The upcoming performance by Princeton Atelier marks the 11th anniversary of the program that Toni Morrison, a creative writing professor and Noble Laureate, started in the spring of 1994. Following a tradition of innovative performances, this show, "The Midsummer Project: Ancient Ritual Song and Experimental Video from Ukraine," promises to raise the bar even higher.
As a first-time collaboration between professional artists Mariana Sadovska, Lars Jan and Roger Babb, the show brings together a wide range of experience and talent. The performance also features seven students enrolled in HUM 498: Sarah Adeyinka '06, Adam Brenner '06, Ethan Clarke '06, Ruby Pan '06, Amy Widdowson '06 and music department grad students Ruth Ochs and Miriam Young.
The performance draws from Sadovska's recent work with rural singers in Ukraine. The folk songs that will be performed are traditionally sung during the midsummer season, a time, according to folklore, when women enter into a trance and are transformed into witches.
Don't be fooled — the performance is not simply five ladies singing in a trance. It also involves simple dance movements and a video framing of the performances that promises to be mind-blowing. Where else can you experience Ukrainian singing alongside experimental video imaging?
"We were interested in creating a collaboration that would explore the ways in which moving digital images would interact and frame these strange transformation songs," said director Babb, professor of theater arts at Mt. Holyoke College. Jan, a videographer from New York City, worked with Brenner and Clarke to create the visual scene that surrounds the engaging performance. Some of the captivating imagery will include clips of Sadovska's expeditions in Eastern Europe.
Though Babb, Jan and Sadovska basically drive the piece, students are involved at every level of production, including directing. As a result, the creative scope and vision of the work was generated by a joint effort between students and professionals.
Though such collaboration could have been difficult for these solo artists, Babb explained that the real challenge was keeping the students committed to the material, since it requires so much concentration and, as he put it, "stamina." While sometimes it felt as if there were three directors, Pan explains that "they would agree to disagree and in turn generate so many ideas together."
Even though some of the singers had previous training in vocal performance, the songs were not easy for students to learn, especially since they were in Ukrainian. It was almost like learning to "undo their training to sing in the folk style," Pan said.
"This project has been one of the most challenging artistic pieces I have ever worked on, but also one of the most rewarding. I've had to push my voice to its limit more than once, and as a result, have learned that I can sing in ways I didn't think I could," Widdowson said.
The simplistic set draws your attention to the fascinating sound and visuals, thrusting you into a trance-like state. Designed by Babb and Jan, the set includes a table with screens in front and behind. The back screen is bigger and separated into two parts, so the captivating images can be projected everywhere.
The show will be performed March 26 at Richardson Auditorium at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets are free. For more information, call 258-9062.
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