Vessels
March 7–10, 2019
Taken from the Annenberg Center
What does freedom sound like in confinement? In the world premiere of Vessels, seven women explore the transcendental possibilities of music during the Middle Passage. Set in an interactive, sculptural environment that invokes those infamous ships, this interdisciplinary, speculative history work explores singing as a survival tool.
Each performance is followed by an experiential, interactive processing space.
Check out the suggested readings and playlist from Vessels’ creators!
Vessels is a part of The Philadelphians: Migrations That Made Our City, a series that explores the populations that migrated to and influenced our city, uncovering a unique, shared identity.
In keeping with a great Philadelphia tradition, we will also present several junto-style discussions, inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club, created to discuss issues, politics and philosophies of the day. In combination, these discussions, period performance and modern interpretations will connect us with those who created our cultural landscape.
Who is Philadelphia? What can we learn from our heritage, and how will our city be changed by new waves of immigrants? Join us as we examine our ancestry through music and discover how we came to be Philadelphians.
The presentation of Vessels was funded in part by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theatre Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Support for Vessels has been provided by The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation.