UNVEILING THE VORTEX
Seed, Ash, Spit
A woman born in a caul like a seed
A woman tapping ash from a cigarette onto a stack of books
A woman signing their false treaty with her spit and gunpowder
Unveiling the Vortex is an ongoing show that honors the lives of three great women of the Hudson Valley and shows us how much is still to be learned from their stories. From tiny paper mache babies to enormous figures, come experience the lives of freedom fighter Sojourner Truth, Esopus indignous matriarch Sunkswa Mama Nuchway, and immigrant author Hannah Arendt. The show features mask work, cantastoria, dance, puppetry, and original music. We are searching for what these women can teach us about living through our own world crises— how to unstick ourselves from modern paralytic privacy to a yet-to-be-invented communal dance.
Appropriate for all ages: your children are welcome to accompany you as we aspire to become our better selves together.
Thank you to the Rodney L. White Foundation for their substantial financial support of this project.
The Three Women
Local Hudson Valley stories that deserve to be heard
Sunksquaw Mama Nuchwe, a Native American matriarch, led her council-ring a few miles up the creek in the Rosendale/Kingston area, and, as a peace-maker, averted the decimation of the Esopus Tribe. MicMac Native and New York regional historian, Evan Prichard, is our source for material which is just coming to light.
Sojourner Truth, born in this same region of New York State, launched her national anti-slavery, pro-women's suffrage pilgrimage here. Her grandmother's region of the Congo was rich in women Griottes, gifted in preaching and song.
Thinker and writer, Hannah Arendt was buried at Bard College. She escaped Nazi concentration camps several times before emigrating to the United States and writing tomes that shed light on the rise of Fascism.
Researching Mama Nuchwe…
Like many essential, indigenous stories, much of Mama Nuchwe’s history has been hidden by colonization and racism. Native American local author & expert, Evan Pritchard, has been our collaborator through the creation of the show in our attempt to honor the truth of her history. He is in the process of releasing a book of local history that honor’s Mama Nuchwe. His books are for sale.
Image from “The Light of Early Morning (Unveiling the Vortex)” preview
The show’s music…
Local musicians have created new music for Unveiling the Vortex, ranging from Congolese West African eclectic to Pauline Oliveros inspired ‘deep listening’ soundscapes. The music honors not only the story of these three amazing women, but celebrates the ongoing legacy of composition, connection to ancestry, and musicianship of our region.
