KINGSTON, R.I. – May 4, 2026 – Rhode Island’s preeminent professional ballet company is partnering with University of Rhode Island Assistant Theatre Professor Rachel Walshe to create and bring an original dance adaptation of a notable work in American theatre to multiple local stages.
Walshe and Ballet Rhode Island are teaming up to produce “Machinal – A Dance of Defiance,” transforming Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 landmark play from a language-dense production into an original work of ballet. The production is part of Ballet RI’s 48th anniversary schedule and will be at Ballet RI’s Hope Street location in Providence from Thursday, May 7, through Sunday, May 10, and then at the URI J Studio within the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road on the Kingston Campus from Thursday, May 14, through Sunday, May 17.
“It’s huge; it’s a landmark partnership between Ballet Rhode Island and the University,” Walshe said. “We have never partnered to produce an original piece of work that will tour and live beyond the performances that we present to our campus community.”
The collaboration with Ballet RI follows the URI Department of Theatre’s theatrical production of “Machinal,” which was presented last October for an eight-show run. Treadwell’s play is inspired by the true-crime case of Ruth Snyder, the first woman to be executed by electric chair at Sing Sing Prison in New York for murdering her husband.
“Machinal – A Dance of Defiance” will tell the story of a woman caught in the cold machinery of modern life within a male-dominated society: her body controlled, her voice ignored, her choices not her own. Through stylized choreography and haunting rhythms, this adaptation will remove dialogue to reveal the raw, physical truth of one woman’s rebellion.
“Machinal has an iconic identity in the theatrical canon. It’s a fiercely feminist piece of drama that is a landmark example of early American expressionism,” Walshe said. “It is as adventurous in form as it is in content – presented with a focus on rhythm, movement, and jarring stage pictures. Although it is certainly very much of its time (1930s urban America), its themes of women’s rights and the oppressive nature of a technology-saturated existence are as alive and relevant today as they were 100 years ago.”
“Machinal is as urgent today as when it was first written. With this world premiere, the first ballet adaptation ever, we bring its emotional and societal pressures into a raw, physical form,” Ballet RI Executive Director Kathleen Breen Combes said. “In doing so, we invite audiences to confront the timeless tension between individuality and the forces that seek to contain it.”
Continuing a passion
Walshe’s connection to “Machinal”dates back to when she directed the play for her Master of Fine Arts thesis at DePaul University in Chicago. She is reconnecting with Ballet RI after working together on an adaptation of Sleeping Beauty in 2023.
Walshe’s creative focus will be on transforming a piece of dialogue-driven art to a story being told through dance and movement. She says bringing art in a new direction opens up several creative opportunities for choreography composition storytelling.
“For me, it has much to do with its experimentation with the new type of performance, which is theatrical ballet,” Walshe said. “I think that’s where I am as excited about injecting ballet into theater as Ballet RI is injecting theater into their form.”
While Ballet RI dancers will choreograph and perform “Machinal – A Dance of Defiance,”Walshe says URI theatre students will be involved in the production process. For example, Kayla Kennedy, a URI junior, will be on board in a management role and serve as a student liaison to make the production a seamless transition, Walshe says.
Students will also serve as backstage crew members and house management for this year’s production, Walshe says. She also noted that the noir expressionistic genre and style of “Machinal – A Dance of Defiance” will push Walshe’s students in ways they have not been pushed before.
“Machinalis considered one of the most important pieces of American expressionism, so it’s in a style that the students don’t encounter a lot of,” Walshe said. “That was something I thought would be a really great learning opportunity for my students—my actors, my directors and my designers—to be part of.”
Walshe also hopes to continue partnering with Ballet RI on future productions and have the performing arts group highlight the creative community within Washington County.
“Through this ballet, we hope area residents will engage with the great art community that is here at URI. Such engagement will elevate our space and our program as we continue to partner with other fabulous local professional artists,” Walshe said.
“Machinal – A Dance of Defiance” runs May 14-16 at 7 p.m., and May 16 and 17 at 1:30 p.m. in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $57 per person, including fees. Student tickets are $25 by using the promo code “STUDENT25.” The production is recommended for mature audiences. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Ballet Rhode Island’s website.