A Love Letter
AJ Juarez
Maurissa Powell, left, and Jamie England in 'A Love Letter.'
Maurissa Powell, left, and Jamie England in 'A Love Letter,' a coproduction of Theatre LILA and Barrio Dance, 2026.
Theatre LILA collaborates with the contemporary and hip-hop-inflected Madison dance company Barrio Dance for an experimental dance-theater production. It’s about love — but, like love itself, it takes unexpected turns and leads the audience into new places. Theatre LILA’s Jessica Lanius calls A Love Letter “immersive” and says that the new venue ART House 360, 401 W. Main Street in Verona, enhances that connection. Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday
media release: Theatre LILA has officially reopened in its new artistic home at ART House 360, earning rave reviews for its recent production of Planets as Stars by Gina Cornejo. Bringing intimate and immersive theatre to the Dane County region, Theatre LILA continues to demonstrate that its work offers an experience unlike any other.
Building on this momentum, Theatre LILA is now taking this approach in an exciting new direction through a collaboration with Barrio Dance. Their upcoming production, A Love Letter, is an experimental dance-theatre work that blends visceral movement, poetic storytelling, and live music. The new work weaves a non-linear narrative exploring the beautiful unpredictability and complexity of love.
Designed as a fully immersive experience, A Love Letter invites audiences directly into the heart of the experiment. Playful, tender, funny, and deeply human, this one-of-a-kind production promises an intimate and unforgettable evening of theatre.
“Theatre LILA truly lives up to its name as a laboratory in this production,” says Artistic Director Jessica Lanius. “Our actors, musicians, writers and dancers will experiment and devise a singular production that explores love through movement, song, and scene in an intimate and playful way.”
The production will take place in the ART House 360 Community Lounge, a space already serving as an incubator for artists and creative collaboration. Seating just 65 audience members, the venue is designed for connection, offering a raw intimacy that dissolves the boundary between performer and audience. At times, the environment will feel fluid placing attendees directly at the center of the action.
Evening Performances February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 7:00 PM
Matinee Performances February 7, 8, and 14, 15 at 2:00 PM
Tickets are $40. Due to the intimate nature of the performance and limited seating (65 audience members per show), advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets are available online at: theatrelila.com/tickets
Meet the Show’s Creators
The creators of A Love Letter bring together extensive professional experience from New York, Chicago, and beyond, now rooted in the Verona and Madison creative communities.
Jessica Lanius (Artistic Director, Director/Choreographer) - Jessica Lanius is a professional actor and director with over 20 years of experience working in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. A member of SAG and AEA/AFTRA, she brings her background in stage and screen performance along with physical theatre work into her directing for LILA. Her style is choreographic and deeply rooted in authenticity stemming from her work with renowned Meisner teachers William Esper and Maggie Flanigan. She has spent the last 22 years at the helm of Theatre LILA (first started in NYC) and has played a key role in developing Theatre LILA’s signature choreographic style of storytelling.
Jessica has also worked professionally as a director, actor & choreographer with area companies including: American Players Theatre, Forward Theater Co., CTM, Next Act, Four Seasons Theatre and she is currently part of the Theatre & Drama Teaching Faculty at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
AJ Juarez (Founder Barrio Dance, Co-Director/Choreographer – A Love Letter) - AJ Juarez is the founder and director of Barrio Dance, a lifelong dream inspired by his upbringing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Growing up immersed in vibrant neighborhood dance communities, AJ envisioned a space where artistry, support, and connection thrive—true to the meaning of “barrio,” or neighborhood.
AJ began his training in Latin ballroom before discovering a passion for lyrical jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, and contemporary dance. He studied at the Julio Bocca School of Musical Theatre and performed in productions of Applause and Aladdin on Argentina’s Broadway. His career includes work with Chet Walker’s Fosse company, featured performances on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, and choreography for Argentina’s Dancing with the Stars, Singing for a Dream, and Dreaming to Dance.I
n the United States, AJ has choreographed for commercials, Carnival in Los Angeles, and numerous Midwest productions. He currently choreographs throughout the Madison area, teaches in the UW–Madison Dance Department, and leads a thriving community at Barrio Dance
Cast of A Love Letter:
Actors and Dancers in this production include:
Jamie England, Jessica Lanius, Matt Reines, Erin McConnell, Madison Uphoff, Nicky Chier, Alyssa Frederick, Brady Wagner, Grace Albert, Nicole Beth Nelson, Allison Larsen, Maurissa Powell, Angelo Maltese
About Theatre LILA
Theatre LILA creates original, movement-based theatre that challenges perceptions and inspires profound human connection. Dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and developing bold new works, the company blends acting, dance, and live music into productions that are visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and always inventive. Learn more at theatrelila.com.
About Barrio Dance
Barrio means “neighborhood.”
Barrio Dance is a welcoming home for Madison’s dance community, offering styles ranging from hip hop and contemporary to heels. Its mission is to provide exemplary dance training and artistic leadership through drop-in classes and workshops in a supportive, dynamic environment where dancers of all ages and experience levels feel both challenged and encouraged. Learn more at barriodance.com
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