BONE SORROW to Play Fertile Ground Festival 2024 Next Month

Bone Sorrow, a trio of dark surrealist dramas presented by a diverse cast of performers, will premiere as part of Fertile Ground Festival 2024 on April 18 and 21, at Chapel Theatre in Milwaukie. Haunting and evocative, each of the three pieces focuses on women's experiences, and the transcendent nature of love and self-realization within grief and tragedy. Tickets ($15) can be purchased at the button below.

“The Elder Tree” is set in a rural village hundreds of years ago, where life proceeds as usual until Bishop Grimald, charged by the church to root out demons and devils among the parishes, arrives with terrible intent. Goodly Grandmother Healingwood, the village midwife and healer, must do what she can to protect her young apprentice, Isobel, as well as all the other women of the village. A reflection on the current state of politics and religious institutions, The Elder Tree reminds us of the strength of the human spirit, both individually and collectively, and the possibility of women reclaiming their natural power.

“Cleave” is a poetic and evocative ghost story, in which Mama tries desperately to support her daughter, Little Plume, despite their poverty-stricken and desperate circumstances. Mysterious figures hover around the edges of this domestic scene, until the audience finally understands their purpose. Cleave depicts the real consequences of poverty — isolation, deprivation, chronic illness, homelessness — while also celebrating the indomitable power of hope.

“A Circle of Stones” is a reflection of the playwright's own struggles with generational mental illness. Set in both the past and the present, this piece follows three generations of women: matriarch Rosemarie, a single mother; Camelia, her daughter who suffers from constant delusions; and Hyacinth, Camelia's daughter. “A Circle of Stones” evokes the heartbreaking reality of trying to guide a brilliant child through a world that they only partially inhabit; the relentless force of mental illness; and the inevitable embrace of grief, guilt, regret, and forgiveness.

Playwright, director, and producer Nina Monique Kelly is a local performer and writer, and the founder of Whisper Skin Theatre. She believes in the healing power of sharing lived experiences with tragedy and generational trauma. A self-identified Pagan, she is also a ghost whisperer and has felt contact from the other side as long as she can remember. These two forces combine to bring an otherworldly, dreamlike, poetic quality to her work while still dealing with the misogyny in our world and the very real issues confronting women throughout history. Previous works include MOTHE, A Barefooted Letter Through Splintered Glass, and The Nunnery.

The cast for Bone Sorrow includes Bobbi Kaye Kupfner, Chris Padlodichuk, Damian Lichenstein, Dani Neblock, Esther Leon, Jen McDonnell, Laura Nelsen, Morgan Harrison, and Stephanie Crowley. Costumes and vocals are by Kelly's child, BLUE. Tomoè Martens is the violinist. Bone Sorrow is sponsored by PDX Playwrights.

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