Underground River, winner of a 1998 BESSIE Award as a “risk-taking and profound theatrical tour de force,” is an exploration of the rich fantasy life of a girl who appears to the outside world to be unconscious. Singing a cappella songs by Toshi Reagon and interacting with the magical visual creations of master puppeteer Basil Twist, the dancers dwell in a world of magic realism and eccentric beauty unseen by those who wish to make her “well.”
Concept/Direction/Text: Jane Comfort
Choreography: Jane Comfort and Company
Music: Toshi Reagon, Haydn and traditional folk song
Visual Effects: Basil Twist
Costumes: Liz Prince
Lighting Design: David Ferri
Original:
Aleta Hayes
Stephanie McKay
Stephen Nunley
Cynthia Svigals
Current:
Lucie Baker
Leslie Cuyjet
Ellie Harrison
Petra van Noort
Recorded Voices:
Leslie Nipkow, Larkin Malloy and Emily Weiner
Performance History:
Premiere: PS 122, New York City – 1998
Restaged: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival – July 2011
Commission by Jacob’s Pillow/PillowWorks series, with additional support from The New York State Council on the Arts and The Harkness Foundation for Dance.
