"The life of a cowboy and the life of a dancer started to meld together, blend into one...the way Hartse and her creative team blend together the two stories...is surprising and incredibly fitting . . . A physical and immersive story, Cowboy is impeccably well done . . . deeply and heartbreakingly relatable." — Nicole Itkin, The Front Row Center
"Ambitious, highly entertaining . . . simultaneously simple and complex, humble and grand, quiet and explosive...Cowboy will renew any audience member's faith in the art of movement... [Hartse] is no less than astonishing . . . the actor has the skill and energy on an entire cast... awe-inspiring scenic design and lighting design..." — Jed Ryan, Lavender After Dark
HR2: Cowboy
The Cowboy can’t sleep – bad goddam dreams. The Cowboy is on the move. The Cowboy is alone, cooking beans over a fire. He fights the aches and pains of his body, beaten down by the years of roping, riding, and sleeping on the ground. Was it worth it? Inspired by her history as a dancer from summer stock to the Kennedy Center and Broadway, Kendal Hartse and Harlow Radical transform the physical journey of the artist into a ferocious and athletic performance of this iconic figure.
Blending contemporary dance, dynamic music, multisensory performance, and physical theater, Cowboy celebrates the struggles and the joys of this iconic American archetype. The cowboy asks what we all want to know as we get older: am I quick enough on the draw to win one last shootout?
Cowboy premiered at the Royal Family Performing Arts Space in New York City on August 22-24, 2026.
created by KENDAL HARTSE and AUSTIN REGAN
choreographed by KENDAL HARTSE
starring KENDAL HARTSE
with Ginger Hurley as the Shadow Cowboy
Scenic design by Nora Marlow Smith
Lighting design by Victoria Bain
Sound design by Mike Ekelburg
Assistant choreographer Ginger Hurley
Photography by Austin Ruffer
directed by AUSTIN REGAN