un/tethered
un/tethered is a performance trilogy exploring interdependence composed of three distinct parts: alone, mother, and together. Each of these pieces premiered in Denver & NYC over the course of 2024-2026, culminating in a durational, epic trilogy.
un/tethered is inspired by the work of prolific environmental scientists, eco-psychologists, indigenous communities, activists, writers, and others, and marries high quality performing arts with participation -- tasks incorporating environmental and psychological reflection, expression, and ritual. This partnership transforms the audience from removed spectator to empathetic participant. un/tethered is HOLDTIGHT’s most sustainable production to date, incorporating natural elements such as food-scrap dyed set pieces and costumes, reclaimed set materials and more. This piece has been developed with support from the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Arts and Venues, Denver Theater District, Denver Performing Arts Complex, CreateArt, and Carroll Hall.
A work in three parts
alone : un/tethered
alone is the inaugural live performance piece in the trilogy. Beginning as a solo and ending with the collective, this piece challenges the concept of isolation and individuality, suggesting an ever-present, albeit invisible, connection to the larger world.
Premiered December 2024 at the Byron Theatre at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, CO with support by the Newman Center Presents Series and the Denver Theater District. Additional development support by Carroll Hall and CreateART in NYC.
mother : un/tethered
mother — part art-documentary, part dance film — follows three female artists as they navigate deeply personal relationships to motherhood across the birth, life, and death cycle.
Premiering September 2026 in Denver, CO at the Sie FilmCenter.
Developed with support by Colorado Creates Grant, CreateART, and Carroll Hall.
together : un/tethered
together explores our ties to the world and each other. These tethers connect us, but can be altered, cut and reconnected. Weaving movement, live and original music, immersive theater, personal narrative, visual arts and participation, the audience is taken on an evocative journey to celebrate grief and joy.
Premiered in April 2024 at the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Arts Complex in Denver, Colorado with support by Denver Arts & Venues.
“In alone: un/tethered, HOLDTIGHT artistic director Gwendolyn Gussman transforms solitude from a daunting isolation into an empowering experience of interconnectedness. Performed solo in near-total darkness with mesmerizing live-looped vocals at the Newman Center last December, the piece evolves from introspective choreography to gentle audience interaction, exploring the delicate balance between solitude, loneliness and human connection. Enhanced by Nicholas Caputo’s immersive, womb-like soundscape and Maki Teshima’s metaphorical set design, the show encouraged reflection, guiding audiences toward communal catharsis via a series of dance pieces. This thoughtful installment in HOLDTIGHT’s ambitious un/tethered trilogy challenged and comforted, proving that sometimes the best antidote to loneliness is a collective embrace.”
303 Magazine (3/29/2024)
Onstage Colorado (4/5/2024)
Westword (12/4/2024)
Onstage Colorado (12/6/2024)
Presenting Denver (12/17/2024)
baker’s dozen (12/28/2024)