SeeSaw is an outdoor physical theatre spectacle set in an interactive kinetic sculptural landscape. The performance features five aerial and stilt acrobats tipping and spinning in a world of direct cause and effect.
SeeSaw brings thought-provoking art into daily life through visually rich and physically dynamic live theater that offers new insights on the human condition within our evolving society.
SeeSaw follows the encounters of five disparate individuals struggling for balance, power and connection in a world knocked off kilter by mechanisms beyond their control. From imbalance to counterbalance using aerial apparatus, each other’s bodies and the sculpture itself, the acrobats fly, jump, climb and tumble their way through a formidable frontier, discovering resiliency, adaptation, collective creativity, and mutuality along the way.
SeeSaw is a 30 minute physical theater performance with an original soundtrack. Designed for outdoor venues and “in the round” audiences, each performance begins with a processional element, and can be performed day or night. SeeSaw tours with a cast and crew of 8 people.
SeeSaw has toured to the prestigious IX Festival Internacíonal de Teatro Callejero Al Aire Puro- Jorge Vargas in Bogota, Colombia, and the historic XXXV Festival Internacional Teatro de Manizales Colombia; established in 1968 it is the oldest theatre festival in Latin America, as well as performances in Santa Fe and Taos, NM, Rhythm and Stage in Detroit MI and The Ringling Museum in Sarasota Florida.
The development of SeeSaw involved numerous collaborators from various artistic mediums and cultural backgrounds working together and apart over the course of 2 years.
SeeSaw CREATIVE TEAM:
Alessandra Ogren, SeeSaw Director, Wise Fool NM co-founder, member Peñasco Theatre Collective, http://www.penascotheatre.org
Rebekah Tarín, SeeSaw Creative Consultant, Writer, member Peñasco Theatre Collective http://www.brushfireartemasfina.com/
Amy Christian, Wise Fool New Mexico Co-founder and Artistic Director Check out her TEDx talk about the power of outdoor theater!
Deirdre Morris, SeeSaw Choreographer, Assistant Phase 2 Direction www.theforgottenbody.com
Kim Epiphano, Guest Choreographer, http://www.epiphanydance.org/
Christian Ristow, Kinetic Sculptor, www.Christianristrow.com
Christina Sporrong, Kinetic Sculptor and Founder of Spitfire Forge, http://www.spitfireaerialequipment.com/
Cannupa Hanska, Visual Artist, http://www.cannupahanska.com/
Nina Silfverberg, Costume Designer, http://www.ninasilfverberg.com/
Ginger Dunhill, DJ and Music Composer
Ian Rosenkranz, Technical Director
Ben Wright, Sound Engineer
David Nieto, Technician
SeeSaw’s diverse creative team, through research, discussions and exercises delved into the myriad of issues and ideas surrounding migration and the concept of “home”, initially setting out to create a physical theatre piece that grappled with the history, ideas, policies, and fears surrounding the complex issue of migration, particular to U.S immigration experiences. Looking through the legacy of colonialism in which we reside played a large part in the creative development of this performance, posing various questions such as “whose home is this anyway?” or “what causes people to want to uproot themselves from their home and risk their lives only to end up in a hostile environment without any legal protections?” We understood theoretically the complex power dynamics surrounding issues of migration and the resulting negative and life threatening impacts on families and communities and how imperialism, global corporatism, climate change, and endless military and economic warfare influence patterns of migration, affecting the areas and communities people flee and where they seek refuge. We had to ask ourselves, “what is our responsibility as artists in the current dialogue about immigration and how can we effect meaningful change?”
Ultimately the creation of SeeSaw provided a space to challenge ourselves and each other, to push at the edges, to experiment with ideas, try new modalities, pull things apart and generate movement.
One of the overarching threads that became apparent within the dynamics of the performance is the inherent theme of “cause and effect”. The tipping and spinning apparatus utilized in SeeSaw specifically illustrates the delicate balance of our world today, how a person/s action in one place directly impacts someone/s in another and how all of us are struggling individually and collectively to find balance and connection with others in a chaotic and changing world.
SeeSaw has received funding from generous private donors as well as the Santa Fe Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, The McCune Foundation, New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, The Just Woke Up Fund from the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Century Bank, Los Alamos Bank, and New Mexico Bank and Trust.
