LAMINARIA, A Folk Horror Chamber | Theater For The New City
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY (TNC): Executive Director - Crystal Field
PRESENTS: LAMINARIA, A Folk Horror Chamber Suite
BY: Wendy Osserman Dance Company
WITH MUSIC BY: Concetta Ensemble
You Won't Want to Miss This!
On Friday, October 21, 2022 and on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 8:00P.M at TNC’s Johnson Theater, Located at: 155 First Avenue in New York City.
A hauntingly provocative work, Laminaria is the Latin word for kelp which is used medicinally to induce labor in people seeking abortion. Folk horror, a sub-genre of horror, explores the terrifying power of nature and our own isolation in its darkness. Choreographed by Wendy Osserman in collaboration with Cori Kresge, Emily Vetsch, and Vanessa Walters, Laminaria has music composed and performed by Concetta Abbate with the Concetta Ensemble. Osserman will open the program with a new solo, just sayin’/no words.
“I was drawn to Concetta’s depiction of an underwater shadow ghost emerging from a murky kelp forest and surprised to learn of the medicinal use of kelp for abortion,” said Osserman. “Laminaria’s score conveys a range of textures and images from delicate to frustration, antagonistic to transformative. The movement is a reply to Concetta’s imagery. After birthing at least a dozen solos over the past COVID years, I needed to work with the wonderful performers I call my ‘dance daughters,’ so I split the role of the ghost in three and enjoyed the movement possibilities with three dancers in space rather than one.”
“I composed the music in 2021 after spending my quarantine binge watching every A, B, and C horror movie I could get my hands on,” said Abbate. “I was fascinated by the idea that horror could serve as a story frame for exploring the psychological torture of mental illness; illness that can sometimes appear like a demon possession or a tortured monster living in the basement. Laminaria is a narrative about an underwater sea ghost, or shadow entity of sorts. It is consciousness trapped behind the shroud of grief. The word laminaria is a plant that is used medicinally to induce labor. It’s a substance that reminds me of the need to purge and face the seas of change.”
Laminaria, as a music and dance suite, was presented as an open rehearsal at Park Church, Greenpoint, Brooklyn on May 28, 2022.
Tickets for Laminaria, priced at $18, are available at: https://ci.OvationTix.com/35441/production/1137465 or through:
Theater for New City’s Box Office at 212-254-1109
Website: TheaterForTheNewCity.net
ABOUT WENDY OSSERMAN DANCE COMPANY: Growing up in New York City, Wendy Osserman studied many dance forms including modern with Martha Graham, José Limòn, Hanya Holm, and choreography with Louis Horst, Anna Sokolow, Bessie Schönberg, Robert Ellis Dunn, and Martha Myers. After performing as a soloist with Valerie Bettis, Alice Condodina, Kei Takei, Frances Alenikoff, the Hellenic Chorodrama, S.I.T.U., and in two festivals created on the island of Paros, Greece, she launched Wendy Osserman Dance Company www.wodance.org in 1976. Osserman has choreographed over 19 full-length pieces as well as many shorter works in collaboration with outstanding dancers, visual artists, and composers. She was featured in Dancing Divas at La MaMa; Women in Dance at 92 Y: History in the Making Anniversary Special; and From The Horse’s Mouth, Rebecca Stenn & Company. WODC has been presented in most NYC dance venues including 92nd Street Y, DanceNow Joe’s Pub, BAC, Dixon Place, DTW, Joyce SoHo, Symphony Space, La MaMa, and Theater for the New City. Osserman has taught and toured with her company nationally and internationally. Her work strives to convey her struggle to comprehend current events and history with drama and humor. “Osserman may be inspired by current events, but she’s a timeless rather than topical artist, and perhaps that’s why she has lasted so long.” Leigh Witchel, DanceLog.nyc
ABOUT CONCETTA ABBATE: Concetta Abbate is a classically trained violinist/singer turned improviser and composer. Grammy.com describes her original performances as a mix of “…violin and delicate vocals that float between the worlds of Modern Classical, Neo-Folk, and poignant and poetic verse.” As a synesthetic artist, her original work often crosses disciplines of poetry, visual art, costume, body movement, and tactile art. Abbate has released several studio albums including Mirror Touch, Duo Adias, and Falling in Time. She is a voting member of the Grammys Recording Academy and has received grants from New Music USA, The Rauschenberg Foundation, and NYFA. She holds degrees in Music, Education, and Cultural Studies from Smith College (BA) as well as Columbia University (MA).
ABOUT THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY: Now in its 52nd year, THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY is a unique cultural institution that has earned a nationwide reputation for its dedication to nurturing established and emerging playwrights who experiment with new forms and to presenting other experimental and developmental theaters with a very active program of Community Art Services and Festivals which continue to expand theater accessibility.
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