Lisa Fagan

Y’AAAAAAAALLLLL I am so exciters to introduce our coven for ‘the Bergman/Lansbury Test 2, starting with this cerrrr-teeee-fiable GENIUS who’s coming in to help steer this wacky ship! LISA FAGAN (she/her/hers) is a choreographer, performer, and theater maker based in NYC whose work has been dubbed “The High Weird” by critics. Recent work: Friday Night Rat Catchers (with collaborator Lena Engelstein; Under the Radar / LiveArtery 2026, New York Live Arts Spring 2025), Deepe Darknesse (New York Live Arts’ Live Artery 2024; June 2023 at The Collapsable Hole; Nationally in DC, SF), 1-800-3592-113592 (March 2024 with performance collective CHILD), and many more. She and Engelstein are recipients of the 2025 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists in Dance. She is currently on the faculty of the Bard College dance department and teaches dance technique and composition. @lfdanceproblems

From @offerings_series earlier this spring when @lenaengelstein and I nearly lost our minds trying to say “ham” with a straight face. Somethings simply can’t be done. Photo by the genius @wlodarczyk

Make movement that speaks for itself. Physical Performance Practices with Lisa Fagan July 12-18 Theater and performance makers often think of movement in terms of “5, 6, 7, 8.” This workshop invites you to explore how you move in a far more expansive sense. Using scores, prompts, and compositional experiments, you will get deep into your body, unlocking its potential as sources of unique, unbridled creativity. At the core of this workshop is a commitment to finding curiosity, rigor, and joy in the body, so that you can develop, probe, and stretch theatrical ideas. Each day begins with a rigorous warm-up, and then the stage is set for a variety of exercises on your feet, as well as group discussions and reflections. You will have ample opportunity to generate new material—both individually and as a hydra-headed collaborative ensemble—as well as the chance to share work-in-progress. You may sweat! You may get tired! You may find yourself doing things you’ve never done before! We will work and rest—and hydrate—and have an extremely weird fun time. The beauty of a physical performance practice is that it makes space for extreme levels of play, failure, openness, and camaraderie. Prior training in physical theater or dance is not required. Comfort with exertion and risk-taking, however, is vital.

We’ve reached closing show of Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein’s “Friday Night Rat Catchers,” and with it, the finale of Live Artery 2026 💚💜 Congratulations to the artists, collaborators, and crew on an epic, sold out run as the finale of this year’s festival! More festival love and a full recap coming soon. For now, we celebrate! Photos by Maria Baranova @photo_by_baranova #newyorklivearts #nylivearts #liveartery #liveartery2026 #fridaynightratcatchers #lisafagan #lenaengelstein #dancetheater

Happy opening night of Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein’s “Friday Night Rat Catchers!” Our Live Artery 2026 finale 🎊 We are thrilled to welcome this spectacular work back to our theater for a sold out run! Call New York Live Arts’ Box Office at 212.924.0077 at 2pm daily to be added to the waitlist. Presented by Live Artery at New York Live Arts and co-commissioned by Under the Radar. Video by Nel Shelby Films @nelshelbyfilms Photo by Maria Baranova @photo_by_baranova #newyorklivearts #nylivearts #liveartery #liveartery2026 #fridaynightratcatchers #lisafagan #lenaengelstein #dancetheater

@lenaengelstein and @lfdanceproblems tell all! #UTR26 #UTRFest #UTR #UTROverUnder

Friday Night Rat Catchers is Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein’s signature blend of dance-adjacent movement madness and theatrical disorientation at Under the Radar as part of The Live Artery Festival. The year is 1976, the bassline drives, and the martinis never run dry. The contestants nearly lose their minds with the pleasure of being selected, but The Host (Marianne Rendón) has changed the game. Cement punctures the dancehall, the party grinds to a halt, and an inky night belches to the surface. What could go wrong? The stage sensation returns after a highly acclaimed world premiere for its second run at New York Live Arts (@nylivearts ). 🗓️ Jan 14-17 📍 Live Artery I New York Live Arts 🎟️ Purchase tickets and see access notes and content warnings in our bio. #UTR26 #UTRFest #LiveArtery2026 📸 - Maria Baranova, Courtesy New York Live Arts

