Lay Hold to the Softest Throat is an interdisciplinary collaboration between singers Alanna Stuart, Romy Lightman, sound artist Christopher Willes, and choreographer Ellen Furey, with aesthetic, energetic and spiritual contributions from Paul Chambers, Jeremy McCormick, Hanako Hoshimi-Caines and Anni Spadafora. This work is in large part a feminized, absurdist rendering of Grotowski's concept of the "Holy Actor".
… experimental bedtime story, devotional musical, questionable theatre touching on multiple latent interests of the group gathered.
Notions of discipline, alternative spirituality and dadaist energetics get spewed onto absurd tales of spiritual, artistic and inter-dimensional transcension. Lay Hold to the Softest Throat is a choreography for three vocalizing performers.
CREDITS: Production, choreography by Ellen Furey. Creation and performance by Ellen Furey, Romy Lightman and Alanna Stuart. Sound design by Christopher Willes. Dramaturgy by Hanako Hoshimi-Caines. Lightning design by Paul Chambers. Set design by Jeremy McCormick. Outside eye work by Anni Spadafora. Technical direction by Anthony Allan. Text co-written by Ellen Furey, Romy Lightman, Alanna Stuart (graciously channeled by-through Romy Lightman). Song 1 - « We’ll Reach the Sky Tonight » Rita MacNeil, Song 2- « Take My Word » Ellen Furey. Surtitles translation by Elaine Normandeau. Surtitles Operator - Aris Keshav. Promo photo and video by Kinga Michalska. Show photos and video documentation by Do Phan Hoi.
Co-produced by : Festival TransAmériques + La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines + DLD- direction artistique Frédérick Gravel. With the support of : La Nouvelle Scène (Ottawa) + Usine C + Cape Breton University Creative residencies Annexe-A (Rouyn-Noranda) + L’Écart (Rouyn-Noranda) + Usine C + Studio 303 + Circuit-Est Centre Chorégraphique + CCOV – Centre de Création O Vertigo.
Co-presented by La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines. Premiered at Festival TransAmériques at La Chapelle, Scènes Contemporaines, on May 28, 2023.
