Hatchery presents ASTEROID B612
“Finding Their Voice: How Western Mass Teens Are Creating a New Kind of Performance Art”
What happens when you hand a group of teens the creative reins—and invite them to collaborate with professional artists as equals?
You get HATCHERY: The Young Artist Performance Project—and this spring, a bold new original work: Asteroid B-612: A Love Story. Young artists making real work about being human right now
Inspired by The Little Prince, Asteroid B-612 is more than a performance—it’s a glimpse into the inner worlds of young people navigating love, loneliness, imagination, and connection in an ever-expanding universe. Created by teens ages 13–18 alongside the Hatchery Pit Band and guest artists, the work weaves dance, live music, and visual storytelling into an inspiring and inventive theatrical experience.
We would love to connect you with teen performers, parents, and the artistic team for interviews. Their stories reveal how the arts can shape identity, support mental health, and build meaningful community at a moment when young people need it most.
Performances:
Friday, June 12 at the 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 13 at 2 PM & 7:30 PM
A.P.E.’s Workroom Theater, 33 Hawley St, Northampton
Tickets + Info: LINK
Press Contact: info@scdtnoho.com | scdtnoho.com
At the center of this story are the teens themselves—young artists from Northampton, Amherst, Greenfield, Springfield, Holyoke, and across the Pioneer Valley. They come to Hatchery seeking connection, challenge, and a place to be fully seen. What they find is a creative home where their ideas lead the way.
One student describes Hatchery as “the place I learned to trust my voice.”
Another shares: “This is where I realized I could create something that matters.”
In Asteroid B-612, these artists premiere original works shaped by their own questions and experiences, in collaboration with professional artists including Ashirah Devi Dalomba, Katherine Kain, and Jennifer Polins, with special guest artists Sakina Ibrahim (Springfield/LA) , Gabriella Carmichael (Brooklyn/Northampton) and Erik Elizondo (Mexico/America). The result is a vivid portrait of young people as thinkers, makers, and leaders—curious, courageous, and deeply engaged with the world around them.
This year’s cast includes youth who:
compose and perform original music as part of the Hatchery Pit Band
create choreography rooted in identity, storytelling, and relationship
build confidence and leadership through collaborative creation
For many families, Hatchery offers mentorship, stability, and belonging. For the teens, it’s a rare opportunity to create work that feels urgent, personal, and entirely their own.
We hope you’ll consider covering Asteroid B-612: A Love Story—a powerful and timely story about how young people in Western Massachusetts are using the arts to make meaning, build community, and imagine new ways of being together.
