PETE presents:

by heart 

January 29-31, 2027

Venue: CoHo Theatre (2257 NW Raleigh)

Tickets coming soon!

Alone and unbound, she (without a name) wanders, counting. Guided only by the echoes of old songs, and the steady flow of her blood, she must discover how to live before her time runs out. An ode to teachers, mentors, and bodily intuition, by heart collects the knowledge that unfurls in isolation, evolving a world from memory and the lessons that gather directly beneath the skin.

Credits:

Olivia Mathews - Creator/Performer

Joellen Sweeney - Creator/Performer

Amelia Sommer - Creator/Director

About PETE Presents:

PETE Presents is an initiative that supports the production and presentation of new work by emerging artists. The program provides resources including artistic mentorship, space for tech and performance, box office, marketing, and funding to support the creation and presentation of performance that aligns with PETE’s mission. Artists are invited to participate on an annual basis and are typically have graduated from PETE’s ICP Program in Contemporary Performance.

More about the artists:

Olivia Mathews (she/they) is a performer, director, deviser, teacher based in Portland, OR. Olivia’s work is process focused, rigorous, expressive and devoted to collaboration as a means of practicing community and self-advocacy. Favorite performance credits include X (Third Rail), Stilt and From A Hole in the Ground (Corrib Theatre), Dancing on the Sabbath and Forbidden Fruit (Shaking the Tree), Hindsight 2020 (Risk/Reward), ENDURANCE the boat, the show (CoHo). Favorite directing credits include Precipice (Third Rail) and The Americans (PETE). Olivia also holds a certification from the Institute for Contemporary Performance, where her passion for this work was ignited, and is honored to be bringing by heart to life with PETE’s support and mentorship.

Joellen Sweeney (she/her) is a theatre artist, vocalist and writer. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Joellen loves to create and support artistic experiences where the natural world is centered – her work draws inspiration from ecology, natural history and myth. She was most recently seen at PETE as Sonya in Uncle Vanya. She has also performed locally with Shaking the Tree Theatre (Dancing on the Sabbath, Forbidden Fruit), Corrib Theatre (From a Hole in the Ground, An Scéal), Portland Center Stage (JAW 2026), Bedrock Theatre (Hibernate, SPRING, Sun Songs & Moon Tunes) and others. Joellen regularly composes music for the stage; her original choral-theatrical work SIRENS, had its first workshop in August of 2026. Joellen teaches Acting at Lewis & Clark College, and serves as the Community & Creativity Steward for The Verdancy Project. www.joellensweeney.com

Amelia Sommer (she/they) is a local experimental performer, director, and devised work community member. They received a certification of completion from the Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble’s Institute for Contemporary Performance with the 2023/24 cohort. This training, culminating in their solo show excavating their family history Amelia [& Hen]Rietta, unlocked a core purpose to create meaningful, expressive & cathartic work. Amelia most recently directed HATERS for 21ten’s 2024 Summer Residency and performed in a devised duet for PETE’s fall 2025 SCRATCH showing. By day, you can catch them as a Development staff member at the housing services nonprofit Path Home; by night, they may be at CoHo theater slingin’ popcorn, clowning around at the PETE Studio, or even directing their dream show on occasion.