An Immersive Stage Show based on the game of Chess
QUARREL is an interactive theatrical experience centered around a life-size, real-time chess match on a 24' x 24' chessboard stage that features musical numbers by 16 singing stilt walkers, audience participation as the pawns, and a storyline set in the divided kingdoms of Light and Dark that adapts with gameplay.
We immerse participants in the narrative, asking them to choose sides and confront our Collective Concept of Conflict, ultimately highlighting the profound sameness of us all.
THE MUSIC
The music features an ensemble cast of talented NYC performers and reflects the earnestness of our heroes as they grapple with enemies, without and within, on their bloodstained journey of conquest and triumph.
Once there existed a great civilization powered by the alchemy between the worshippers of the Light, who mined gold deep in the golden forest caves and the worshippers of the Dark, who extracted mercury from the blackened volcanic mountains creating unlimited free energy.
Together they achieved wondrous things, traveling the stars and living peacefully together in harmony. But eventually power corrupted and a wedge of hatred was driven between the two sides that grew until the entire civilization crumbled amidst a bloody medieval war.
And so It would come to pass that, after generations of this endless war, the King and Queen of Light and the King and Queen of Dark would each bear a son who would eventually come to meet and against all odds, a kinship would blossom between them.
From centuries of hate, a love is born. But this love may be short lived, for the reigning kings have slain each other on the battlefield this day leaving their heirs to take up the mantle and continue the fight.
Now, these tragic lovers must choose to face each other in battle or defy the will of their people and try to find a way to love.
THE FORMAT
QUARREL is formatted like a stage variety show with a Host facilitating the sequence of events and the acts.
SEQUENCE
First the Host introduces show and players (chosen prior to show) followed by a big OPENING NUMBER.
Once the Pieces are in their spots, The Host chooses audience pawns who join the board.
Then, the GAME begins with performance acts triggered by gameplay and played until it is won by either the Light or Dark.
This leads into our big WINNING SIDE FINALE and Outro party
THE INTERTWINING PLOTS
The primary narrative revolves around the two newly crowned princes, who are in love but must go to battle for their warring kingdoms. A classic Romeo and Romeo Storyline.
Secondary plot lines include the queen mothers and their journey from seething rage and grief at their husbands demise, to realizing the error of their ways. They are also given some comic relief with their passive aggressive yet regal royal court feud.
Comic relief also comes by way of the chaos of disoriented audience members turned pawns, being used as a feature with silly games to keep them engaged and lighten the mood in various ways.
Additional plot lines include the bishops, envisioned here as high priestesses with magic, andl the Rooks, envisioned here as fairy nymphs who have been transformed into rock monsters. upon their capture they are reeleased,. emerging as a scantily clad performer in a burlesque-style reveal.
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Here we imagine Light and Dark not as good or bad, but as two sides of the same coin. Complimentary and balanced in nature, equally capable of greatness and fallibility.
THE COSTUMES
The Quarrel Costumes feature detailed foam armor, intricate headpieces and custom robes befitting a futuristic medieval kingdom. The traditional chess pieces have been re-imaged as fully fleshed out characters with goals and character arcs.
QUARREL takes place on a 24x24" Chessboard Stage and a smaller, central stage where the show is presented with musical accompaniment. The Band Stage is centered at the back with a fabricated design highlighting the divide between Light and Dark.
In the full version, the Chessboard Stage is flanked by two "Hands of Fate" art installations, representing the Dark and Light, upon which players stand to call out their chess moves. Alternatively, the players call their moves from the band stage. .
Quarrel is best viewed from elevated seating such as bleachers or and in a Thrust Stage where the audience is surrounding three sides with band stage against the back. such as bleachers or give the space a gladiator colosseum feel where people can witness the spectacle of the show.
Depending on the venue, Quarrel is ideally accessed through two mysterious doors labeled “ The Light” and “The Dark”. This leads them down one of two passageways (or through rooms) where they are indoctrinated in their chosen path with decor, audio/performances that proselytize the way of the dark or light.
Here we imagine Light and dark not as good or bad, but as two sides of the same coin, the light representing joyous celebration and the dark representing serious meditation as equal but opposite access to transformation and enlightenment.
Projected blueprint
(adaptable)
CAST (subject to change)
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Phase One Costumes - Prototypes for the King and Queen.
