Hannah Rochester Barnhardt

With all the daily media attention given to artificial intelligence (AI), it’s easy to think of it as a “recent discovery,” and to a certain degree that’s true. While some form of this technology has been with us for decades, we’re still in the early phases of figuring out how to truly harness its power to redefine how we live and work.

Using physical theater similar to the internationally known Cirque du Soleil, CarlosAlexis Cruz and Nouveau Sud hope to link the seven deadly sins with seven forms of social oppression found in Charlotte with a new show, Septem. The Nouveau Sud — "New South" — troupe are debuting their latest show on July 20 for a two-night run at Booth Playhouse. The group, founded by UNC Charlotte physical theatre professor Cruz, will use acrobatics, aerial performance and more to tell its story.

Born in Statesville, Hannah Barnhardt grew up in an evangelical Christian family with four sisters who all worked at their parents' 24-hour towing business and attended a tiny private Christian school. "The learning environment was similar to a religious homeschool, in that it was a very small group and we spent more time studying the Bible and religious concepts than standard educational subjects," Barnhardt says.