Musical theatre production of 'Shelter' by Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang, about the scars of childhood and how pain distorts perception.
Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang bring their musical theatre production Shelter to Alphabet City on Tuesday, October 27. It's a staged performance presented by City of Asylum, and it builds on a showcase they held at the same venue last fall. The story follows Paige, who travels through a series of memories to confront her own role in what she's become, tracing the scars carried from childhood into adulthood and how pain can distort perception and damage relationships. It's a piece about childhood scars and self-determination.
Swensen wrote the book and lyrics, and Pang composed the music. Swensen began work on the show in 2020 and has collaborated with Pang since 2023. He's a faculty member at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University and the Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, with previous faculty posts at Brandeis, Hamilton, Wellesley, and Western Michigan. Pang is an Assistant Professor of Music at Point Park University; she blends Chinese folk traditions with Western operatic and music-theatre forms, and her work has appeared in international collections like the Contemporary Music Score Collection at UCLA. Together they've spent several years bringing this particular story to the stage.
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The performance runs from 7 PM to 9 PM at Alphabet City, City of Asylum's venue at 40 W. North Avenue in Pittsburgh. Tickets are free for both in-person and livestream options, so you can catch it from the room or from home.
