“Judith, Deliver Us is a folk musical reimagining of the Book of Judith and is set in a fictional 1920s coal town. The musical focuses on themes of autonomy of person and place, fair labor practices, and gender roles.” from the official press release

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing a wonderful musical by Hannah Gregory. It was my first time photographing theatre and let me tell you, I AM HOOKED. It was so inspiring to witness actors in their element. It is an art form that blows me away. To be able to step into another role, another world, and make it believable is a true talent. I spent two days photographing the dress rehearsal, and getting a behind the scenes peek at the way everything comes together was fascinating. I tend to ask a lot of questions when I get to discover something new, especially when I have the chance to witness an artist’s process. Everyone was so friendly and open to my curiosity. I am grateful to have met so many kind new friends.

Hannah has been working on this musical for over two years. Seeing it come together and sell out every night was really exciting. We had been in talks for months about how to collaborate since we share similar aesthetics, and documenting the musical through my dreamy, filtered lens felt like the perfect fit.

Photographing theatre reminded me of photographing music, watching the light and movement, following the emotion, and sometimes catching unpredictable moments speaks deeply to me. I started my photography career with music, and this experience felt like reigniting that flame within me.

Judith, Deliver Us is an empowering story loosely based on the story of Judith in the Bible. It is about reclaiming power from greedy people who want to drain both the land and its people. The theme “by any means necessary” rang true, as in the musical Judith used the power of seduction to seek revenge for her broken heart and for her community. I was so moved by the rehearsal that I ended up attending the show as an audience member, and it brought me to tears. I truly hope this musical gets another run, many more runs so that more people can experience it.

A few behind the scenes and in between. I am so grateful to have met these amazing artist! Thank you for everything.