never experience anything exactly like it again."

The Washington Post | Feature | March 7, 2019
‘Confection’ is about the (mostly) sweet side of life
Lila Miller, owner of D.C.-based Lupin Baking Company, talks to The Washington Post about the inspiration for the desserts served in Confection.

AWARDS

The Sandpiper’s Spell is chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the BEST INDIE BOOKS OF 2019.
“Tom Pearson's "The Sandpiper's Spell" employs vibrant, carefully-crafted language to paint engaging, imagistic scenes exploring some of life's essential questions. The collection has a deft control of image and metaphor, with beautiful imagery and turns of phrase throughout. The titular "Sandpiper's Spell" depicts a "shell of upturned ocean" beside a "salted city," the evocative language drawing the reader in to a poem, and a larger collection, rich with mystery, lyricism, and beauty.” — Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award

MEDIA

The Sandpiper’s Spell reading on YouTube, from the Book Launch at The Red Room, NYC on April 11, 2018

REVIEWS

Kirkus Reviews | Starred Review | January 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews BEST INDIE BOOKS OF 2019
★ "Pearson's masterfully observant debut poetry collection scours littoral and urban landscapes... Both vastly panoramic and deeply introspective, Pearson’s writing explores both the wonders of nature and the shifting landscape of the human mind. A startlingly intuitive new poet—one to watch.”

BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly | Review | 2018
The Sandpiper’s Spell Review
"Above all, Pearson demonstrates a mastery of imagery."

Foreword Clarion Reviews | Review |
The Sandpiper’s Spell Review by Jeana Jorgensen
“Tom Pearson’s The Sandpiper’s Spell contains poems that meditate on nature, life, death, and memory, using language in startling and dazzling ways… Intertextuality and keen attention to word choices mark these poems as texts to linger over and return to. They implicate humanity in the encroachment of cities upon coastlines, too, with subtle ecological messages that sit alongside ruminations on tourism and culture, on memory and identity.”

Online Book Club | Review | July 31, 2018
Official Review: The Sandpiper's Spell by Tom Pearson by J.R. Mercier
"Stunningly reflective... The Sandpiper's Spell is a relatively short poetry read but Tom Pearson fills each page with an abundance of evocative language." — Online Book Club (Review)

PODCASTS

No Proscenium | Podcast Interview | February 9, 2019
Podcast Interview with Tom Pearson and Kathryn Yu

Movers & Shapers | Podcast Interview | March 13, 2018
Podcast Interview with Tom Pearson and Erin Carlisle Norton

INTERVIEWS & GUEST POSTS

Blasting News | Interview | April 16, 2018
‘The Sandpiper’s Spell’: Interview with poet and theater visionary Tom Pearson, with Meaghan Meehan

Excerpt:

MM: How long did it take to write all of these poems and how did you decide on fundamentals such as spacing, punctuation, and all those little elements that can so influence how a poem is read and absorbed?

TP: I took about six months to assemble the book, but some of the poems are much older, and I’ve been honing them for many years. I usually free write the images and then spend months going back and distilling the images down to the most minimal but potent language. There’s even a section two-thirds into the book where it gets incredibly condensed as the story starts to arrive in haiku-esque, minimal flashes of juxtaposed imagery. I work through a kind of distillation and alchemical process. I also consider the writing visually –– often forgoing punctuation or other grammar in order to paint them on the page in a way that encourages intended pacing and rhythm –– but also with open space for the reader to connect stanzas in their own unique ways and perspectives.

