With opener Wolftrap



Martha’s Vineyard singer-songwriter and producer Meredith Sheldon brings her signature blend of grungy pop, shimmering indie rock, layered harmonies, and dreamy synths to the Playhouse stage, in celebration of her latest album, Once We Were Dust.

The craziest stuff happens to the funniest person in the psych ward in this solo show one theater reviewer called "shockingly funny" and "refreshingly honest" during its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Buckle up for a twisted ride through OCD, an epic breakup, a major breakdown, coming out, and—just possibly—learning how to drive. Ellie Brelis may be scared of crashing a car, but she has no fear of crashing out.

Written in 2020 during a mental health crisis, hospitalization, and six months of intensive treatment, this critically acclaimed, international award-winning play brings actor, playwright, and chaotic creative Ellie Brelis back to the stage at Martha's Vineyard Playhouse.

Written and Performed by: Ellie Brelis

Directed by: Leif Moore

Please note that this play discusses mental illness, suicidal ideation, and substance use. It may not be suitable for all viewers.

Total program runtime: 51 min.

Ten international dance films bring filmmakers and choreographers together in a dynamic exploration of movement, emotion, and expression. Spanning intimate encounters, family conflict, human and robotic collaboration, competition, crowds, memory, and joy, these films transform movement through imaginative perspectives, diverse environments, and innovative visual storytelling. Live performances by Island dancer and Built on Stilts Dance Festival co-founder and director Abby Bender and friends will be woven throughout the screening, creating a unique convergence of dance on screen and in the room.

Short dance films in this program:

A Kiss

Dir. Jacob Sutton | U.K. | 2021 | 2 min. 

Spoken Movement Family Honor

Dir. Daniel Gurton | U.K. | 2025 | 10 min.

Man in the City

Dir. Barbara Anastacio | U.S. | 2025 | 2 min. 

Naval Ode (Ode Marítima)

Dirs. Magalie Lanriot and Roel Q Seeber | Portugal | 2024 | 6 min.

JA Robot Club

Dirs. Jordan Johnson and Aidan Carberry | U.S. | 2025 | 2 min.

Goal

Dir. Bear Damen | Netherlands | 2022 | 7 min.

MASS

Dirs. Fu Le and Adrien Gontier | France | 2018 | 10 min. 

Plume

Dirs. Beren D’Amico and Francisco Cruz | 2021 | 5 min.

Vestiges

Dir. Marcus Eriksson | Canada | 2026 | 5 min. 

Podium

Dir. Dor Averbuch | Israel | 2025 | 2 min.

After the screening, bring your stomping selves downstairs at the Grange Hall, for a line-dancing class led by Jill Gross

This program pairs a short dance film with a feature-length documentary exploring intimacy, identity, and the places where people come together. David Hinton’s Touched transforms an ordinary night out into an intimate choreography of bodies, faces, and touch, while Last Dance At The Sundance Stompede celebrates the vibrant LGBTQ+ community of a beloved San Francisco country-western bar as it closes after nearly three decades. Together, the films offer two distinct portraits of dance and nightlife, from the fleeting encounters of a London bar to the lasting legacy of a cherished queer gathering place.

Touched
Dir. David Hinton | U.S. | 1991 | 14 min. 

Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede
Dir. Graham Clayton-Chance | U.S. / U.K. | 2026 | Documentary | 50 min.

Led by composer, singer, and harpist Thistle Jemison, THISTLE creates haunting, cinematic chamber-folk music at the intersection of South Indian classical, Western classical, jazz, and folk traditions. Performed by a trio of classically trained musicians, Jemison’s original through-composed scores weave harp, voice, and orchestral instrumentation into an immersive musical landscape with stories drawn from literature, poetry, and dark fairy tales.

THISTLE’s 2019 debut album, The Ice Maiden Comes, transformed eleven Hans Christian Andersen stories into original songs, while the forthcoming Mysterious Star: A Tribute to Poe brings the haunting work of Edgar Allan Poe to song, including “The Raven” and “Spirits of the Dead.” Described by Chamber Music America as “beautiful, unique, and hypnotic,” THISTLE's music seeks to evoke mystery, wonder, and a sense of the spiritual world beyond the veil.