Photos from the opening of Melissa Webb's In A Material World...

Melissa Webb

Melissa Webb's solo show of costumes, characters and installations brought a crowd out to Imperato, many for the first (and maybe only) time. Enlisting dozens of friends to wear the artist's costumes and accessories, gnomes passed around platters of food, ballerinas bartended and the uppity ladies on stilts towered over the gallery-goers. While the opening was the main event, the costume installations and photographs of Melissa's costumes, taken by Uli Loskot, will be on display through September 12.










For more information, visit Imperato's website

A Murmured Tale

In this adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid by Chloe Tietjen, Rachel Tietjen, Erika Tietjen, and Melanie Paterson, we are transported to an underwater land filled with singing, dancing, and a gold cod piece. There was obviously a great deal of effort and time put into this play because it was phenomenal. It was barely advertised, but the space was filled. The costumes were elegant, ranging from simple body suits to ornate and lustrous mermaid outfits adorned with jewels. This tale is different that the well known and loved Disney version, with a much darker ending. The performers were all very talented and at times it seemed like a ballet. The set was simple with shadow screens and colored lights, yet totally effective in creating a beautiful underwater atmosphere. The use of black light and neon masks was also simply stunning. The jellyfish scene was one of the most gorgeous and memorable in the play. Dark lighting helped create a murky ambiance in which jellyfish danced and undulated as their tentacles flowed. It was spectacular! A perfect combination of sight and sound! Another standout part was the shipwreck scene, where sailors floated in an underwater limbo. The dancers’ movements perfectly captured the sense of being underwater.

At times it was difficult to hear what was being spoken, but it may be because of our seating location. This was overall a very beautiful performance that left you with a feeling of satisfaction and a voyage into imagination.

Written Sara Seidman and Sarah Matson

The Written World @ Copycat Annex

In Evan Moritz’s new play, The Written World, we are shown an apocalyptic portrayal of spiritual abandonment; the ultimate freedom. This original work touches on the idea of a world where God has given up on people. The main character is the Deacon of the Church of God Reworded (played by Tim Paggi). He is the last living human. His lonely existence is plagued by the ghosts of his past; memories that retell the demise of the world. In this work we meet the Reverend (played by Chris Shivers), the creator of the new bible, who believes he made God disconnect from society. We also meet St Katherine of Pittsburgh (played by Kaitlin Murphy) who inspired the mass suicide that destroyed the rest of the living world. Living a life filled with nothing but beauty and pleasure, mankind became bored and that ultimately became the downfall of a perfect society. God created a sonic race (voiced by Rusty Burke and Becca Cohn) to bring beauty and joy to humans, but after years as the last human, the Deacon was annoyed by them.

Over all the play was enjoyable, though confusing. Upon entering the performance space, everyone was handing a glass of wine and was told to wait until “the right time” to drink it. This interactivity was very satisfying as the audience was able to partake in the symbolic drinking of St Katherine’s blood.

The set was very impressive with stacks of books and pages plastered to the walls, as well as an installation by Michael Farley. Music by Owen Gardner. The costumes created by Grace Bedwell were very appropriate, with wild patterns paired with subtle earth tones. Their worn looking construction evoked a utopian time fading and a transition to dissolution of minds and bodies. We only wish that the costumes worn by the Voices were eventually shown to the audience because they were also fantastic.

Installation by Michael Farley:

Written by Sara Seidman and Sarah Matson