READER REVIEWS

"The Sandpiper's Spell' feels like an homage to the fragility of life. Death so close, but beauty closer. It requires slow, deep, repeated reading. The imagery is complex and layered. Often unexpected, like a dance, a quick shift in direction." — Andrea Lepcio, playwright and author of Looking for the Pony

"A beautiful and curious read. At once a spell and a calling, a screaming and an invocation… we have no choice but to follow it like a trance." — Hannah Barry

“Tom Pearson’s ‘The Sandpiper’s Spell’ is a stunningly realized debut collection of imagery-laden [poetry].” – James W

“Pearson is a master of language and he uses it perfectly in this collection of poems.” – Kat Kennedy

“This is my second Tom Pearson poetry collection that I've read this year and I'm not even surprised at how quickly he has become one of my favourite poets.” – Priyanka Kedia

“This is actually the second book I have read by Tom Pearson and I can not get enough! His work is so vivid and enchanting, you can really visualize what he's writing about. I'm also deeply in love with the author's writing style and spacings, it allows time to grasp and feel what I'm reading. I can't rave enough about this book! All I can say is that I'm ready to see more from Tom Pearson!” – Adrien Weinhoffer

More Reader Reviews at:

Goodreads

Amazon

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR BEHIND THE CITY

PRESS

CRITIC’S PICK The New York Times | Review | June 19, 2018: ‘Behind the City’ Immerses You in New York and Yourself | "industriously inventive… an insistence that you look — really look — at what’s around you, and realize afresh how all the city’s a stage." - Ben Brantley, The New York Times

No Proscenium | Review | June 18, 2018: Lost in a Waking Dream in ‘Behind the City’ (The NoPro Review) "...beautiful, surprising, charming, absurd, ambitious, and melancholic... 'Behind the City' finds this ground-breaking company at the top of its game." - Kathryn Yu, No Proscenium

Forbes | Review | June 15, 2018: This Immersive Theater Production Is As Close To Time Travel As Most Of Us Will Ever Get | “…the closest thing to time travel most of us will ever experience… The show is incredibly intimate… The whole thing really is quite ludicrous and hard to follow in the best, most dream-like way.” – Seth Porges, Forbes

American Theatre Magazine | Feature | June 20, 2018 The Scotch Is on the House at ‘Behind the City’ by Diep Tran

CNET | Feature | July 15, 2018 | The best augmented reality I saw this year was live theater funded by a liquor company | “Behind The City stands as an amazing and improbable demonstration of the possibilities of realities blending in AR.” – Scott Stein

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR GHOST LIGHT

PRESS

The New York Times | Critic's Pick | June 19, 2017 Review: Specters of the Stage Enchant in ‘Ghost Light’ | "Ghost Light' is a spectral tour of the hoary legends, superstitions and rituals that remain sacrosanct in the hearts of even the most jaded playmakers... Third Rail are masters of the skewed perspective." - Ben Brantley

The Washington Post | Review | June 19, 2017 | The friendly specters of ‘Ghost Light’ work their incandescent charms | "... the type of interactive show that should be replicated in every theater town in the country with a yen to take audiences by the hands — literally — and remind them of what the stage can do that no other entertainment platform can." – Peter Marks

The Village Voice | Review | June 27, 2017 | With “Ghost Light,” Third Rail Projects Brings To Life The Hard Work Of Theater | "... a Third Rail Projects extravaganza... Ghost Light demonstrates that theater really is a job; for all the out-front posturing and drama, the production is a collaboration among many craftspeople with diverse skills. For two hours it keeps you so busy running and climbing, snaking through narrow passageways, fielding flying props and taking orders from people you’ve barely met, that you manage to forget the mess in the outside world." – Elizabeth Zimmer

New York Magazine | July 23, 2017 | The Approval Matrix: Week of July 24, 2017 | "Highbrow/Brilliant"

NBC New York | In The Wings | July 23, 2017 | Backstage at Lincoln Center Theater's 'Ghost Light'

WNYC | Review | June 24, 2017 | Review: Enchanting, Immersive 'Ghostlight' Brings the Audience Backstage | "GHOST LIGHT is enthralling not only because it brings us inside the warren of rooms normally off limits to the audience — but also because it brings us inside the minds and hearts of the actors and playwrights and ushers who inhabit them." - Jennifer Vanasco

Stage Buddy | Review | June 20, 2017 | Review: Ghost Light | "Ghost Light is the rare show that feels like it would be rewarded from a repeat visit, it’s the kind of show that you want to get lost in regardless of the consequence." – Jose Solis, Stagebuddy

