April 5 - 27, 2019 at Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater 810 W Lake St Minneapolis, MN 55408
Conceived by Alana Horton Directed by Alana Horton and Megan Clark Created with Umbrella Collective and the ensembles
VELVET SWING tells the true story of Evelyn Nesbit, the original 19th Century supermodel and leading lady of the “Crime of The Century!" Imagine: your favorite true crime podcast meets a wild vaudevillian circus with a pinch of postmodern narratives. Expect daring feats of self discovery, compelling choices in complex circumstances, delightful musical accompaniment, multiple narratives, and one very large snake named Baby. Watch as our actors attempt to answer the complicated question of just how to tell the story of a life when that story has become larger than life!
Content note: This production deals with topics of violence, consent, sexual assault, alcohol, and trauma. It also contains humor, agency, and rad womxn. VELVET SWING is based on Umbrella Collective’s August 2017 workshop presentation. Order a drink, tip your server, and get ready to take a ride of a lifetime!
ASL INTERPRETATION: April 26, 2019 with Shelly Lehner and Erin Gardner
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
April 5, 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 (ASL), 27 Tickets: $5, $10, $15, $20 All shows at 7 PM. Doors open at 6 PM Full menu and drinks available pre-show
THANK YOU
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Directors + Story Designers . . . Megan Clark, Alana Horton Stage Manager . . . Jenny Moeller Sound Collaborator . . . Michelle Hernick Costume & Props Designer . . . Josie Everett Dramaturgy Support . . . Jo Holcomb Producing Artistic Director . . . Hannah K. Holman
Download the program.
EVENTS
Please join us at the following events during our run! Full menu and drinks available for purchase from Bryant-Lake Bowl during these pre-show and post-show conversations.
Pre-Show: Dinner with the Directors with Core Collective Members Megan Clark & Alana Horton 6 PM on Saturdays: April 6, 13, 20, 27
Join Directors Megan Clark and Alana Horton for a casual conversation about the show's themes, creation process, and our inspiration: Evelyn Nesbit.
Pre-Show: Cocktails & Conversation with Producing Artistic Director Hannah K. Holman 6 PM on Thursdays: April 18, 25
Join Producing Artistic Director Hannah K. Holman for casual conversation about the messy, weird, and wonderful process of collaborative new performance making.
Post-Show Panel: All About Evelyn with Dramaturg Jo Holcomb Immediately following the performance: April 25
Join Velvet Swing Creators Megan Clark and Alana Horton in conversation with Dramaturg Jo Holcomb to learn even more about the fascinating life and times of our leading lady. This panel conversation will last about 30 minutes.
About Jo Holcomb: TEN THOUSAND THINGS: Into the Woods; MINNESOTA JEWISH THEATRE:Shul; GUTHRIE THEATER: More than 75 productions from 1996 until 2019, including Watch on the Rhine, Native Gardens, Refugia, The Bluest Eye,Trouble in Mind, Juno and the Paycock, The Crucible, A Christmas Carol, My Fair Lady, Crimes of the Heart,Freud’s Last Session, Uncle Vanya, Other Desert Cities, Tales from Hollywood, The Burial at Thebes, God of Carnage, M. Butterfly, Faith Healer, The Intelligent Homosexual…, Caroline, or Change, Shadowlands, The Glass Menagerie and Six Degrees of Separation. TEACHING University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program. EDUCATION M.S., University of Kentucky, Arts and Humanities Research; M.A., Theology.
Closing Night Toast! with Board Chair Lori Castille Immediately before the closing performance: April 27
Let's make a special closing night toast to our incredible audiences and artists for Velvet Swing!