She Is Called is an original choral/theater production being developed for the stage by Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Over a multi-year artistic development process, the young artists of the Chorus are collaborating with established theater artists to present commissions by contemporary composers that address themes of gender and identity.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chorus presented first phase of the project, She Is Called: Dear Stranger, via a media-rich website experience. The website features newly commissioned choral works, as well as photos, recorded letters, and poetry from the singers, inspired by the songs’ themes and the singers’ perspectives/experiences.

The students developed the work with four theater artists – Janani Balasubramanian, Charlotte Brathwaite, Sunder Ganglani, and Tareke Ortiz – who, through ongoing workshops, collaborated with the Chorus to bring this ambitious project to life.