Devised and directed by Josephine Decker in collaboration with co-director Dan Rothenberg of Pig Iron Theatre Company, The Path of Pins or the Path of Needles made its world premiere in September as part of the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Featuring a cast composed primarily of mothers, the immersive performance centers on the experience of being pregnant, at once joyful and uncertain—and sometimes scary. 

With multiple scenes running simultaneously in and around Germantown’s Rigby Mansion, the fairy-tale–inspired piece presents audience members with the choice to follow different paths, offering hundreds of unique permutations of the show.  

In the videos below, Decker talks about how she drew on her own experiences with pregnancy and motherhood (as well as her background as a filmmaker) in developing the piece, and she explains the intentions behind the work’s unconventional structure and content.  

Decker on working in live theater as a filmmaker. 

Decker on the poetic structure of The Path of Pins and the Path of Needles. 

Decker on creating work about the experience of pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. 

Josephine Decker is a filmmaker and performer. Her experimental feature films include Madeline’s Madeline, The Sky is Everywhere, and Shirley, which stars Elizabeth Moss and received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Auteur Filmmaking at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.