Infinite Body | Review | July 8, 2017 | Go backstage with the haunted "GHOST LIGHT" | "GHOST LIGHT, in its way, pays tribute to the art and artists passing through our lives, people whom we only think we know and whom we can't hold onto--except in memory." - Eva Yaa Asantewaa

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR SWEET & LUCKY

PRESS

American Theatre | Feature | February 23, 2016
Dance or Theater? Yes. By Kelundra Smith

American Theatre | Feature | March 9, 2016
Tomorrow’s Theatre Today at the Colorado New Play Summit By Diep Tran

5280 | Review | May 16, 2016
Sweet & Lucky Is a Theater Experience Like No Other By Daliah Slinger

AXS | Review | June 23, 2016
'Sweet & Lucky' is unlike anything you've seen before By Deb Flomberg

9NEWS | Feature | July 5, 2016
Immersive theatre performance in Denver By Blair Shiff

CBS Denver | Feature | July 7, 2016
‘Sweet & Lucky’ Offers Immersive Theatre Experience By Libby Smith

Huffington Post | Feature | July 14, 2016
Denver Center “Sweet & Lucky”, a Memorable Night of Theatre By Tracy Shaffer-Witherspoon
"a unique experience where life comes alive and the past is fully present… Lush, romantic, universal, metaphoric and delightful― there is magic happening here and you feel it.”

Westword | Review | May 24, 2016
Review: Sweet & Lucky Is a Brave, Lovely, Original Adventure By Juliet Wittman
“Sweet & Lucky Is a Brave, Lovely, Original Adventure… Almost everything about the evening — the sights and sounds, even the smells — is beautifully put together.”

Boulder Weekly | Feature | Jun 9, 2016
A journey through memory By Sarah Haas

The Denver Post | Feature | May 9, 2016
Denver native Zach Morris returns with performance art "Sweet & Lucky" By Joanne Ostrow
“Prepare to be eased into a dream state by the choreographed movement, evocative props, encounters with performers and music on a two-hour journey through a rich and reactive environment in “Sweet & Lucky”

Colorado Public Radio | Feature | June 6, 2016
Immerse Yourself In Denver Center's 'Sweet & Lucky' With These Photos By Stephanie Wolf

Berkshire Fine Arts | Feature | June 12, 2016
Sweet and Lucky by Zach Morris By Susan Hal

Howlround | Feature | February 14, 2016
Colorado New Play Summit DCPA Panel with Zach Morris and Tom Pearson Full Video

Extended Play | Feature | April 1, 2016
Third Rail Projects Holds Up a Mirror to the Audience By James Carter

ULTRA 5280 | Feature | May 19, 2016
Lifestyle | The Dawn of Immersive, Experiential Theater in Denver By Tiffany Candelaria & Theresa Dixon

The Denver Ear | Feature | July 31, 2016
PSST… SWEET & LUCKY

Trailer for Feature Documentary and Performance
Streaming on Vimeo (Rent $2.99 / Buy $9.99 Buy)

GPS Discussion at Museum of Russian Ethnography | March 15, 2016 | FREE

Performance Excerpt | Opening Sequence | FREE

Performance Excerpt | Wallpaper Duet | FREE

Performance Excerpt | Book Reading Sequence | FREE

Performance Excerpt | Piano Sequence | FREE

Performance Excerpt | Pillow Sequence | FREE

DOWNLOAD THE OPENING PRESS RELEASE FOR THE GRAND PARADISE

DOWNLOAD THE CLOSING PRESS RELEASE FOR THE GRAND PARADISE

AWARDS

2016 Time Out Love New York Award Winner

PRESS

The New York Times | Review | February 1, 2016
Review: ‘The Grand Paradise’ Summons a ’70s Pleasure Palace
"Using the ’70s as a time frame turns out to have been an inspired idea... 'The Grand Paradise,' the latest and lushest of the many immersive theater spectacles to set up camp in New York in recent years, traffics in instant nostalgia. Created by Third Rail Projects, this interactive tour of an imaginary Floridian pleasure palace from the 1970s manages to summon romantic promise and regretful retrospection in a single, ocean-air breath." - Ben Brantley

