L. Hartke

L. Hartke illuminates a portion of a woman’s life when there are endings and inertia, and the desperate need to move again. It is tangled in the questions, comforts and conflicts of femininity and one’s own connection to it. Movement sequences for the work were developed over time by physically interpreting the rituals of the young performance artist in the novel, The Body Artist by Don DeLillo. The sound of brass, performed live by trombonist Jen Baker, supports the journey to move. Text is used from Sarah Ruhl and participants from Donna’s “Rolling and Reflection Sessions,” where women were invited to roll for long periods of time together as research for the piece. 

Performances: Movement Research at Judson Church, NYC 2011 | GreenSpace Studio, NYC 2012 | The flea theater, NYC 2012

photo credit (previous & above): Ian Douglas

Credits 

Conceived and Performed by Donna Costello

Music composed and performed live by: Jen Baker

Volunteer rolling performers: Sarah Young, Jessie Winograd, Karen Ivy, Vanessa Adato, Sara Grundman, Michelle Ferrara, Rebecca Davis, Kym Bernazky, Courtney Scheel

Design and set construction: Michelle Ferrara with Donna Costello

Excerpted text: Don DeLillo, Sarah Ruhl and written reflections from participants in “R&R Sessions”

*The beginning research of this work was supported by a 2011 space grant by Brooklyn Arts Exchange.