Goddesspell Synopsis
The Goddesspell ensemble consists of 7 performers (approximately 4 females and 3 males of diverse backgrounds and ages) and a production crew. The specifics of the show will be developed by the ensemble and will include contributions by additional artists of varied disciplines .
The theatre is the character Mother Earth with the trunks of trees rising up each side of the stage with their branches creating a frame at the top. The space is infused with the smell of sacred cedar.
At the top of the show the house lights are dimmed but remain up as the elder of the ensemble, representing the indigenous people, calls in the four directions and offers up a prayer to Mother Earth and we fade to black
PART I- The Mother (Mawu) emerges from the tree of life and takes us on a global journey of the divine feminine throughout the ages (this is part is about 2/3 of the show).
A BIG (bang) flash of light and we go to back to black as ethereal sounds begin to fill the auditorium. .the universe is being born, stars appear simultaneously with the sound HER breath, ethereal voices enter the soundscape and as the music builds we travel past the planets as simulated on the stage screen and then the earth appears and gets as big as the screen with the climax of the music. We are viewing Mother Earth as if we are in space. The music ends and out of the silence we begin to hear the sounds of nature as the earth fades and the silhouette of the Tree of Life appears.
A man steps up front and center and says, “In the beginning, God created Man. . ." He is interrupted by deep rich laughter as the powerful presence of a black woman in her prime appears out of the silhouette and eventually moves from it to join him. She proceeds with humor to set him straight and enlighten him on the fact that long before the Bible and for thousands of years humankind worshipped the Goddess as the Creator/Source/Divine. At some point, she acknowledges, “Oh don’t get me wrong, we need God the Father (our divine masculine), but, oh, are we missing our Mother these days!!! You want more peace, love and harmony. . .you gotta start honoring and respecting the Mother, brother!. . . for that matter ALL that is inherently feminine. Yin complementing the Yang will keep the world sane, young man. So let’s do some remembering together, ok?” Our Goddess the Mother (Mawu- African goddess tradition) then takes us on a journey as we experience a variety of vignettes each focusing on an individual goddess each of which represents a different aspect of the feminine throughout time and place. Vignettes are approximately 5-10 minutes and vary in content (dance, spoken word, poetry, dramatic scene, music, mask theatre, puppetry) and contour, reflecting the music and culture of the part of the world the goddess comes from. All are a feast for the senses and engage the audience in unique/interactive ways- at times the audience literally becomes part of the scene. Mother Mawu plays the role of the creator of our journey as the narrator, transitioning from one vignette to another and at times even stepping into them herself.
PART II- The transition. We depict the results of the oppression and suppression of the feminine as the masculine principle rises to dominance- a generally patriarchal world out of balance.
Kali (Hindu goddess of death and destruction that leads to rebirth) makes a climactic entrance as we witness the death of Goddess the Mother (the burning of the Tree of Life) symbolizing the suppression/oppression of the feminine energy which creates imbalance. The musical piece, "This Burning", underscores visual images and possibly shadow puppetry that are used to convey the devastating effects of this imbalance. The scene becomes more and more intense as we are bombarded with images and sounds (weeping and wailing) getting faster and louder until everything stops, and goes dark with a clap of thunder as the cast collapses on the stage floor. The sound of pouring rain continues in the dark and as it begins to subside the lights dawn on stage.
PART III- The transformation. The storm ends and there is a dawning/an awakening/a call to action and a celebration for the balanced world we are creating.
The cast rises with the lights, taking off their costume pieces, revealing “everyday” clothes. They are renewed, reborn as themselves (possibly rising with a song they are singing together) and for the rest of the show, they engage with the audience from an authentic, in the moment place with the house lights partially up and the fourth wall down. This portion of the show is focused on being present with the subject at hand and may include some spoken word/monologue as the performers sharing personal thoughts/stories and then engage the audience in a way that elicits response. By this time it is our intention that the show as a whole has helped opened peoples minds and hearts to the point where there is somewhat of a conversation happening between cast and audience/audience and their "neighbor"- a sense of community. The cast will inspire the audience to a call to action- something they will do – no matter how small, moving forward to help create a world with more balance. The finale is a rousing celebratory number with African drums and dance.
