KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 10, 2026

Acclaimed interdisciplinary artist explores identity, ancestry and belonging in an intimate performance blending music, movement, film and storytelling.

What is home?

For interdisciplinary artist Mary Prescott, the answer isn't a place on a map. It's a question that has shaped years of artistic exploration — and one that audiences will be invited to consider when she brings Tida to Kennesaw State University Sept. 11–13 as part of the Geer College of the Arts’ ArtsKSU Professional Series and KSU's Year of Thailand initiative.

Performed in the Stillwell Theater, Tida is an evening-length solo performance that weaves live piano, movement, spoken word and cinematic projection into a deeply personal journey through family history. The work traces Prescott's exploration of her mother's Thai heritage, revealing stories that had remained largely untold for generations while examining themes of immigration, memory, cultural identity and the enduring bonds between mothers and daughters.

For Prescott, the project began with a simple realization.

"I started asking, 'What really is my culture? What really is my identity?'" she said. "I realized there was so much about my mother's story — and my ancestors' stories — that I didn't know."

Raised in Minnesota after her mother emigrated from southern Thailand, Prescott grew up knowing little about her family's history. Her mother had left behind her home, language and community to build a new life in the United States, and like many immigrant families, survival often left little time to revisit the past.

Creating Tida became an act of discovery.

Through conversations with her mother and relatives in Thailand, Prescott uncovered family histories spanning generations — from resilient matriarchs who raised children on their own to stories of war, migration and loss. Along the way, she found unexpected insights into her own identity.

"I learned so much through making this project," she said. "I was finally able to piece together the threads of who I am."

That process of discovery also shaped the performance itself.

Originally commissioned for 2020, Tida was developed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing Prescott to rethink both the work and its presentation. Unable to travel to Thailand for research or collaborate with additional performers as planned, she transformed the piece into a solo performance while embracing film as a central storytelling element. Layered projections, intimate voiceovers and original music create an immersive theatrical experience that reflects both physical distance and emotional connection.

A fallen willow branch became one of the production's defining visual metaphors.

After finding a branch broken from a tree following a storm, Prescott was struck by the willow's remarkable resilience. Even when separated from the tree, willow branches can take root and grow again; a powerful image that echoed her mother's journey of leaving Thailand to begin a new life in America.

"The willow became a symbol of adaptation and resilience," Prescott said. "It reminded me of my mom, who had to uproot herself, bend and adapt to an entirely new life."

Music remains at the heart of the performance. Although classically trained as a pianist, Prescott deliberately pushes beyond the conventions of the instrument, using prepared piano techniques and extended sounds to evoke the textures of traditional Thai instruments. The result is a sound world that bridges cultures while reflecting the work's deeply personal narrative.

That willingness to blur artistic boundaries is something Prescott hopes resonates with KSU students.

She never formally studied theater, instead forging her own path as an interdisciplinary artist after deciding that classical performance alone couldn't tell the stories she wanted to share.

"I wanted to experiment," she said. "I wanted to make something that came directly from my own heart and head."

It's a lesson she believes is especially meaningful for emerging artists.

"When I was younger, I deferred to other people's stories because I thought they were the important ones," Prescott reflected. "I've learned that your own personal story is actually the thing people connect with."

While Tida explores one family's history, Prescott hopes audiences leave inspired to consider their own.

"I don't need everyone to understand every detail," she said. "What I'm trying to do is build a connection through the story. I hope it encourages people to dig a little deeper into their own."

 

Experience Tida

Sept. 11–13, 2026
Stillwell Theater
Kennesaw State University

Presented as part of the ArtsKSU Professional Series in partnership with KSU's Year of Thailand, Tida is a moving interdisciplinary performance that blends live music, movement, film and storytelling to explore family, memory, migration and the enduring search for home.

Tickets are available now.

 

The Robert S. Geer Family College of the Arts 2026-2027 Season is presented through the generous support of Dr. Jerry and Linda Richman.