SHADOWS to Play Limited Run at Seacoast Rep

A revival of a haunting and powerful piece of theatre is coming to Seacoast Rep for a limited run August 30th - September 1st. Shadows is a locally developed work inspired by Neil Bousfield's wordless novel of woodcut images, Walking Shadows: A Novel without Words. This physical theatre piece was built through collaboration with cartoon scholar David Berona and Los Angeles composer Ben Kutner. Shadows is performed and co-created by physical theatre artist C. Robin Marcotte, professional dancer Amanda Whitworth, and director Elizabeth Daily-all colleagues at Plymouth State University.

"Reviving this show has been extremely rewarding," says Marcotte. "The opportunity to re-create it and collaborate with sculptor Vivian Beer to build the performance table has been a remarkable experience -- each of our passions fueling the other's, we would all leap to new and exciting ideas."

Shadows is a strikingly beautiful portrayal of a poor couple, working opposite shifts in the same factory, as they struggle through addiction and family crisis to find hope. They see that every decision is a choice, but finding the strength to break the cycle is the hardest choice of all. With its visceral, acrobatic movement and compelling story of strength, desire and loss, this one-act straddles the worlds of dance and theatre to leave you with a new definition of art and an evening of theatre you won't forget.

Through devising, the collaborators looked to the source material to define the style of the work. When they saw Bousfield's woodcuts of an assembly-line worker and a janitor, the physical aesthetic of the artwork and the labor of their jobs (and marriage) inspired them to bring the story to life.

Continuing with the theme of the wordless novel, Shadows does not contain spoken text. Instead, the creators sought ways to engage their bodies precariously, accompanied by original music, in hopes to elicit a powerful response from the audience.

The set is similarly minimal and focused on movement. A table is the only set piece. It was purpose-built for use in the show by renowned sculptor and metal worker, Vivian Beer. Beer's other works can be seen at the Smithsonian and Boston's own Museum of Fine Arts, as well as The Currier Museum in Manchester, NH.

Showtimes are Thursday August 30th at 7:30pm, Friday August 31st at 8:00pm, and Saturday September 1st at 8:00pm. For tickets, click the link below or call our box office Tuesday through Sunday, 12:00pm to 6:00pm at 603.433.4472. The performance runs 1 hour and contains adult themes.

Seacoast Repertory Theatre is located at 125 Bow Street in historic downtown Portsmouth New Hampshire. Our lobby bar opens one hour before showtime, and doors to the theater open at one half-hour before showtime. Handicap seating is available.

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit theatre committed to providing a variety of programming for the community. The Rep presents professional programming through its Mainstage, alternative programming through its Red Light Series and also offers a variety of programs for youth and seniors.

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