Woolly Mammoth Sets Companion Events for CHEROKEE

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company will be inviting audiences to attend pre- and post-show "House Lights Up" events, curated by Woolly Mammoth's Connectivity Department, that coincide with the third production of Woolly's Season 35, Cherokee by Lisa D'Amour.

On Sunday, February 15, Woolly will feature "Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy," a world premiere piece by acclaimed performance artist/activist Gregg Deal which explores Indigenous identity and pop-culture, examining issues of race relations, historical consideration, and stereotype. Deal's latest performance piece tackles romantic tropes and cultural appropriation with humor to drive the issue home: romanticism isn't real Indianism. In this unflinching examination, created especially for Woolly Mammoth, Deal speaks to these issues with intelligence and sharp wit, both as an Indigenous man and a contemporary artist. The performance, which will be followed by a Q&A with the audience, will take place at 5pm in the Rehearsal Hall, and is free and open to the public. Seat reservations can be made here.

On Wednesday, February 18, Woolly is hosting The Great (Urban) Escape: Enter the Woods, the first of a two-part wellness workshop series. In collaboration with local boutique wellness studio Spa Room, Enter the Woods is an exploration of the five senses through meditation, mindfulness, and movement led by body-mind psychotherapist Mary Szegda and Somatic Ecologist Rob Bettmann. Participants are encouraged to wear movement friendly clothing and bring a yoga mat (if possible), and are invited to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine following the event. The workshop will take place at 6:15pm in the Rehearsal Hall, and is free and open to the public. Reservations can be made here.

Following the 3pm performance of Cherokee on February 21, Woolly will be joined by NPR's Code Switch team for Navigating Cultural Spaces, a post-show discussion panel. The Code Switch panelists - NPR journalists at the forefront of the dialogue on race, ethnicity and culture - will unpack questions of identity and authenticity in Cherokee, and discuss how these issues play out in our own lives and communities. This conversation will take place in the Woolly Theatre.

Following the 2pm performance of Cherokee on February 22, Woolly will be joined by scholars from the American and Women's Studies Departments at the University of Maryland, College Park for a post-show discussion entitled Are You What You Eat? Race, Identity, and Food in Cherokee. This panel looks at how Cherokee playwright Lisa D'Amour uses food, clothing, and other objects to mark important changes in the narrative and transformative passages for the characters. Following the discussion, the Neighborhood Farm Initiative (NFI) will lead an interactive demonstration of plant families, seed saving, and unconventional edibles in the lobby.

On Thursday, February 26, Woolly will host The Great (Urban) Escape: Take Root with Sculpt DC, the second installment of Woolly's wellness workshop series. This session will focus on yoga as a tool for stress relief and self-care, and will be led by Sculpt DC instructor Sarah Bovim. All levels are welcome. Participants are encouraged to wear movement friendly clothing and bring a yoga mat (if possible), and are invited to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine following the event. The workshop will take place at 6:15pm in the Rehearsal Hall, and is free and open to the public. Reservations can be made here.

More information on each of these events can be found by visiting Woolly's website or by calling the Box Office at 202-393-3939. Tickets to Cherokee, which runs from February 9 through March 8, 2015, can be purchased through Woolly's online ticket service or by calling the Box Office.

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