Beyond the Sternum follows the now fully-grown deer as it commands respect from the

world around it. No longer afraid of being seen and taking up space, the deer paves a way for the entire herd so that its community has a stable foundation to grow from. Celebrating the strength of the individual, this performance illustrates how impactful one person can be to their entire community.

Featured Puppeteers: Emily Batsford and Joseph Lymous

This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson. In Partnership with Dutchess County Pride.

About the artist: William PK Carter is a quilter and puppet artist based in Central Valley, New York. She bridges the puppet and fine-art worlds by fabricating wondrous creatures that exist at the intersection of queerness and blackness. She received her BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College in 2023 and is the recipient of the Skidmore College President’s Racial Justice Award, the John P. Heins Award: Outstanding Senior Thesis Exhibition, and a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant. She is a current resident artist at LaMama Experimental Theatre Club, where she is developing a long-form puppetry piece entitled Beautiful Without Consequence.