PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells
World Premiere at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts [2023]
PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells is an evening-length interactive performance experience that embodies the power of Black femme communities. Inspired by playwright, poet, and feminist Ntozake Shange (best known for her Obie Award-winning play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide), PURPLE amplifies and exalts the voices of women and nonbinary people.
The PURPLE performance experience occurs in two essential parts:
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What does PURPLE sound like?: a lobby pre-show multi media art installation
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A Ritual In Nine Spells: an evening length choreopoem for a multi-generational, femme ensemble of 12.
This singular artistic experience is part exhibition, part dance-theater performance, part community gathering. Every presentation is bespoke and responsive to the performance site and local communities (geographic and otherwise).
PURPLE: A Ritual in Nine Spells has a flexible performance model and can be iterated for large and small black box spaces, as well as proscenium stages.
PURPLE has been presented by Lincoln Center, Dance Place, and the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State.
choreography devised + directed by Sydnie L. Mosley associate direction by Amy Shoshana Blumberg in collaboration with dancers A. Nia Austin-Edwards, Kendra J. Bostock, Joan Bradford, Natasha Calixte, Alexis DeVance, Havana Fisher, Brianne Ford, Jazelynn S. Goudy, Justina Kamiel Grayman, Brittany Grier, Rebecca Gual, Dyane Harvey, Kadie Henderson, Lorena Jaramillo, Rosamond S. King, Ziiomi Law, Jessica Lee, Counterfeit Madison, Stephenni Miller-Allen, Halima Mossi, Jessica Ray, Veleda Roehl, Allegra Romita, SEHAY, Bianca Paige Smith, Ianne Fields Stewart, Candance Sumpter, Angelica Mondol Viaña, Charmaine Warren, Christine Wyatt, Maya Simone Z. dramaturgy by Connie Winston text by Ntozake Shange with additional text by Amy Shoshana Blumberg, Justina Grayman, Rebecca Gual, Dyane Harvey, Lorena Jaramillo, Rosamond S. King, Sydnie L. Mosley, Veleda Roehl spanish translations by Lorena Jaramillo music composed by Counterfeit Madison with additional music by Koko Taylor and Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah set and installation design by Shani Peters quilts on loan by Dr. Kim F. Hall lighting design by Alexandra Vasquez Dheming costume design by Hopi Lynn Burrows and Annie J. Le with additional costume design by Karisma Jay and Mechka Cherry audio description by Kayla Hamilton and Joselia Rebekah Hughes american sign language interpretation provided by SignNexus stage management by Sarah Herdrich and Becca Pickett technical direction by Carl Whipple and Tony Crawford with inspiration from Alice Walker and Ntozake Shange
What Does PURPLE Sound Like?
Lobby Installation
What does PURPLE sound like? is a multimedia art installation that activates the stories of older adults, women, and Black folks that we engage in the local communities where we share performances.
The lives of ordinary folks are often overlooked – PURPLE amplifies their undertold stories.
Each installation illuminates those stories through a bespoke curation of artistic media which may include: music, short films, quilts and textiles, photography, a library, live storytelling, and more, arranged in the venue lobby space in the aesthetic of the PURPLE universe created by
set and installation designer, Shani Peters.
The installation is free and accessible to the public.
What Does PURPLE Sound Like? has been presented by Hi-ARTS, Gibney, Lincoln Center, Dance Place, and the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State.
PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells
Media
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RADIO: WPSU NPR: Interactive show invites State College community to experience the color 'Purple'
VIDEO: Penn State Community Collaborators: Pheolyn Allen, Carmin Wong
VIDEO: Penn State Social Media
ARTICLE: Stance on Dance: Celebrating PURPLE
ARTICLE: Dancing in the District: Come Home To Yourself
ARTICLE: Brooklyn Rail: Sydnie Mosley with Siobhan Burke
ARTICLE: Barnard College: Sydnie Mosley '07 Amplifies Womens Voices with What Does PURPLE Sound Like?
MUSIC: Amsterdam Houses EP
PROGRAM: What does PURPLE sound like? Hi-ARTS installation | 2021
PURPLE Collaborators
What does PURPLE sound like? and A Ritual in Nine Spells were created with a robust cohort of collaborators. Meet our World Premiere cast and design team who brought the PURPLE Universe to life in 2023.
World Premiere Cast
Performing members of the ensemble for A Ritual In Nine Spells.
Collaborating Artists
PURPLE designers and world builders.
