Photo Flash: Rachel Klein's SYMPHONY OF SHADOWS at Dixon Place

Dixon Place presents the world premiere of Rachel Klein's Symphony of Shadows: A Tale from the Land Beyond the Veil, now through June 23 at Dixon Place, New York. This movement-based spectacular tells the story of a woman combating a variety of sleep disorders, phantasmagorical night terrors, hypnotic horrors & other visually stunning conjurings from the subconscious depths of her own disturbed mind. See below for photos from the production!

Symphony of Shadows merges striking elements of circus & aerial arts, dance & movement, burlesque & operatic productions to vividly illustrate its storyline in a genre-defying form which "evokes a live-action silent film." Symphony of Shadows was commissioned by Dixon Place as a world premiere as part of the theater's Monde Cane original works series.

Starring the expressionistic theatrics of the Rachel Klein Theater Ensemble (The Tragedy of Maria Macabre, Act Up! At Howl Festival), aerialists from the House of Yes (Brooklyn's foremost aerial venue-Circus of Circus, Caligula), dancers from Martha Graham Company II, Alvin Ailey, the Love Show (Nutcracker: Rated R) & Desert Sin Dance Company (Museé de Femmes at The Zipper Factory) along with acrobatic interludes from Bro Circus (Oh! You Pretty Things at (le) Poisson Rouge, Blunderland at Red Lotus Room), an original concerto by Sean Hagerty (Steampunk Haunted House at Abrons Art Center) & a live electric string orchestra. Symphony of Shadows, the company's largest production to date, includes a cast of 25 dancers, aerialists, musicians, a contortionist & silent film style actors.

Rachel Klein (Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer) is a director, choreographer, producer & costume/production designer. Miss Klein established the RKP ensemble in 2007, with her adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost & has since worked with RKP & other collaborators (including Junta Juleil Theatricals, the Jackie Factory, Disgraced Productions, HQ Rep, the House of Yes, Bluebox Productions & Razors Edge Productions) to build & develop the full length productions The Tragedy of Maria Macabre, Metro, All Kinds of Shifty Villains, Sir Sheever, Aenigma, Go-Go Killers!, Hound, Princes of Darkness, Circus of Circus, A Midsummer Night's Dream & Lizardman, a Musical. Shorter works & dance pieces include Our Prison, La Enferma, Medusa, Sisters of the Moon, Sweeter Than Wine, Killer Workout, Beat Girl, Rocky Horror at Oh! You Pretty Things, London Calling, March of the Black Queen, ACT Up! Ballet: Why? & Night of the Living Dolls.

The Rachel Klein Theater Ensemble's choreographic work has been presented throughout the city at several venues, festivals, art galleries & nightlife events including the Kitchen, Dixon Place, Theater for the New City, DUMBO Dance Festival, Night of 1000 Stevies, the Highline Ballroom, La MaMa, Banzai! at the Red Lotus Room, legendary rock 'n roll club Don Hill's, the Hiro Ballroom, the Bushwick Site Fest, Bushwick Open Studios Festival, the World Famous Bob's Give Thanks!, Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, the House of Yes, HOWL Festival & Off-Broadway at the Bleecker Street Theater. Miss Klein was a 2010 recipient of the Emerging Artists' ResidenCy Grant from the Field in Association with the Tides Foundation, currently curates a monthly performance art review at Bowery Poetry Club & was nominated for Outstanding Director of a Play & Outstanding Choreography/Movement for the 2011 New York Innovative Theater Awards.

Sean Hagerty (Composer, Musician) is a composer, sound designer & violinist, specializing in live electronics & music for theater & dance. Upon arriving in New York, he found himself writing arrangements for the Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd, performed at the 20th Annual Easter Bonnet Festival. He also performed with the cast, playing violin on his arrangement of "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down," at the Bowery Ballroom.

Symphony of Shadows features a story by Rachel Klein & Sean Gill, Costume design by Rachel Klein, Kae Burke & Make Fun Studios & will be stage managed by Marina Steinberg. Starring in Symphony of Shadows are Elizabeth Stewart, Michael Porsche, Danielle Marie Fusco & Eric Schmalenberger & featuring Ted Caine, Brian Ferree, Xavier Hageman, Zahra Hashemian, Abdiel Jacobsen, ChrisTina Johnson, Natasha King, Kristen Lee, Freddy Mancilla, Ka Mazing, Danny Mendoza, Nicki Miller, Robyn Nielsen, Megan O'Connor, Scooter Pie, Evgenia Radilova, Brian Rubiano, Francis Stallings & Shadow Orchestra.

For more information, visit www.dixonplace.org and www.rachelkleinproductions.com.

Photo credit: Michael Blase

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