Overtone Presents New Ritualistic Opera CYNOSEMMA

Overtone Industries, in collaboration with By The Souls of Our Feet (BTSOOF), is proud to present Part I of their epic tale, Cynosemma: A Dirge from the Dog's Tomb, running for four performances over the weekend of Friday, August 17th through Sunday, August 19, 2018. Co-Directed by Nathan Singh and Sabina Zuniga Varela with music by O-Lan Jones and libretto by Megan Breen, Cynosemma is a ritualistic opera ripped from the myth of Hecuba. Part I is a ceremonial exploration of the ancient but immediate clash between possession and liberation. The infamous Queen of Troy (played by Jones), along with her daughters and a tribe of women face off with the men responsible for the fall of their city. The limited engagement will take place at Son of Semele (3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004). Audience members are invited to stay afterwards for refreshments and a post-show symposium. For additional information, please visit http://www.overtoneindustries.org/current_productions.

Cynosemma, an equity approved showcase, will take place on Friday August 17th at 8:00pm, Saturday, August 18th for a matinee at 2:00pm plus an evening show at 8:00pm and Sunday August 19th at 5:00pm. Total runtime is approximately 75-minutes, which includes 45-minutes of performance and 30-minutes for the post-show talk-back. Tickets are $15 in advanced, $20 general admission at the door and $18 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.artful.ly/son-of-semele-ensemble/store/events/15701.

Cynosemma is choreographed by Kristin Condon. The full cast of Cynosemma: A Dirge from the Dog's Tomb, Part I includes: Camillle Cardinale, Liz Eldridge, Lauren Han, Michael Harris, O-Lan Jones, Abe Martell, Livia Reiner and MJ Silva.

Part I of Cynosemma: A Dirge From the Dog's Tomb is a primitive opera that explores the ceremonial roots of the Hecuba myth. The action is structured via five visceral rituals marked as "stations." Part I presents the first three of these stations. Station One conjures a creation myth in the realm of women, Station Two wrestles with rigorous power shifts between the masculine and feminine, and Station Three struggles with revering the dual heroism and devastation of a pivotal sacrifice.

The performance will be followed by a curated forum and collective reflection for audience and artists to complete the theatrical ritual, moderated by Megan Breen and Sabina Zuniga Varela. This post-show symposium will include questions about the contemporary relevance of classic Greek archetypes, and the possible interpretations of sacred masculinity and femininity in today's world. Wine and snacks will be provided.

Son of Semele first encountered members of BTSOOF with a production of Serpentine Pink by Megan Breen and directed by Nathan Singh as part of the Company Creation Festival. O-Lan Jones and Michael Harris starred in Serpentine Pink, along with BTSOOF members Kristin Condon and Sabina Zuniga Varela.

"I and the others in By the Souls of Our Feet are so thrilled to summon the visceral theatre gods with O-Lan once again," beams Megan Breen. "She directed a magical production of a play with songs I wrote at USC and was absolutely riveting in our inaugural piece at Son of Semele - Serpentine Pink - but this collaboration with her as the Overtone Industries composer as well as the iconic Hecuba is the most exciting and epic. Her primitive and provocative storytelling aesthetic pairs so fittingly with the By The Souls' mission to conjure poetic and raw theatre experiences, but Cynosemma most potently manifests how both companies' fervent desire to fearlessly experiment with and create sensorially and emotionally invigorating mythical experiences packs an extraordinarily powerful and affecting artistic punch. We are so honored to work with such a brilliant myth-maker as O-Lan Jones!"

For tickets - https://www.artful.ly/son-of-semele-ensemble/store/events/15701

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