By Jasmine Durst, Photo Credits to Kevin Christopher Crowe Photography
How would you tell a story without words?
Ryan Horst is a senior BFA Acting major with a minor in Arts Administration at Susquehanna University, and on February 12, 2026, he performed a wordless, “passionate, six-hour exploration of identity” called WORN.
Horst said: “WORN is not really about my life…it is instead crafted to depict the way individual people shape the lives of those around them. It delves deep into the idea of places the human mind can travel when forced to sit with a memory.”
WORN was separated into six increments, each hour a different stage of life.
Hour One – Birth
Hour Two – Youth
Hour Three – Grief
Hour Four – Search
Hour Five – Growth
Hour Six – Worn
According to Horst in his production notes, he said that the piece’s performance is both physically and mentally exhausting because “the body must repeat, endure, and remain exposed for longer than it wants to.”
Alister de Mets said: “WORN was a deeply meditative and reflective performance. At a certain point, I was no longer thinking about Ryan. I was thinking, more so, about my own experiences of being exhausted, worn, and sick of it all.”
Horst said his first exposure to performances like this was his time spent in Ireland, studying at the Gaiety School of Acting.
Horst said: “That experience introduced me to performance art and what can happen when an actor lets go and trusts impulse. That work highlighted stripping things down; working with no planning, no control, and instead focused on listening to what the body and moment demand.”
Horst wishes to share the following message:
“I’d like to ask that you please consider donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Their work helps fund research and treatments for patients and their families affected by blood cancer.
This is an incredibly personal cause for me, as my mom battled leukemia for 19 months before ultimately passing away. I was just nine years old.
Her battle was one of strength and courage. She fought as hard as she could: not just for herself, but for our family. I have never seen another human being as worn as she was. Losing a parent that young has changed everything for me. My mom cared deeply about her family and always put other people before herself. She remained resilient and kind until the day she died.”
Donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will be open until April 7, 2026.
Kevin Christopher Crowe, the photographer of the evening, said: “What Ryan accomplished with Worn was extraordinary. Sustaining a six-hour, almost wordless performance built entirely on movement requires immense discipline and artistic clarity. The result was a haunting and deeply evocative work that explored themes of birth, loss, frustration, and joy with remarkable and emotional honesty.”
Horst said that he wanted to introduce performance art to Susquehanna, and, with the department of theater growing, it explores new ideas and styles of performance.
Before entering the room, the area had tables full of photos, awards, trophies, and certificates that Horst had obtained throughout his life.
There were photo albums of baby pictures, family pictures, and even an ultrasound. On one of the tables was a computer with pictures of Horst in various stages of his life.
Crowe said, “I hope what Ryan has done with Worn inspires his fellow student-actors to explore the world of performance art in other creative ways as we expand what ‘theatre’ can mean here at Susquehanna.”
WORN would like to personally thank the following people:
Alice Preputnick and Miranda Preputnick
Joshua C. Dalton, Whitney Bartal, and Kevin Christopher Crowe
Alister Kingsley de Mets, Elliot Muller, Hannah May Bloom, and Gerry Hehir
Sam Miller, Paige Cuscino, and Gordon Wentzel
Alan Howley, Tatum McBride, Gabriella Rosen, and Alex Shadman
Jen Rock, Anna Andes, Callie Lythgoe, Erik Viker, Kristen J. Weirich, Owen Carey, Michael Palumbo, and Debra P. Holmes