Fortitude and Gentleness (formerly What Do You Want to Be When You Give Up?)

Directed by Tucker Tab DeGregory. Written, Choreographed, and Conceived by Billy Siegenfeld. Produced by Jump Rhythm®.

“[This play] dares to tell – no, show – the struggles, frustrations, and needs of a woman trying desperately to reconcile her artistic self with her role as a mother and wife. I immediately thought to myself, ‘I know her.’ … It is their constant moving in and out of sync with one other, as all of us do with our colleagues, friends, lovers, spouses, and children, that makes this play both powerful and refreshing.”
— Kelly Malone Dudley, Dance Faculty at Longwood University and Randolph College

“Fortitude and Gentleness is a hidden gem, the type you pray to find when you go to the theater. It lets the audience in to an intimate, entertaining, and heartfelt world. For 90 minutes, it never misses a beat. In a theater landscape packed with spectacle and bells and whistles, the play bravely chooses to be simple and in that way personal … Its a theatrical triumph, unlike anything I’ve seen.”
— Bonnie Currie, Actor and Writer, and Neal Davidson, Actor and Producer

“Billy Siegenfeld and Jordan Batta have so much talent and electricity that it seems to spill out into the audience. Siegenfeld’s play, What Do You Want to Be When You Give Up?, is both a powerful and intimate piece that combines tender acting, beautiful singing, and explosive dance. To see two performers so magnificently attuned to each other is a delight … The play works its magic in a subtle and revelatory way; as the performers flit between delicate dances and riotous eruptions of funk and tap, so too does the conversation shift between the hilarious banalities of suburban life and the extraordinary potential for art to heal the broken parts of ourselves, especially in dark times. Do not miss an opportunity to see this show!”
— Kevin Fugaro, Actor

“This play and the dancing within it was one of the most memorable and original pieces of entertainment I have seen in years. A two actor play, an almost bare stage, and my first experience of [Jump Rhythm®] dance, was so moving that everything dropped out of my consciousness except me, the characters, and a few historical figures as we shared a rehearsal room and learning how to live. I only hope to see more!”
— Sam Harnish, audience member

“The piece’s greatest strength lies in its transparency; these actors know what they’re talking about because they live it. ‘What Do You Want to Be When You Give Up?’ reads as a timely meditation on hopelessness and isolation, ultimately suggesting that we’re never as alone as we may feel.”
— Frankie DiCiaccio, Performance Faculty, Northern Illinois University

“I loved this two-person tour de force of Fortitude and Gentleness that premiered at the Wirtz Center. Jane Austen gets drawn into the politics of today, as this literary play musical dance performance invites us to figure out how to engage with the world without burning up in our rage. Funny and compelling, using song, dance, and all-too identifiable (and hilarious) screeds against the politics of our time, this performance invites us to think.”
— Mary Jo Wenckus, audience member

 

Dance Nation

Directed by Kirsten Fitzgerald. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

“Northwestern’s Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts invites theater lovers back to the Evanston campus this summer to experience three vibrant works penned by some of the country’s best emerging and established talents as exceptional student performers work alongside leading professionals from Chicago and New York.

‘This year’s summer programming, our first summer back in-person since 2019, offers audiences a window into the next generation of talented performers coming out of Northwestern, while also telling funny, relevant and vital stories that speak to our world today,’ said Tanya Palmer, assistant dean and executive artistic director for Northwestern’s School of Communication.”
— from Stephen J. Lewis’ article in Northwestern Now

 

Bright Star

Directed and Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

“Communication junior and director Tucker Tab DeGregory said the show specifically resonated with him because it reminded him of his parents.

‘My mom is a female journalist, and I’ve been raised around that world, so I was immediately drawn to that,’ DeGregory said. ‘My dad is a drummer, so I was raised with a lot of folk music in my life. This is the perfect crossroads. It’s storytelling through song and telling stories about ordinary people in the shadows and in extraordinary circumstances.’

This personal connection to show was extremely important to DeGregory, and he said he hopes to empower others to work on art that moves them.”
— from Eugenia Cardinale’s article in North by Northwestern

 

Hello, Dolly!

Directed by Isabel Perry. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

“It’s about … trying to maintain those intimate and personal moments within the grand-scale image, and that can be really, really challenging for choreographers, but also exciting with a show like Dolly that is about one woman making a huge impact on a ginormous community.”
— Tucker Tab DeGregory, choreographer

See behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage and learn what made Hello, Dolly! the quintessential Dolphin Show in Harrison Tremarello's video for the The Daily Northwestern

 

Ragtime

Directed by Michael Herwitz. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

"Just got back from the show and I had to write to congratulate you immediately ... In short, it was superb! I was at Northwestern for 33 years and I believe I saw 33 Dolphin Shows. This was unquestionably the best ... The staging was seamless and lyrical with really beautiful stage pictures. ... Tucker’s choreography had infinite variety and made wonderful use of period dance styles and it was executed with total commitment. I’m running out of adjectives. Just know that you made something really beautiful and meaningful. Thank you for a brilliant production of my favorite musical!"
— Dominic Missimi, Jeff Award-winning director and theatre scholar

Read more about choreographing Ragtime in Carmen Fernandez's article for The Daily Northwestern

 

Winnie-the-Pooh

Directed by Nate Cohen. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

“‘We had the idea pretty early on that we wanted to significantly rearrange the music,’ Cohen said. ‘I got really excited about the idea of the actors themselves being the musicians. That way, the music was an extension of them, as opposed to something coming from the speakers.’

Cohen added that he hopes having the score performed by the actors will help audience members engage more with the musical. He said unlike a book or a movie, a live performance of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ requires actors to constantly interact with viewers, especially when the majority of the audience are children.”
— from Jacob Fulton’s article in The Daily Northwestern

 

Jasper In Deadland

Directed by Noah Watkins. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

Photos by Noah Frick-Alofs

"The choreography also goes beyond traditional musical theatre norms. Communication sophomore Tucker DeGregory said the choreography is less about structure and form, and is driven more by character. He said he drew on his personal background in hip hop and street dance to bring hard-hitting punk rock movement to the stage.

'Something that’s important to me with this show is to have the audience feel kinesthetic empathy, to feel like they want to get out of their seats and jump up and jive with us like they’re at a concert, or at a club,' DeGregory said."
— from Andrea Michelson's review in The Daily Northwestern

 

Stellaluna

Directed by Caitlin Lowans. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

 

The Cherry Orchard

Directed by Hassan Al Rawas. Choreographed by Tucker Tab DeGregory.

At the opening of Act 3, the protagonist hosts a rousing party to honor the family estate and raise her loved ones’ spirits. Our party scene revolved around traditional Lezginka dance, which is known for its social circle improvisation, flips, battles, and swan and sword vocabulary.

Read and hear about director Hassan Al Rawas’ personal connection to the play in the article and promotional video published on Northwestern Now.