Getting ethereal with VESPER at the Voxel
October 16—November 2 at The Voxel: Vesper
A new theatrical exploration, a shared voyage into the unknown or at least into uncertainty for creators and audiences alike, gets its world premiere in Baltimore at The Voxel through November 2nd. Conceived and directed by Jarod Hanson, devised with the collaboration of the entire company, and produced with Acme Corporation and Aran Keating, the work bears the title Vesper–and with that name hauntingly hopes to conjure all that it evokes, from mythology and folkore, astrology and astronomy, religion and ritual, science fact and science fiction. Not to mention unexpected associations found along the way.
The original work, created collaboratively by the company in a series of intensive workshops and creative sessions over many months, harnesses “rich physicality, poetic text, atmospheric sound, live music, and multimedia” to “weave a vivid, theatrical tapestry of ritual and revelation.”
In practice, this means Vesper is an experimental, non-linear, devised theatrical performance: without a single, unifying plot carrying through the entire show, it unfolds as what its creators call “a dream;” a kaleidoscope of “concert” of images, scenes, and moments that connect poetically rather than literally. Much as images or elements in a dream.
In principle, Vesper provides “a surrealistic exploration of humanity’s relationship to the night and the rituals we invoke to heal, find peace, and ward off danger,” all set in realm of darkness and starlight and what lies in between. We’re guided by or we follow–or at least accompany–what the production describes as “a cast of ethereal characters as they search for meaning amid wishes and nightmares in a dazzling dreamscape of morphing circumstances.” These characters are in part fluid, responding to the shifting world around them; but at the same time, they reflect consistent archetypes (which helped guide the performers and the process but which are never revealed or named directly to the audience).
Somehow, individual imaginations and memories, dreams and recollections, research and ruminations, seek to become also collective exploration and shared discovery–while avoiding what Hanson points out is the pitfall of just presenting audiences with (more) problems to solve.
You can hear what he and devising company member Ally Ibach had to say about it all here:
True to form for Acme Corporation and most devised work, the piece boasts a legion of co-creators and artistic collaborators, including these credits:
Conceived and Directed by Jarod Hanson
Associate Director: Brandice Thompson
Created with and performed by: Ally Ibach, Alix Fenhagen, Molly Margulies, Parker
Matthews, Luu Pham, Chelsea Thaler, Hailey Withrow, Matthew Williams
Production team: Production Manager: Aran Keating , Stage Manager: Olivia Dibble, Sound
& Multimedia Designer: Jason Charney, Lighting Designer: John McAfee, Set & Properties
Designer: Joe Martin, Costume Designer: Rowan Gardner
Producers: Jarod Hanson, The Acme Corporation, Aran Keating
More information is available at https://theacmecorporation.org/#shows or at https://voxel.org/
