Guest Performers, Panelists Announced for PGEC's HILDEGARD at La MaMa

La MaMa presents Pioneers Go East Collective's production of HILDEGARD (vision), an intimate and immersive performance installation inspired by the life and work of visionary nun Hildegard Von Bingen, written by Abby Felder and directed by Gian Marco Lo Forte with sound design/composition by John Sully, and choreography by Ellen Fisher, December 3 - 20th at LaMaMa, 74A East 4th Street in Manhattan with opening on Sunday, December 6th.

The Collective has announced special guest performances by Kamala Sankaram, who the Wall Street Journal has praised as "an impassioned soprano with blazing high notes," and The New York Times has called "strikingly original." She will join the cast on stage and perform a live composition by Hildegard Von Bingen during two remaining Sunday performances of HILDEGARD (vision), Dec 13 and 20 at 2:00. The singer, who has contributed recorded compositions and served as the production's Musical Director, was seen most recently as a performer in Soho Rep and Ars Nova's FUTURITY, and as a composer, her commissions include Beth Morrison Projects, HERE Arts Center, Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Orchestra, and Opera on Tap, among others.

Additionally, two performances will be accompanied by post-show discussions with panelists from academia and the film and television industries:

On Friday December 11 following the 7:30 performance Dr. Allison Curseen of Baruch College, whose teaching and research fields include Black Studies, American literature, and Child Studies will moderate a panel called "Women, Performance and Spirituality" with professors Dr. Jennifer N. Brown, who teaches courses in medieval and early modern literature, and Dr. Jill Stevenson, who teaches courses in theatre history and theory, both of Marymount Manhattan College.

On Saturday December 19 following the 7:30 performance, Meg Reticker, a film and television editor whose credits include the award winning shows Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, True Detective, 30 Rock, Jonathan Ames new show Blunt Talk starring Patrick Stewart, as well as feature film credits with Joey Lauren Adams, Adam Rapp, and David Wain, and documentary work with Richard LaGravenese and Ted Demme and Michael Moore, will lead a panel on expressions of Hildegard in film and the use of live camera on stage.

HILDEGARD (vision) is a stunning performance with sound installation, medieval music and found text, object puppetry, stop animation and live and recorded video, inspired by the life and work of the mystic, artist and "proto-feminist" Hildegard Von Bingen. The performance is structured around the four phases of a migraine cycle which are believed to have caused hallucinations that formed the basis of Hildegard's artwork and metaphysics, and explore how they fed her creative expression, allowing her to transcend her cloistered environment.

"In researching the migraine cycle, we learned that the accompanying auditory and visual hallucinations enable insight into the neurological process behind sight and sound, as well as the way time and space are perceived," explained director Gian Marco Lo Forte. "The migraine, which is often triggered by an emotional event, is expansive, and we believe the root of Hildegard's ability to image a life beyond the confines of her faith, environment and gender. Using soundscape and video to define Hildegard's temporal (past and present) and spatial (internal and external) locations allows spectators to have a shared perspective with the piece's protagonist."

The work includes two opera singers, and 4 performers. Both spoken text and songs are live and/or processed through microphones. The soundscape includes medieval sounds that link spectators to Hildegard's historical context. The performance relies on visuals and video - both live and recorded - to define the motions of the migraine process; ultimately the work depicts Hildegard's creative journey as a meditative, live art experience.

The PGEC & HILDEGARD (vision) creative team includes Gian Marco Lo Forte (concept/direction & production design), Abby Felder (concept/ writer/ puppetry), John Sully (concept/ composition & sound design), Ellen Fisher (choreography), Juan Merchan (lighting design), musical direction by Kamala Sankaram, and dramaturgy by Allison Curseen. The piece includes assistant directors Nadja Leonhard-Hooper and Penelope Luksic, and puppet construction by Ashanti Coombs-Ziths. The work has been developed as a collaboration between Gian Marco Lo Forte, Abby Felder and John Sully and excerpts were presented at La MaMa, St Ann's Warehouse - Puppet Lab in '14, as well as Governors Island/ Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Process Space in '14.

HILDEGARD (vision) features performers/musicians: Marina Celander (Hildegard); Nehprii Amenii (Richardis, a young Nun and Hildegard's protégé/ dog in the vision play); Seth Gilman (tenor/ Volmar, Hildegard's secretary and confidant), Kamala Sankaram (soprano /pre-recorded songs of Hildegard's medieval music); Tali Custer (pig in the vision play) Daniel Diaz (lion in the vision play).

Remaining performances of HILDEGARD (vision) are Thursday Dec 10th to Saturday Dec 12th at 7.30pm & Sunday Dec 13th at 2pm; Thursday Dec 17th to Saturday Dec 19th at 7.30pm & Sunday Dec 20th at 2pm.

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