For Tender
Written by Matt Russell and Tina Mitchell with additional material by Rachael Kirkham
Produced by Mitchell Productions Inc and 5th Wall Studio
Performed and co-directed by Tina Mitchell
Co-Director Matt Russell
Sound and Lighting Design Austin Yoshida
Featuring Stage Manager/Performer Sam Willett
Producers Tina Mitchell and Dora Graham
Aerial design & choreography Gwyneth Larsen, Billy Mulholland & Rebecca Magazine at 5th Wall Studio
Original Music by Helen Yee, Celia Spero and Vincent Vega
Aerial Rigger Rebecca Magazine
Non Aerial Finale choreography Natalie Lomonte
Additional Choreography William Nelson
Fight Consultant Jayme Woj
Voice consultant Jillian Courtney
Photography Matt Davies
Videography Al Foote III
For Tender is an expression of the body and soul coming together in a display of physical theatre, aerialism, and dripping satirical humour. It will take you on a journey of joy, pain, sacrifice and abandon. An ecstatically pitiful and hilariously woeful roller coaster of heart break and desire. For Tender is an exploration of the narratives we use to understand ourselves and what is left when we give ourselves to others. It is an intermingling of physical theatre and soliloquy that creates a comedic, dark and intimate communication space with its audience. Using non-traditional staging, this is an immersive theatre experience that utilises horizontal sightlines and intimate staging to create a unique interactive space where the audience is both observer and observed scene partner.
View short trailer here.
View long trailer here.
Mata Hari
Mata Hari is an exploration of love and survival of the famous woman whose exploits in espionage took her back and forth across WWI Europe and ultimately made her a scapegoat. Mata Hari is a hybrid work that pushes the operatic form with its electro-acoustic instrumentation, mixed vocal styles, physical theatre, manipulated video design, and melding of historical materials. Set in a Paris prison during the final months of her life, Mata Hari relives her tempestuous relationships with the men who loved and loathed her, and ultimately destroyed her.
Mata Hari was commissioned by the HERE Arts Center New York and produced by HERE and Beth Morrison Projects for 2017 Prototype Festival.
Team
Composer: Matt Marks
Librettist/Director: Paul Peers
Lead Artist: Tina Mitchell
Conductor: David Bloom
Scenic Designer: Neal Wilkinson
Light Designer: Lucrecia Briceno
Projection Designer: David Palmer
Costume Designer: Oana Botez
Sound Engineer: Isaac Jones
Choreographer: Anabella Lenzu
Stage Manager: Aislinn Curry
Cast
Mata Hari: Tina Mitchell
Sister Léonide: Mary MacKenzie
Cpt. Bouchardon: Jeffrey Gavett
Cpt. Ladoux: Daniel Neer
MacLeod/Col. Denvignes: Steve Hrycelak
Vadime/Spirit of Norman: Tomás Cruz
Col. Von Kalle: Joshua Jeremiah
Orchestra
Electric Guitar: James Moore
Piano: Mila Henry
Violin: Helen Yee
Accordion: Kamala Sankaram
Show Press
“Bracingly unsentimental…Mr. Marks’s most striking innovation is a bold mix of vocal styles...the different sonic worlds came together poignantly…Mr. Peers’s smart libretto adopts a process that peels away his title character’s contradictions, unreliable memories, half-lies and compromising admissions in a way that subtly notches up the pathos”
— Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times
“Absorbing, finely-crafted…opera, at its best, is a form that can dispatch narrative and dramatic complications with a single melody or modulation, and Mata Hari is full of intelligent dramatic thinking and fine musical craft”
— George Grella, New York Classical Review
“Mata Hari, a speaking role played by a commanding Tina Mitchell, gains our sympathy with ease…Mary Mackenzie as the crass nun, and the only other female performer and only female singing voice, wins our support, too, by being the sole supporter of our persecuted hero. Every performer has moments to shine, and the stylistically mixed music by Matt Marks provides a welcome variety to the score. It lives by its own rules, just as Mata Hari did”
— Rachel Karp, Contemporary Performance
“Dramatically and theatrically as stunning as anything of this type I’ve seen in New York. Mr. Marks’ Mata Hari was not only operatic, but the varied musical forms made it inventive and startling. Mr. Peers’ management of the drama was faultless.”
— Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet
Video
Mata Hari Director/Composer Interview: https://vimeo.com/19101934
Touring Information
The company is comprised of 7 performers (1 actor – Tina Mitchell and 6 singers), a 4-piece orchestra, conductor, sound engineer, choreographer, stage manager, and creative team. We are open to using local singers and instrumentalists through an audition process. All performers and orchestra are amplified including some prerecorded track elements. The piece has a highly interactive video design with the performers and set. A detailed tech-rider can be provided upon request.
Cast-Breakdown
Mata Hari – Spoken Role (Cast – Tina Mitchell)
Sister Leonide – Mezzo-Soprano
Cpt. Bouchardon – Baritone
Vadime/Spirit of Norman – High Tenor
McLeod/Cpt. Denvigne – Bass-Baritone
Cpt. Ladoux – Tenor
Col. Von Kalle – Baritone
Orchestra
Piano, Electric Guitar, Violin, Accordion
Running Time: 85min
Photography by Paula Court
