What is the potential of an organized body of practitioners devoted to facilitating the threshold between performance and the rest of life? How might we establish shared (though distinct) responsibilities for the dynamism and consequence of our encounter(s) with one another?
Liturgy|Order|Bridge is conceived as a ritualized public ceremony that invites participation at a variety of levels. Through each facet, the project will activate our intersecting identities, senses of place, and commitments to mutual support. Echoing the church, performance and ritual grows out of the human network. Slowness and intentionality are key modes.
Woven through the performance work developed with core collaborators—Deborah Goffe, Lauren Horn, Abena Koomson-Davis, and Arien Wilkerson—over the course of several years, the culminating phase of the project will include:
- ATTENTION TO LOCAL ARTS ECOSYSTEMS AND RELATIONSHIPS: Drawing on Goffe’s research in New England arts ecologies, local artists and communities will be gathered in conversations about creating, nurturing, and illuminating local arts ecosystems.
- THRESHOLD CHORUS: 5-10 (predominantly) BIPOC local movers will be invited to rehearse and perform with the company as co-facilitators of the ritual space
- LOCAL WISDOM-KEEPERS: Local cultural organizers who are deeply rooted as community connectors may appear in the performance through the ideas they contribute, onscreen presence, or perhaps by leading the audience in an IRL “litany” or “sermon” we will co-create together.
- PAPER FLOWER-MAKING: Goffe will lead participants (high school-age participants and older) in crafting the human-scale paper flowers that are essential to the environment the upcoming performances of Liturgy|Order|Bridge will inhabit in June. With a little crepe paper, hot glue, and patience, the resulting flowers will be activated by guest and local performers and will accumulate as the project moves from Connecticut to Maine and beyond. While crafting these sacred objects for the project, we hope these workshops make space and time for us to channel our world- and community-building capacities together.
All intended participants—working with the all-BIPOC company—are imagined to be BIPOC community members as well. Any non-BIPOC participants should be thoughtful about their place in the network of this project and of their own arts ecosystems.
UPCOMING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
PORTLAND INSTALLATION
COMMUNITY GATHERINGS:
- Sunday, April 7 (2:00-4:00pm) — Indigo Arts Alliance, 60 Cove St, Portland, ME
- Friday, May 3 (5:00-7:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Classroom), 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- Paper Flower Making Workshop as part of Portland’s First Friday Art Walk
- Saturday, May 4 (11:00am-1:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Classroom), 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- Wednesday, May 22 (10:00am-12:30pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom), 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- LOB Movement workshop/rehearsal
- Friday, May 24 (5:00-7:30pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- LOB Movement workshop/rehearsal
TENTATIVE THRESHOLD CHORUS AND WISDOM KEEPER REHEARSALS:
- Wednesday, May 22 (10:00am-12:30pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom), 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- LOB Movement workshop/rehearsal
- Friday, May 24 (5:00-7:30pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- LOB Movement workshop/rehearsal
- Week of June 10-14 (Specific days/times TBD)
- Three rehearsals will be scheduled for this week. Participating local performers will be asked to attend 2 or more of these sessions.
- Sunday, June 16 (5:00-10:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- First full company rehearsal
- Monday, June 17 (5:00-10:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- Tech rehearsal (full cast)
- Tuesday, June 18 (5:00-10:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- Tech rehearsal (full cast)
- Wednesday, June 18 (5:00-10:00pm) — Mechanics’ Hall (Ballroom) 519 Congress St, Portland, ME
- Open Dress Rehearsal (full cast)
“LITURGY|ORDER|BRIDGE” PORTLAND PERFORMANCES:
(Mechanics’ Hall Ballroom, 519 Congress St, Portland)
- Thursday, June 20 (7:00pm) — 5pm call time
- Friday, June 21 (7:00pm) — 5pm call time
- Saturday, June 22 (2:00pm) — 12pm call time
