Dogsbody and Soulographie: Our Genocides

The New York production of Dogsbody by Erik Ehn began in San Francisco. It is one in a cycle of seventeen plays called Soulographie: Our Genocides. For over two years, I worked with Professor Ehn, at that time the head of playwriting at Brown University, and director Rebecca Novick on this piece, and have been involved extensively in its development through retreats and workshops. In tandem with the premiere of Dogsbody at Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, I was an invited panelist for Artists as Witnesses: Engaging in Regions of Conflict, where I discussed our design process. Two months later, Dogsbody joined the other sixteen plays during the complete Soulographie cycle at a major international venue, La Mama Theatre, New York’s oldest experimental theatre. These performances included opportunities to reflect and converse about the issues invoked by the plays, and are considered artistic acts towards social change. This meaningful and multi-disciplinary contribution illustrates the collaborative model that drives my work. During Ehn’s subsequent visit to Lehigh’s campus, I presented a lecture, The Visual Landscape of Genocide: Designing Erik Ehn's Dogsbody, to the English Department.

Playwright: 
Erik Ehn
Director: 
Rebecca Novick
Lighting Designer: 
Heather Basarab
Costume Designer: 
Heather Basarab
Venue : 
Intersection for the Arts San Francisco and La Mama NYC

La Mama Theatre Founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart in a tiny basement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, La MaMa is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa has a worldwide reputation for supporting fearless and provocative theater while helping artists gain a foothold in New York. La MaMa is a global organization with creative partners and dedicated audiences around the world. La MaMa provides a supportive home for artists and takes risks on new work. Artists such as Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson, Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, Harvey Fierstein, Blue Man Group, David and Amy Sedaris, – and others whose names you haven’t heard of yet – began their careers at La MaMa. International artists introduced to America by La MaMa include Tadeusz Kantor, Andrei Serban, Kazuo Ohno and, more recently, the acclaimed Belarus Free Theatre. In its 50 year history, La MaMa has been honored with more than 30 OBIE Awards, dozens of Drama Desk and Bessie Awards, and Villager Awards. As a landmark institution for artists and audiences alike, La MaMa presents cross-disciplinary work in theatre, dance, performance art, and music that defies form and transcends boundaries of language, race, and culture. Intersection for the Arts For 50 years, Intersection for the Arts has played a unique role in the development of the Bay Area’s rich, innovative and diverse arts ecosystem by connecting people and communities across physical, social, cultural, and economic boundaries to instigate change. Through a platform of resources -- fiscal sponsorship, incubation, professional development, technical assistance, community gatherings, artist’s residencies, exhibitions, and live performance -- Intersection fosters the advancement of the Bay Area arts community by creating sustainable models for artists and arts organizations that are critical in a rapidly changing world. Intersection’s Artists Resources/Incubator Programs provide assistance to more than 120 artists and arts organizations to support the growth of their practices, the development of sustainable livelihoods, and the realization of their work.

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