The AntiGravity Theatre Project presents Yermedea RAW by Eri k Ehn\, a hybrid puppet and theatre performance braiding the tragic experi ences of Euripides’ Medea and Lorca’s Yerma into a single narrative. The A ntiGravity Theatre Project will produce the three-venue tour that will Exp lore\, Explode\, & EXPOSE our genocides.
\nEXPLORE: Set in Central A merica\, the play draws inspiration from the horrors of the civil war in E l Salvador. The decade-long armed conflict between the military-led govern ment (backed by the United States) and the FMLN (a coalition of left-wing guerrilla groups) left the country and its indigenous population in ruins. Centuries of exploitation have depleted the region of its richest resourc es\, including the mental\, spiritual\, and psychological life of its peop le.
\nEXPLODE: Loosely based on the two literary figures Yerma and M edea\, one of whom can’t have children and the other of whom is driven to kill her own\, the audience\, along with the Nurse and the Bus Driver\, ar e led through a labyrinth of repeating events in what appears to be a waki ng dream. Yermedea RAW explores the disturbing social and psychological ef fect on life lived in the midst of genocide\, incorporating the ephemeral materials of theatre – sound\, light\, space\, time\, movement\, gesture\, and image – to convey that which cannot be expressed otherwise. Playwrigh t Erik Ehn explains that\, “We believe the people have a strong\, strong v oice\, but people aren’t listening\; we don’t want to speak for them\, we want to stand with them.”
\nEXPOSE: Director Kym Moore and acclaimed Spanish puppet theatre artist Alejandra Prieto join forces to bring Erik Ehn’s Yermedea to life in RAW form. The play will tour three venues starti ng in October with performances at the 95 Empire Black Box Theater in Prov idence from October 11 th-14th\, the Factory Theatre in Boston from Octobe r 27th-28th\, and La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in New York City on No vember 11th and 17th as part of Ehn’s commemorative play-cycle Soulographi e: Our Genocides.
\nIn addition to touring\, Yermedea RAW will teach free workshops in Providence Public Schools\, community organizations and 95 Empire’s School@95. Using applied theatre to actively engage participa nts in the history of genocide around the world\, Yermedea’s education out reach efforts will engage communities that might not otherwise attend live theatre performances. The AntiGravity Theatre Project seeks to move its w ork beyond the stage and into direct dialogue with the public.
\nYer medea RAW: explore\, Explode\, & EXPOSE our genocides.
\nThe AntiGra
vity Theatre Project is a Providence-based theatre cooperative dedicated t
o multi- dimensional\, dramaturgically alert\, highly visual performance f
ree from sociopolitical confines and the force of gravity. Founded by Kym
Moore and Michael Williams\, the collective seeks to produce and support p
erformance that traverses boundaries and thumps with a beating heart.
\nhttp://theantigravityproject.wordpress.com