The Fendrick Theatre Fund supports artists who bring fresh ideas to the stage and share important stories.
This year, the award goes to Avye Alexandres, an artist known for blending theater, video, and sound to tell powerful stories.
Her project, Compass, explores women’s independence and human connection in a way that is both creative and emotional.
Here’s everything you need to know about Avye and her powerful project.
- The David R. Fendrick Theatre Fund honors visionary theater projects, spotlighting artists like Avye Alexandres who push creative boundaries.
- Avye’s project, Compass, combines live performance with multimedia art to explore themes of autonomy, societal expectations, and human connection.
- Compass will debut in Buffalo in 2025, following years of development supported by grants and collaborations.
The Fendrick Theatre Fund
The David R. Fendrick Theatre Fund celebrates creativity in theater and helps artists in Western New York bring their ideas to life.
This special grant was created to honor David R. Fendrick (1941-1988), a talented actor, director, and writer whose contributions greatly influenced the local arts community.
He is remembered for his incredible performances, including a one-man show that became Buffalo’s longest-running theatrical production.
Every two years, the fund supports a theater project that is bold and fresh, especially those that amplify voices often left out of traditional storytelling.
This year, the winner of the grant is Avye Alexandres, an artist who uses theater and multimedia to create new and meaningful experiences.
Her project, Compass, is a powerful exploration of human connection and women’s independence.
Who Is Avye Alexandres?
Avye Alexandres is an artist whose work blends many creative forms, including theater, photography, and experimental film.
She was born in Athens, Greece, and moved to the United States when she was seven.
Her art explores identity, human connection, and personal stories, making her work deeply thoughtful and emotional.
Avye has earned many achievements in her career.
She completed an MFA in Art and Emerging Practices from the University at Buffalo, where she received a Techné Institute Project Grant and a Morris Arts Scholarship.
She also earned a BFA in Theatre Studies from Southern Methodist University, focusing on directing and solo performance.
Her art has been featured in galleries and exhibitions across the United States, Mexico, and Berlin.
Over time, her work has grown to include immersive sculptures, experimental storytelling, and participatory installations.
Each project is designed to make audiences think and feel deeply.
What Is Compass About?
Compass is a project that combines live theater with video and sound to create a unique storytelling experience.
It tells the story of four women as they face the challenges of leaving home and making decisions about their lives.
The project explores themes like independence, safety, and the expectations society places on women.
The production uses live performances along with a four-channel video installation to let the audience see the story from different points of view.
This immersive setup helps viewers feel more connected to the characters and their experiences.
Through a mix of storytelling, movement, and sound, Compass creates a rich and emotional experience for everyone watching.
The theme of autonomy, or personal freedom, is at the heart of the project.
It looks at people’s struggles when balancing independence with the pressures and limitations of the world around them.
Compass raises important questions that encourage viewers to think about their own lives and relationships.
How Compass Was Created
The development of Compass has been a long and creative process, beginning more than six years ago.
The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), through the Buffalo International Film Festival, provided early funding for the project.
This funding helped the team build the story’s foundation and experiment with sound, working with composer Francisco Corthey.
Avye has also worked with a talented group of collaborators.
Marissa Graves is a development partner, and Johnette “Ja” Warren-Askew and Rachelle Toarmino contributed as writers and actors.
Together, they have helped shape the characters and refine the storytelling.
In 2024, the project moved into its pre-production phase, supported by fiscal sponsorship from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and funding from the Tri-M Foundation.
This phase focuses on casting diverse actors and developing the visual and audio elements of the performance.
Compass will premiere in Buffalo in late 2025, with a preview event planned for Spring 2025.
This early showing will let the community see how the project is coming together and give them a chance to engage with its themes.
