by Karen Hartman
Directed by Maryann Lombardi
Dramaturgy by Talya Kingston
"There are places where rain falls out of season
Where you make a mistake or a footprint, and suddenly see it washed clean."
I fell in love with the poetry in Karen Hartman's play which paints a picture of a protected feminine space in a far away land. The playwright (who was in residence at UMass) insists that the setting, where girls are veiled and forbidden from eating gum, is fictitious, however she based it on newspaper articles and stories she heard while working in Egypt, and we were producing the first production of the play since 9/11 had changed everything about how the Middle East is viewed in America. As the production dramaturg, I worked closely with Karen Hartman and Maryann Lombardi to contextualize the production, encourage company and audience dialogue, and ensure that the gestural language that the performers created in a highly physical interpretation of the story was culturally sensitive.
Performers: Jennifer Reddish, Rachel Cummings, Nissa Perrott, Kevin Kordis & Scott Braidman.
Scenic Designer: Sean A Cote
Costume Designer: Bethany Marx
Lighting Designer: Robbie Strano
Sound Designer & Original Music by Vincent Olivieri
Stage Manager: Kirsty Matero
In addition to panel discussions on "Staging the East" which I presented with members of the New World Theater,
I directed a staged reading of Karen Hartman's accompanying play, The Mother of Modern Censorship.
Directed by Maryann Lombardi
Dramaturgy by Talya Kingston
"There are places where rain falls out of season
Where you make a mistake or a footprint, and suddenly see it washed clean."
I fell in love with the poetry in Karen Hartman's play which paints a picture of a protected feminine space in a far away land. The playwright (who was in residence at UMass) insists that the setting, where girls are veiled and forbidden from eating gum, is fictitious, however she based it on newspaper articles and stories she heard while working in Egypt, and we were producing the first production of the play since 9/11 had changed everything about how the Middle East is viewed in America. As the production dramaturg, I worked closely with Karen Hartman and Maryann Lombardi to contextualize the production, encourage company and audience dialogue, and ensure that the gestural language that the performers created in a highly physical interpretation of the story was culturally sensitive.
Performers: Jennifer Reddish, Rachel Cummings, Nissa Perrott, Kevin Kordis & Scott Braidman.
Scenic Designer: Sean A Cote
Costume Designer: Bethany Marx
Lighting Designer: Robbie Strano
Sound Designer & Original Music by Vincent Olivieri
Stage Manager: Kirsty Matero
In addition to panel discussions on "Staging the East" which I presented with members of the New World Theater,
I directed a staged reading of Karen Hartman's accompanying play, The Mother of Modern Censorship.
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