This Could Be You (work in progress) at @dominopark last week! Thanks for having us! Here are some gorgeous shots from the visionary @photo_by_baranova Special thanks to @nileharris and @buchheistertheresa for bringing us on! And to @annabelthompson @ellpetha @publicassembly.nyc @devlins.nyc for their awesome support Bellow of love and awe to my collabopartner @lenaengelstein who is like an explosion of fearless energy in everything we ever do And to our friends who saved our butts and made us laugh when we were freakin out @catherinebrookman @milestooth

Some photos from the world premiere of Friday Night Rat Catchers at @nylivearts last week!!!! Photos by the one and only @photo_by_baranova THANK YOU AUDIENCES FOR COMING WE LOVE YOU VERY DEEPLY Thank you @nylivearts for presenting us and @msjanetwong for supporting us and what we’re up to 🪩🪨🪩🪨🪩🪨🪩 The time spent smashing my head together with my collaborators to make this show was one of the most profound experiences of my life. I am in awe of them. My collaborator/partner in every moment of this thing and all show and stage existence @lenaengelstein Our insanely talented collaborator, devising partner and performer @mariannerendon who can literally do anything And this simply out of control dream team of artists who made the show appear: @normandyraven costumes (for those who are asking, yes she did make the orange jumpsuit from scratch ;) @mashald27 light and disco ball orchestration @selectall sound and megaMic creator with @lolabasiliere @immcclou dramaturge but much more than that really and the one who taught me about swerves @jianjungnyc eye popping set design with @ecstatic_process @mxssbird prop in literally every single way including confectionary and rock (hire her to make food that looks like food but is made from melted jelly candy) @emmaorme creative producer of extraordinary skill and artistry Karl Allen production manager and late night rock hunter Daniel Nelson stage manager extraordinaire And so so many amazing friends who came into the studio and helped us for example @tartar.biz @dissentertainer @easybeinggreen @rflrfl @emmaorme JUST TO NAME A FEW Thank you!!!!!!

✨ Opening Night is HERE! ✨ “Friday Night Rat Catchers” takes the stage at New York Live Arts TONIGHT! 🎭🐀 If you haven’t locked in a ticket yet, there’s one last way in: our Saturday 3PM matinee still has seats! All other performances are SOLD OUT you can take a gamble and call the box office starting at 1pm on the day of to be added to the waitlist but it will be tight so there is no guarantee. Lisa Fagan, Lena Engelstein, and Marianne Rendón are bringing the unexpected to life, and trust us, you’ll want to witness it. 🎟️ Don’t wait—grab your seat for the matinee now at the link in bio. Photos by @photo_by_baranova

Lisa Fagan & Lena Engelstein sat down with the Bill T. to discuss the creative process behind their latest work, “Friday Night Rat Catchers” which makes its world premiere at Live Arts this month. They also explore the duo’s approach to making work, the roles dance, theater, and choreography play in their process and so much more. Watch the full conversation now on YouTube and see how these visionary artists are reshaping the boundaries of performance. Then, hit the link in bio to experience it for yourself at New York Live Arts. 📅 March 27-29, 7:30 PM 💬 March 28: Stay Late Conversation 🎟️ Tickets start at $30

Welcome to “Friday Night Rat Catchers”—the latest creation from Lisa Fagan & Lena Engelstein. The year is 1976, an irresistible bassline drives and the martinis never run dry. What could go wrong? A bridging dance and theater, this world premiere pushes movement to its limits, twisting and contorting the familiar into something thrillingly unexpected. Featuring performances by Fagan, Engelstein, and the mesmerizing Marianne Rendón, with mind-bending sound by Tei Blow, bold costumes by Normandy Sherwood, striking lighting by Masha Tsimring, and an immersive set by Jian Jung. 📅 March 27-29, 7:30 PM 💬 March 28: Stay Late Conversation 🎟️ Tickets start at $30 (Pay-What-You-Wish options available) 📍 New York Live Arts | 219 W 19th St Video by @nelshelbyfilms