ON STAGE NOW
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
A World Premiere Presented by Firehall Arts Centre and Produced by Raven Spirit Dance, in association with the PHT Creative Hub Cooperative.
Produced by Raven Spirit Dance Chapter 21 is choreographed by Starr Muranko and directed by Yvette Nolan. This dance/theatre piece explores what happens when a vibrant, active artist comes face to face with a crippling collision of events. Chapter 21 is a reflection on the days that have come to pass, and the art of becoming. A new baby boy; Chromosome 21; the big “C” diagnosis, 21 days between treatments, and 21 days to re-pattern beliefs; Courage; Faith; Resilience.
When Starr started working on Chapter 21, it was a personal story of a journey through an unpredictable and challenging time. I came to the work as an outside eye, watching to see how this story would speak to audiences who did not share the same experience. Chapter 21 is a story of resilience, of loss and moving through grief, of committing to the path forward without knowing the outcome. Yes, I thought, audiences will be engaged by this story, be compelled to empathy by Starr’s telling of this chapter of her life. And then the pandemic washed over us all. Production of Chapter 21 was postponed, then postponed again, although the development of the work continued in cautious and socially distanced ways. Now, here we are, on the eve of the premiere at the Firehall, and the themes of resilience and courage are suddenly much more present. We are all still living with this thing, and yet we go on, striving to be grateful, committing to life, to loving, to the people around us. We are all experiencing our own Chapter, looking forward to turning the page.
East performance will be acompanies by a talk back, hosted by a different guest each night. The talk aback guest schedule is as follows:
Wed Sept 29th – Donna Spencer
Thurs Sept 30th – Lisa Gelley Martin
Friday Oct 1st – Kathy Welter
Sat Oct 2nd – Michelle Olson
Sun Oct 3rd – Mary Cardle
Production Credits
CHOREOGRAPHED & PERFORMED BY: Starr Muranko
DIRECTOR: Yvette Nolan
COMPOSER: Edgardo Moreno
LIGHTING DESIGN: Jonathan Kim
STAGE MANAGER: Amanda Parafina
COSTUME DESIGN: Jeanette Kotowich
MENTORS: Alvin Tolentino and Michelle Olson
VIDEOGRAPHER: Sophia Wolfe
PHOTOS: Melanie Orr (site specific) and Erik Zennström (theatre)
Chapter 21 was developed in association with the PHT Creative Hub Cooperative