Third Rail Projects

Third Rail Projects
TypeImmersive theater, dance, site-specific art, multimedia
IndustryPerforming Arts
Founded2001
Headquarters
New York City
,
US
OwnersZach Morris, Tom Pearson, Jennine Willett
Websitethirdrailprojects.com

Third Rail Projects is a multi-disciplinary American performing arts company that creates site-specific work, immersive theater, experiential performances and more.

Among more than 50 productions and projects, Third Rail Project's long-running show Then She Fell ran for 4,444 performances in New York City from 2012 to 2020.

Under the co-direction of Zach Morris, Tom Pearson and Jennine Willett, the company has received two Bessie Awards, a Chita Rivera Award for Dance and Choreography, and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience. Third Rail Projects was recognized as part of the creative team of the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning virtual reality adaptation of Wolves in the Walls. Morris, Pearson, and Willett were named among the "100 most influential people" in Brooklyn Culture by Brooklyn Magazine for their work with Third Rail Projects.

History

Founded as Third Rail Dance in 2001 by Tom Pearson, Brian Weaver and Jennine Willett, the company was reformed as Third Rail Projects when Zach Morris joined the group as co-artistic director with Pearson and Willett in 2005.

In 2008, Third Rail Projects' Vanishing Point, an evening-length dance exploration of family histories presented by Danspace Project, won Bessie Awards for choreography and music.

In 2012, Third Rail Projects presented Then She Fell, an immersive, site-specific work that incorporated dance and theater, drawing from the life and work of Lewis Carroll. It won a Bessie Award for outstanding production, was named as one of the “Top Ten Shows of 2012” by The New York Times and acclaimed as one of the best theater experiences of 2013 by Vogue. As of 2019, it had over 4,000 performances; production was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other notable productions include Sweet & Lucky, commissioned by Denver Center for the Performing Arts (2016); Learning Curve with Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) (2016); The Grand Paradise; As Time Goes By as part of the Global Performance Studio (2016); Between Yourself and Me presented by Dance Films Association (2017); Ghost Light, which won the Chita Rivera Award for Dance and Choreography (2018); the Peabody and Emmy-winning virtual reality adaptation of Wolves in the Walls by Fable Studio and Oculus, for which Third Rail Projects provided the choreography (2019); Midsummer: A Banquet, which was nominated for a Unique Theatrical Experience Drama Desk Award (2020); and Port of Entry, also with APTP (2023).

Productions

Since 2005, Third Rail Projects has produced over 50 shows and projects.

Highlights of productions and projects 2005-present

  • Screaming Shrubbery (2005)
  • REEL (2005)
  • Lacuna (2006)
  • Rub the Sleep (2007)
  • Strangers on Tong Chong Street (2007)
  • Vanishing Point (2008)
  • The Witness Project/Mesa 2.0 (2009)
  • Steampunk Haunted House (2009–2011)
  • Beautiful Dreamer (2010)
  • The One You Love is Sick (2010)
  • Drifting Encyclopedia (2010)
  • Undercurrents & Exchange (2010)
  • Looking Glass (2011)
  • Then She Fell (2012–2020)
  • Bathing Aiperi (2013)
  • Fountain (2013)
  • Marrow (2013)
  • Roadside Attraction (2014)
  • Recess (2014)
  • Anthem (2014)
  • Yolk (2014)
  • House No. 17 (2014)
  • Midnight Madness (2015)
  • Genuine Plastic Reliquaries (2015)
  • The Grand Paradise (2016)
  • As Time Goes By (2016)
  • The Last Boat (2016)
  • Sweet & Lucky (2016)
  • Learning Curve (2016)
  • Ghost Light (2017)
  • Between Yourself and Me (2017)
  • Grove (2017)
  • Wolves in the Walls (2018)
  • Medicine Show (2018)
  • Behind the City (2018)
  • Oasis (2019)
  • This Between Shadow (2019)
  • Stanzas (2019)
  • Confection (2019)
  • Midsummer: A Banquet (2019)
  • Ikaros (2019)
  • Adventure Lab (2020)
  • Return the Moon (2021)
  • The Night Garden (2022)
  • Port of Entry (2023-present)
  • UN-[TITLED] (2023)
  • Calder Moves (2023)
  • Yours to Lose (2024)
  • True Love Forever (2025)
  • Sweet and Lucky:Echo (2025)

Awards

Third Rail Projects has been the recipient of several awards, including two Bessie Awards, a Chita Rivera Award for Choreography; fellowship awards including two CEC Artslink Back Apartment Residencies (Russia), a Theater Fellowship from the Bogliasco Foundation (Italy), and an artist residency from The Emily Harvey Foundation (Italy); a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation and Development Fund award; and others. Third Rail Projects was recognized as part of the creative team of the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning virtual reality adaptation of Wolves in the Walls.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Knopf, Robert (2017). The Director as Collaborator. New York: Taylor & Francis. pp. 148–162. ISBN 9781315656946. We began as 'Third Rail Dance' in 2001, when Tom Pearson, Brian Weaver and I [Jennine Willett] started self-producing our work and renting theater space to present our repertory dance concerts. Along the way, we met Zach Morris, a director who was making his own multi-disciplinary work in New York... In 2004, Brian moved to Milan and decided to stay permanently. In 2005, Zach officially joined our group in his stead and we changed the name to 'Third Rail Projects
  2. 1 2 Horwitz, Andy (September 16, 2008). "BESSIES!!!". Culturebot. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Peterson, Tyler (October 9, 2013). "THEN SHE FELL Wins Bessie for Outstanding Performance, Celebrates First Anniversary". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Rosky, Nicole (May 20, 2018). "Who Won Big at the 2018 Chita Rivera Awards? - Full List of Winners!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Seymour, Lee (April 21, 2020). "2020 Drama Desk Awards: Complete List Of Nominees". Forbes. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Congratulations to Fable Studio and 'Wolves in the Walls' on Their Emmy Win for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media". Oculus.com. August 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Lucy and the Wolves in the Walls - The Peabody Awards". April 8, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ "THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN BROOKLYN CULTURE". Brooklyn Magazine. March 1, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  9. ↑ Tran, Diep (December 24, 2015). "Immersive Theater's Next Stop: A Sexy '70s Fantasy Island". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ Sulcas, Roslyn (July 1, 2012). "This Ruminative Funeral Moves to a Country Beat". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  11. ↑ Brantley, Ben (December 16, 2022). "Ben Brantley's Top 10 of 2012". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Vogue's Guide to 2013's Best Films, Books, Music, Art, Theater, and TV". Vogue. December 12, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ Fujishima, Kenji (July 1, 2019). "Then She Fell to Celebrate 4,000th Performance on July 5". Theatermania.com. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  14. ↑ "In the News: London's Bridge to Reopen With Ralph Fiennes in David Hare Play, a Starry Righteous Reading, More... Plus: The long-running, immersive Off-Broadway hit Then She Fell has closed permanently". Playbill. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
  15. ↑ Ostrow, Joanne (May 16, 2016). "Denver native Zach Morris returns with performance art "Sweet & Lucky"". The Denver Post. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  16. ↑ Reid, Kerry (October 21, 2016). "Teaching Moments in Albany Park's 'Learning Curve'". American Theatre. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  17. ↑ Brantley, Ben (January 31, 2016). "Review: 'The Grand Paradise' Summons a '70s Pleasure Palace". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  18. ↑ McClanathan, Emily (August 2, 2023). "A Warehouse Becomes a Home in 'Port of Entry'". American Theatre. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Works". Third Rail Projects. September 21, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025.