Time Out New York | Review | February 2, 2016
The Grand Paradise
"… the piece is a captivatingly sensual interactive adventure… This escapist world is our oyster, where each grain of sand in an hourglass has a shot at becoming a pearl.” - Adam Feldman

FOX5 NY | Feature | November 17, 2016
The Grand Paradise
"At the Grand Paradise, you are the story and the storyteller, relying on instinct and intrigue to navigate a tangled web of distant memories and far-off fantasies." - Simone Boyce

American Theatre Magazine | Feature | February 24, 2016
Aroma-turgy: What’s Smell Got to Do With It?
"...The show is created to make audience members feel like protagonists, which is why everyone has the freedom to explore and interact with it on their own terms. That’s why we go through the trouble to find these things that trigger memory and trigger a personal response. There’s been a fascination with seeing if there’s a way to create some part of an emotion in a theatrical experience—if there’s some way to take you back to what you felt like in a particular moment. And smell is a big part of that.” – Mark Blankenship/Jennine Willett, American Theatre magazine

American Theatre Magazine | Feature | February 23, 2016
A Sense of the Space: Where Dance/Theatre Leads Us by Rob Weinert-Kendt

Asbury Park Press | Review | February 19, 2016
'The Grand Paradise' an essential, theatrical escape
"Every audience member's visit to The Grand Paradise" is different; as a work of immersive, dance-based theater, it requires the guests to make their own way, following characters and story threads that pique their interest. In the show's two hours, there are any number of sights to be seen, events to experience and interactions to be had — and it would take a few visits to get the full picture.” - Alex Biese

Manhattan Digest | Review | February 16, 2016
Transform Yourself With The Grand Paradise
"I realize I’ve only seen two Third Rail Productions, but I’ve come out of both feeling so incredibly connected and engaged with that I immediately wanted to turn around and go back in, just to recapture that feeling… The long and short of all this is, should you see The Grand Paradise? Very much yes. Go, and go with an open mind, and a readiness to engage and explore and flirt. If your night was anything like mine, it will be a highly rewarding and transformative experience.” - David Baxter

New York Live | Review | February 9, 2016
The Grand Paradise
“… A wild immersive theater experience, probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before… What happens at The Grand Paradise stays at The Grand Paradise” - New York Live

The Huffington Post | Review | February 8, 2016
You'll Have a Grand Old Time: 'The Grand Paradise'
"This was by far my favorite aspect of The Grand Paradise: the intimate scale of the performance, which allows for a deeper engagement and more communal experience… I know I'm likely to search for paradise again, and I can assure you that you'll have a grand time if you do the same. I also look forward to seeing what Third Rail Projects will do next, as it's high time someone took a more nuanced look at immersive theatre.” - Bess Rowen

Bedford + Bowery | Review | February 5, 2016
Shake Off the Winter Blahs and Jet to This Grand Paradise of Immersive Theater
"A step beyond what other immersive shows usually offer...a disorienting, entertaining escape, one that playfully blurs the lines between performance and reality.” - Kavitha Surana

TDF Stages | Review | February 2, 2016
A Virtual Vacation of Desire and Death
"Like the theatre company's long-running, Alice in Wonderland-inspired 'Then She Fell', its new interactive show takes place in a multilayered fantasyland where all of your senses are stimulated -- yes, even taste, touch, and smell. However, 'The Grand Paradise' is produced on a much grander scale, with 60 audience members and 20 performers frolicking in a late-'70s, hedonistic, tropical resort where adventures and awakenings await. And, in large part, you determine your own fate.” - Raven Snook

The Huffington Post | Review | February 1, 2016
Theater: Almost 'Paradise;' Awkward 'Affair'
“… it shows that whatever era you're living in, moments of true intimacy are rare and precious and best appreciated quietly, one on one, with the curtains drawn." - Michael Glitz

amNewYork | Review | January 31, 2016
‘The Grand Paradise’ the latest immersive theater experience
"extremely impressive in the scope of its detail.” - Matt Windman

NBC New York | Review | January 31, 2016
In Bushwick, Inhibitions (and Clothes) Fall Away
"Theatergoers are alternately voyeurs and participants in the family’s dark or erotic altercations.” - Robert Kahn

