Mass for Shut-Outs is a multidisciplinary performance that plays with the shape of a Catholic mass to ask new questions, challenge old stories, and dismantle the gatekeepers’ fortress. Written and performed by Tanya Davis, with musical support from Carlie Howell, Mass for Shut-Outs is a rousing and poetic take on Sunday service, with orature, music, and opportunities for play and communion. It features verse dressed as prayer, monologue mimicking homily, joyful singalong, and sombre reflection. It is designed for those of us on the spiritual fringes, who also seek meaning and connection, even while being historically shut out of—or disinterested in—traditional communities of faith, their liturgy, and their institutions. Mass for Shut-Outs is a shout out to anyone grappling with the complexity of faith, the inconsistency of awe, and the politics of organized religion. It is for atheists seeking connection, agnostics asking questions, and believers kindly curious about other people’s gods.

Company Bio

Tanya Davis is a writer and performer based in rural Epekwitk / Prince Edward Island. Since 2006, she has been releasing music and poetry and presenting unique multidisciplinary work. The success of How to be Alone, a collaboration with filmmaker Andrea Dorfman, gained her fans from around the world and led to a follow-up short produced by the National Film Board. Tanya has performed at festivals in Europe, Mexico, and Australia, and she recently represented Canada at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. With an ever-growing collection of works, a passion for expression, and a penchant for change, she continues to expand as an artist and creator. In 2025, she presented her latest solo show, Seeker, and was playwright-in-residence at Victoria Playhouse (PEI). Tanya was named PEI’s 2024 Artist of the Year and served as the province’s Poet Laureate from 2023 – 2026. She collaborates frequently across artistic genres, creating for the page, the stage, the stereo, and the screen.

Carlie Howell is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, curator and arts worker. Their international performance and composition practice spans a wide range of genres, including jazz, classical, folk, improvised, and Brazilian traditional and contemporary music.