VELVET SWING

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.

PHOTO + VIDEO

Photo credit: Kelly Huang

CAST

Michelle Hernick
Meredith Kind
Natavia Lewis
Antonia Perez
Jessie Scarborough-Ghent
Mickaylee Shaughnessy

CREATIVE

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!