The Wall Street Journal | Feature | January 28, 2016
From Brooklyn Warehouse to ’70s Tropical Resort
"Since Third Rail began creating site-specific and site-adaptive work in 2006, their productions have been inextricably tied to the spaces in which they are performed… [The artistic directors] and the rest of the creative team have been able to fine-tune every aspect of the experience.” - Darryn King

The New York Times
Immersive Theater’s Next Stop: A Sexy ’70s Fantasy Island by Diep Tran | Feature | December 27, 2015
"Third Rail is leaving behind the Victorian era of 'Then She Fell' and transporting audiences to more recent times: a hedonistic Florida resort in the late 1970s that may or may not contain the Fountain of Youth. There they will be guided through the kind of curated one-on-one interactions that make 'Then She Fell' popular, while also having the freedom to choose their own scenarios."

Dance Magazine
Welcome to Paradise by Brian Schaffer | Feature | December 2015 Issue
"Though it feels spontaneous, it also always feels like you’re exactly where you should be. The Grand Paradise will maintain this strategic intentionality, but dials up the audience agency."

Commercial Observer | Feature | December 5, 2015
Interactive Theatre With Human-Sized Aquarium Coming to Bushwick
"Brooklyn-based experiential dance theater company Third Rail Projects is capitalizing on the current success of Then She Fell in Williamsburg, which allows the audience to be more involved in the show, and is bringing that concept to Bushwick with a new act." - Liam La Guerre

DOWNLOAD THE MIDNIGHT MADNESS PRESS RELEASE

PRESS

Mashable | Feature | August 11, 2015
Midnight Madness: Inside Wall Street's massive all-night puzzle challenge by Patrick Kulp

Forbes | Feature | August 15, 2015
For One Long Night, Manhattan Was Turned Into A Massive Game For Hundreds Of Finance Workers by Seth Porges
“… what may be the largest and most ambitious immersive theater production the city has ever seen“

My Social Good News | Feature | August 10, 2015
$3.1 Million Dollars Raised For Good Shepherd Services Through Midnight Madness Scavenger Hunt In NYC by Api Podder

Bloomberg Business | Video | August 10, 2015
The Midnight Scavenger Hunt Luring Wall Street

DOWNLOAD THE PRESS RELEASE FOR ROADSIDE ATTRACTION

PRESS

The New York Times | Review | June 30, 2013
Family Camping Trip Packed With Phantom Selves, Hopes and Dreams by Alastair Macaulay
“All the dance stays close to ordinary movement, but the choreography takes everyday impulses and makes them lyrically potent.”

New York Post | Feature | June 21, 2013
Hot Picks: Step Up! Real Camp by Leigh Witchel

The New Yorker | Feature | June 23rd, 2013
Goings About Town: River to River Festival / Third Rail Projects

The New York Times | Feature | June 19, 2014
Picnic Tables for Dancing, Bookcases for Naps By Helene Stapinski
“Governors Island [is] a perfect place for Third Rail. This is one of the few places in New York City where artists can have the time and space to collaborate with a site and be in a conversation with the public… It’s a perfect match, really.”

Mana Spotlight | Documentary | 2013
Mana Contemporary interview with Tom Pearson and spotlight on Roadside Attraction

DOWNLOAD THE OPENING PRESS RELEASE FOR THEN SHE FELL

DOWNLOAD THE CLOSING PRESS RELEASE FOR THEN SHE FELL

AWARDS

2013 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE (BESSIE) AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

BEN BRANTLEY’S TOP 10 OF 2012 THE NEW YORK TIMES

BEST IN THEATER 2013 VOGUE

CRITIC’S PICK: The New York Times, Time Out New York, Vogue, The Village Voice

PRESS

The New York Times
Feature Article: Adventures in a Sinister Wonderland
By Siobhan Burke | August 9, 2013
"… a lush, if fragmented story arrives by way of the exacting, exuberant choreography."

