“As a person and as an artist, Rusty Tennant is a guy who makes his living wearing his heart on his sleeve and fighting for what is right and he's got the battle scars to prove it.” -Bobby Bermea

ARTIST BIO
Rusty Tennant is the Artistic Director of Fuse Theatre Ensemble. They have an MFA in Directing and Performance from the University of New Orleans. Rusty serves as the Technical Director at Reed College and is also the Producing Artistic Director of The OUTwright Theatre Festival, a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ contribution to theatre that is held annually in Portland, OR.

Founded on the concepts of inclusion and sustainability, Tennant's work focuses on the Queer canon, original solo-work, and investigating classics through a contemporary lens. From the onset, their work has centered people who traditionally find themselves on the periphery of theatre. Rooted in the movement techniques of Viewpoints, Suzuki, Laban, contemporary and classical dance, their work aims to evoke a musical and visceral experience for audience and performer alike. Their years of experience in technical theatre have made clear the massive amount of waste in contemporary professional theatre, so their aesthetic has developed to provide audiences with visually and aurally appealing and inventive productions while maintaining strict sustainability measures. Their artistry has garnered prestigious local and national awards.

Vivian Knezevich is a poet and proud lesbian residing in Portland Oregon. She writes about the joys & struggles of being queer, recovering from mental illness and the crushing weight of being human.

Listen to this interview with Host, Bobby Bermea and hear a selection of Vivian's original poems. “Like her poetry, Vivian Knezevitch is an always fascinating, at times startling, alchemical mixture of humor and rage, vulnerability and courage, pain and wisdom. Vivian's willingness to live loudly on her skin is what makes her a perfect guest on a podcast and an inspiration in real life.”