When we think about theater, we often picture actors on stage, live and in the moment, engaging with an audience. But Autumn Knight, a New York-based artist, is pushing the boundaries of what we consider “live” performance in her upcoming work, Autumn Knight Live at the Walker, 2025. This performance challenges traditional notions of theater by dissolving the lines between screen and stage, offering a new, innovative take on the nature of “liveness.”
A New Kind of Theater: Real-Time Performance, Streaming, and Interaction
Taking place at the Walker Art Center’s McGuire Theater from February 20–22, 2025, Knight’s production will blur the boundaries of live performance and digital media. Building on her experiments with streaming during the COVID-19 lockdown, Knight and her production team will film, edit, and broadcast the performance in real-time from the McGuire Theater to the Walker Cinema. This approach will give the audience an experience unlike any other, one that raises questions about the very essence of what it means to be present in the theater. Is something “live” if it is streamed? Can technology enhance our understanding of performance? Knight’s work invites us to reconsider these questions and challenges our assumptions about theater, storytelling, and the digital age.
A Deep Dive into Power and Behavior
Knight’s interdisciplinary approach to performance is centered on exploring and unsettling entrenched power dynamics and societal norms. Her work consistently probes our perceptions of behavior, identity, and authority. In Autumn Knight Live at the Walker, 2025, she will continue to explore these themes, pushing the audience to confront the complexities of power, control, and how we engage with performance itself.
This is more than just a performance—it’s a provocative investigation into how art can challenge the status quo, break down barriers, and engage with audiences in new, unexpected ways. Knight’s work invites the audience to be not just passive observers, but active participants in questioning the structures that govern both society and art.
Reimagining the Future of Theater
Autumn Knight Live at the Walker is part of the Out There 2025: The Future of Theater, Today series—an annual celebration of revolutionary theater that reimagines the boundaries of live performance. This event is about more than just watching a show; it’s about being part of an evolving conversation about the future of theater. Out There asks, What new ways do we have to tell stories? How can theater be reimagined? Knight’s innovative approach is the perfect example of this bold exploration into the future of the art form.
Get Your Tickets
Don’t miss the chance to experience this groundbreaking performance that redefines what it means to be “live.” Tickets for Autumn Knight Live at the Walker start at just $15, fees included, and are available now.
This is more than a show—it’s an invitation to witness the future of theater as it unfolds right before your eyes.