Brooklyn Magazine
The 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture
By Brooklyn Magazine | March 1, 2016
"... what better time to celebrate some of the many people who are shaping Brooklyn culture today, those people responsible for the words we want to read, the films we want to see, the music we want to hear, the art we want to experience, the spaces we want to inhabit... work that continues to make Brooklyn not just culturally relevant, but culturally vital."

The New Yorker
Goings On About Town/Review
By New Yorker Staff | April 1, 2013
"wildly imaginative… an anxiety-provoking but exciting theatrical encounter… Wonderfully written, directed, and choreographed."

The New York Times
Year in Theater: Ben Brantley’s Top 10 of 2012
By Ben Brantley | December 16, 2012
"The immersive theater company Third Rail’s personal guided tour of Alice’s Wonderland, in a former outpatient hospital in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. A show that makes you understand — and takes you to, via a labyrinth of intricately arranged rooms — the place where Lewis Carroll was coming from.”

Vogue
Theater: People Are Talking About - Wonderland
By Adam Green | April, 2013
BEST IN THEATER 2013:
"… haunting, hallucinatory, and profoundly intimate."

American Theatre Magazine
Dance or Theatre? Yes.
By Kelundra Smith | February 23, 2016

The New York Times
Starring Me! A Surreal Dive into Immersive Theater
By Sarah Lyall | January 7, 2016
"... intimate and tightly choreographed… After a while, it felt as if we were dreaming, or mad, so febrile and charged was the atmosphere…You cannot feel more immersed than that."

The New York Times
Theater Review by Ben Brantley: “Lewis Carroll is in a Hospital”
By Ben Brantley | December 1, 2012
CRITIC’S PICK: "This show occupies a dreamscape where the judgments and classifications of the waking mind are inoperative, and where the single self keeps splitting and blurring."

The Economist
Return to Wonderland
By D.S.K. |September 23, 2014
"Then She Fell does what the best retellings set out to do: it offers a new framework through which to contemplate a familiar story."

American Theatre Magazine
The Walls Come Tumbling Down
By Diep Tran | July, 2013
"It requires us to have an ease that we would have in everyday life,” says co-creator Tom Pearson, who plays the White Rabbit, sans bunny suit. “It’s very cinematic. When the screen is right there in front of your face, it picks up everything. It’s the same when you’re in a room with someone."

Gothamist
Follow the Rabbithole To Williamsburg For The Best Show So Far This Year
By John Del Signore | March 15, 2013
"an enthralling theatrical spell is being woven… as unsettling as it is enchanting."

Forbes
Feature Article - "Theater for the Video Game Generation"
By Seth Porges | October 29, 2012
"Secret rooms and passageways are the norm, as are sets that guests are encouraged to explore by sifting through drawers, pockets, and papers. Think of them as haunted houses that do more than just scare."

The Wall Street Journal
Feature Article: “A Macabre Misadventure in Wonderland”
By Lizzie Simon | October 4, 2012
"Then She Fell’ will offer a more deliberately crafted experience… to allow all of the guests to discover and accumulate bits of story until they leave with the satisfaction of having co-created, with the show itself, a narrative arc and resolution."”

Time Out New York
Theater Review: “Alice gets a new Wonderland: an abandoned hospital in Greenpoint, Brooklyn”
By Jenna Scherer | October 8, 2012
CRITIC’S PICK | 4 STARS: "Stunningly personal… When you peer into the looking glass, it stares right back at you."

BRIC TV
Then She Fell: Caught In The Act
by BRIC TV | October 2, 2012

American Theatre Wing
Working In The Theatre: Immersive Theatre
by American Theatre Wing | April 29, 2014

TIME Magazine
Total Immersion
By Richard Zoglin | TIME | June 24, 2013
"… this is extreme theater: fresh, fun, totally absorbing, a full contact sport with no rules and no boundaries."