At the conclusion of this number, the elder from the beginning enters to offer a traditional closing (breaking of the circle) ritual and as the house lights come up signaling the end of the show, there is a reprise of the last song with an invitation to the audience members to join the cast on stage to dance free-style.
The theatre is the character Mother Earth with the trunks of trees rising up each side of the stage with their branches creating a frame at the top. The space is infused with the smell of sacred cedar.
At the top of the show the house lights are dimmed but remain up as the elder of the ensemble, representing the indigenous people, calls in the four directions and offers up a prayer to Mother Earth and we fade to black
PART I- The Mother (Mawu) emerges from the tree of life and takes us on a global journey of the divine feminine throughout the ages (this is part is about 2/3 of the show).
A BIG (bang) flash of light and we go to back to black as ethereal sounds begin to fill the auditorium. .the universe is being born, stars appear simultaneously with the sound HER breath, ethereal voices enter the soundscape and as the music builds we travel past the planets as simulated on the stage screen and then the earth appears and gets as big as the screen with the climax of the music. We are viewing Mother Earth as if we are in space. The music ends and out of the silence we begin to hear the sounds of nature as the earth fades and the silhouette of the Tree of Life appears.
A man steps up front and center and says, “In the beginning, God created Man. . ." He is interrupted by deep rich laughter as the powerful presence of a black woman in her prime appears out of the silhouette and eventually moves from it to join him. She proceeds with humor to set him straight and enlighten him on the fact that long before the Bible and for thousands of years humankind worshipped the Goddess as the Creator/Source/Divine. At some point, she acknowledges, “Oh don’t get me wrong, we need God the Father (our divine masculine), but, oh, are we missing our Mother these days!!! You want more peace, love and harmony. . .you gotta start honoring and respecting the Mother, brother!. . . for that matter ALL that is inherently feminine. Yin complementing the Yang will keep the world sane, young man. So let’s do some remembering together, ok?” Our Goddess the Mother (Mawu- African goddess tradition) then takes us on a journey as we experience a variety of vignettes each focusing on an individual goddess each of which represents a different aspect of the feminine throughout time and place. Vignettes are approximately 5-10 minutes and vary in content (dance, spoken word, poetry, dramatic scene, music, mask theatre, puppetry) and contour, reflecting the music and culture of the part of the world the goddess comes from. All are a feast for the senses and engage the audience in unique/interactive ways- at times the audience literally becomes part of the scene. Mother Mawu plays the role of the creator of our journey as the narrator, transitioning from one vignette to another and at times even stepping into them herself.
PART II- The transition. We depict the results of the oppression and suppression of the feminine as the masculine principle rises to dominance- a generally patriarchal world out of balance.
Kali (Hindu goddess of death and destruction that leads to rebirth) makes a climactic entrance as we witness the death of Goddess the Mother (the burning of the Tree of Life) symbolizing the suppression/oppression of the feminine energy which creates imbalance. The musical piece, "This Burning", underscores visual images and possibly shadow puppetry that are used to convey the devastating effects of this imbalance. The scene becomes more and more intense as we are bombarded with images and sounds (weeping and wailing) getting faster and louder until everything stops, and goes dark with a clap of thunder as the cast collapses on the stage floor. The sound of pouring rain continues in the dark and as it begins to subside the lights dawn on stage.
PART III- The transformation. The storm ends and there is a dawning/an awakening/a call to action and a celebration for the balanced world we are creating.
The cast rises with the lights, taking off their costume pieces, revealing “everyday” clothes. They are renewed, reborn as themselves (possibly rising with a song they are singing together) and for the rest of the show, they engage with the audience from an authentic, in the moment place with the house lights partially up and the fourth wall down. This portion of the show is focused on being present with the subject at hand and may include some spoken word/monologue as the performers sharing personal thoughts/stories and then engage the audience in a way that elicits response. By this time it is our intention that the show as a whole has helped opened peoples minds and hearts to the point where there is somewhat of a conversation happening between cast and audience/audience and their "neighbor"- a sense of community. The cast will inspire the audience to a call to action- something they will do – no matter how small, moving forward to help create a world with more balance. The finale is a rousing celebratory number with African drums and dance.
At the conclusion of this number, the elder from the beginning enters to offer a traditional closing (breaking of the circle) ritual and as the house lights come up signaling the end of the show, there is a reprise of the last song with an invitation to the audience members to join the cast on stage to dance free-style.