Kelvin Daly
Music Director
Kelvin Daly is a musician, performer, and multi instrumentalist who designs and builds his own new musical instruments. He specializes in creating music for situations, often sculpting in real time living soundtracks for theatre, performance art, dance, poetry, and other often interactive scenarios.
As a musician, he primarily creates music with his own inventions, specializing in electric bowed string instruments but also including varieties of wind, percussion, and other instruments as well as abstract sound makers. He has over 20 years of experience creating musical instruments and studying the instruments and performing arts of the world. Kelvin is currently based in New York City and performs regularly within multiple communities there.
Cassidy Haley
Director and Host
Founder Cassidy Haley, with a background in fashion and circus arts, has created a world of captivating characters and avant-garde costumes that complement his love of story and show, bringing a fantastical experience to any event, production, or wardrobe.
Heather Mo’Witz
Light Queen Mother
Heather Mo’Witz is an actor, poet, multidisciplinary performance artist, and the face behind Spicy Elmo.
Heather has appeared in productions at Nancy Manchurian’s the cell theatre and Midnight Radio Show. You can find her performing regularly with the clown troupe Fou York, the Poetry Brothel, and The Idiot’s Hour.
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Renée Renata Bergan
Dark Queen Mother
Renata is a versatile performer—bellydancer, stilt walker, clown, percussionist, singer, fire dancer and actor. A member of numerous troupes and bands - Desert Sin, Alchemy, Sherita, Enchanted, Stilt Brigade and Fou York - she has captivated audiences in theaters and festivals across NYC and internationally.
Niko Kaim
Light Prince King
Niko Kaim is a New York City–based performer working across musical theatre and burlesque in NYC’s nightlife scene, with appearances at House of Yes, Club Cumming, and The Eagle. His theatre credits include Swing in Madagascar The Musical (UK & International Tour), Love Story (Cadogan Hall), Holland America Line (RWS Entertainment Group), Bobby Strong in Urinetown (Cider Mill Playhouse), and Link in Hairspray (Flynn Theatre).
Mark “Ozzie” Osmundsen
Dark Prince King
Mark “Ozzie” Osmundsen, is a Brooklyn-based performer signed with MSA Agency. Recent credits include playing a stilt-walking Ventian Clown in Apple TV's Your Friends and Neighbors and the principle role in Netflix’s Bridgerton LIVE NYC show, as well as with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet in productions such as Samson et Dalila, Salome, and Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute. He is the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his ensemble work with Company XIV, and is a 2026 Glam-nominee for Best Burlesque Artist. He has shot commercials for Spotify, Colgate, Austrian Airlines, Reese’s, and Foxwoods Casino and holds a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College.
Raven Iridescent
Lighting Director
Raven Iridescent is a New York–based lighting designer and visual artist known for creating immersive environments
through lighting and set design. Blending technology with creative storytelling, Raven’s work transforms spaces into
living experiences.
With roots in theatrical production and NYC nightlife design, Raven has become a sought-after creative force within
New York’s immersive and circus-inspired performance scene.
Raven’s approach is both artistic and architectural: balancing dynamic color systems, thoughtful contrast, and spatial
awareness to elevate performances, installations, and built environments. His work spans live entertainment,
experiential nightlife, architectural lighting concepts, and site-specific installations—often incorporating
programmable systems, sculptural elements, and evolving color palettes.
Raven collaborates with venues, developers, artists, and communities to design lighting systems that are
expressive, transformative, and human.
Beyond the stage, Raven is also the creative mind behind The Vibrary Inn, a boutique, themed short-term rental in
the mountains, where immersive lighting and design transport guests into dreamlike worlds. This hospitality project
reflects Raven’s broader philosophy: that thoughtfully designed light can shift energy, invite presence, and create
moments of wonder. Illuminating spaces not just to be seen, but to be felt.
Jaclyn Atkinson
Installation Director
Jaclyn Atkinson (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist and event producer whose work spans illustration, printmaking, and participatory design. Rooted in their degree of communication design, their practice explores interstitial spaces from art forms to communities, using whimsy and play to foster connection and shared experience.
They create collaborative installations and events that invite public participation and meaningful engagement within festival/party to civic contexts.
TEAM