About this Event
Rich with emotional and social relevance, Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy by award-winning playwright Ruth Cantrell, jumps from ancient to modern times -- from ancient Greece to the world of recent years. Episodic in nature, the scenes change from mythological (Trojan War), to historical (the massacre at My Lai, the Holocaust, kidnappings in Nigeria, the school shooting at Sandy Hook, the bombing of the 16th St. Baptist Church), to imagined (a domestic sexual assault). Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy depicts the eternal existence of hate and evil in these different appearances and traces the origins to the myth of Pandora’s box. Further, through the voice of Cassandra, the doomed seeress of Troy, whose curse was to see the future, but not be believed, we see what she sees, and how humanity cannot refrain itself from repeating the evils brought about by hate. And yet, we cannot answer the unspoken question at the heart of the piece: Will we ever learn not to hate? The stories told in this piece will be presented on stage through live spoken word and dance, to a commissioned score of original music, with extensive use of video, voiceovers, and projected images to heighten the immediacy of these ongoing tragedies.
Directed by Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, with choreography by Samara Adell, and music by Michael V. Ficocelli, this world-premiere production features: Samara Adell, Nina Brewton, Bobni Das, Denny!, Kendra Dushac McCarthy, Heather Panikkar, Mina Rose, Katherine Shamdin, and Morgiana Celeste Varricchio.
Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy is offered at no charge. Reservations are recommended.
Made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and funding from The Puffin Foundation.
CONTENT WARNING
This production shows graphic images of violence, including warfare, bombings, and their victims, and intense, jarring audio of gunfire and explosions. It is intended for mature audiences and those seeking to understand the events. Please take care of your well-being.
Event venue & nearby stays
First Congregational Church, 40 S. Fullerton Ave., Montclair, United States
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