New York Daily News
Feature Article: “Go ask Alice: Theater group will turn old Greenpoint Hospital building into an interactive wonderland”
By Lore Croghan | New York Daily News | July 17, 2012

Broadway World
BWW Reviews: THEN SHE FELL: All Mad Here
By Duncan Pflaster | Broadway World | November 30th, 2012

Odyssey Works
TOM PEARSON ON DREAM LOGIC
By Ana Freeman | Odyssey Works | April 12, 2016

Deep Media
Way-way-off-Broadway: How the immersive theater of 'Then She Fell' resonates with the digital world
By Frank Rose | Deep Media | June 10, 2013

New Statesman
Feature & Interview with Zach Morris
By Tara Isabella Burton | New Statesman | June 1, 2013
"Third Rail has created something utterly strange, magnificently surreal: undoubtedly Wonderland."

Imaginary Worlds
Episode 42: Then She Fell
By Eric Molinsky | Imaginary Worlds

Backstage
“Topsy-Turvy ‘Then She Fell’ is Magical”
By Jason Fitzgerald | Backstage | March 18, 2013
"The lusciously and meticulously designed world, full of strange knickknacks and worn furniture, teases every nerve at the imagination’s disposal."

TDF Stages
“Your Private Trip Through Lewis Carroll’s Mind”
By Raven Snook | TDF Stages | March, 2013
"… quite accessible and very visceral. It’s impossible to move through the scenes without becoming involved, emotionally and otherwise."

Stage and Cinema
“Review of Then She Fell”
By Sarah Taylor Ellis | Stage an Cinema | March 26, 2013
"… the manipulation of perspective and the use of space is ever imaginative, and the intimate (and often one-on-one) scenes are wondrous.."

NBC
Review: “Then She Fell” at the Kingsland Ward in Williamsburg
By Robert Kahn | NBC | March 15, 2013
"Attention to detail is mind-boggling… the experience is unlike anything I’ve had"

The Village Voice
CRITIC’S PICK
By Elizabeth Zimmer | August 31-Sept 6, 2016

TIME OUT HONG KONG: The One You Love Is Sick | Feature | April 14-27, 2010 | Aedas My Footsteps by Ben Sin “… education and art with a bit of Gothic ambiance thrown in.”

CUP MAGAZINE | Interview| April 2010 | Issue 099 | Interview with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris

THE STUDENT STANDARD: The One You Love Is Sick | Feature | April 12, 2010 | Interview with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris | Room to Maneuvre | “... site-work has proved to be tremendously rewarding experience for both artists and audiences alike.”

READ THE PRESS RELEASES FOR VANISHING POINT:

DANSPACE PRESS RELEASE

BESSIE AWARDS PRESS RELEASE

BESSIE AWARDS CITATIONS

AWARDS

BESSIE AWARD Citation for Choreographer/Creator Award to TOM PEARSON and ZACH MORRIS
“For creating a work suffused in memory and remembrance, at once universal yet quintessentially American, informed by love, wisdom, and humor, and expressed in luscious movement and music by virtuosic performers in “Vanishing Point” at Danspace Project.”

BESSIE AWARD Citation for Compser KRIS BAUMAN
“For creating music infused with charm and playfulness, that helped bring characters and stories from rural America to life with his band, The Dang-It Bobbys, in Tom Pearson and Zach Morris' Vanishing Point presented at Danspace Project.”

PRESS

The New York Times | Review | | July 1, 2008
“This Ruminative Funeral Moves to a Country Beat” Vanishing Point by Roslyn Sulcas
“… the dance equivalent of a peaceful, ruminative discussion with a few close friends, drinks in hand… quietly mesmerizing… wonderfully sensuous off-kilter… death may be the vanishing point, but irrepressible life is its theme."

The New Yorker | Preview | June 30, 2008
Vanishing Point by Brian Siebert
“Dance segments that are touching and deep… add up to a vague sense of Faulknerian doom.”

INFINITE BODY | BODY & SOUL PODCAST | June 10, 2008
Eva Yaa Asantewaa with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST | Feature | December 8, 2007 | “Students Step Up to Dance with the Professionals” by Liz Gooch

U MAGAZINE | Feature | December 2007 | Interview with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris

TVB8 | Feature | December 2007 | Interview with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris

READ THE PRESS RELEASES:

UDF PRESS RELEASE

UDF FACT SHEET