Nightswimming
written and directed by Jeffrey Fracé
with text by Morgan Dawson
music by Aaron Otheim
Nightswimming is an original theatre-dance-opera hybrid that tells the story of two outsiders looking for home on a road trip through the US in the 1970s. Both a celebration and critique of nostalgia, this show asks us where we find meaning as we reconsider our personal and political histories. Th
is piece urges the audience to think about a past that they long for and to examine that longing. It asks us to reconsider popular notions of the 1970s as decadent and depressing. It weighs whether innocence has value or simply describes lack of knowledge. It reconsiders adolescence: can some of its qualities, when remembered, enliven our adulthood, and make the world more fun? It inspires people to go skinny dipping. Nightswimming features 14 performers (actors and dancers), half of whom are also strong singers. Jeffrey Frace is directing the show and writing the libretto, while poet Morgan Dawson is contributing lyrics and additional text. Composer Aaron Otheim is writing original music as well as radically adapting covers of 1970s songs. Last summer, Jeffrey researched the many threads that weave together in Nightswimming, including 1970s history, the circus, Arthur Rimbaud, Stevie Nicks, schizophrenia, astrophysics, and nostalgia. He fleshed out the characters and the story. In September he gathered an ensemble, and in five days we staged nearly an hour’s worth of material. It is time to go back into the studio with the performers to make the rest of the show. We will be working full-time for two weeks from June 19-30, and on the last evening we will share our progress with an invited audience. We will also make a video, so that we can pitch this show to presenters. We are confident that Nightswimming will see a full production in 2018. Performers:
Rachael Lincoln
Leslie Kraus
Dylan Ward
Timaeus Le
Tamsen Glaser
Porscha Shaw
Alyssa Norling
Taige Lauren
Scott Davis
Andre Brown
Sheila Houlahan
Rheanna Atendido
Tanit Graffelman
Jeffrey Fracé
Designers/Brainstormers:
Alirose Panzarella
Jessica Roxann Jones
Stage Manager:
Ben Therrien
Associate Producer:
Mary Hubert
