ABOUT THE PRODUCTIONS
- Omelas | Feb 01-03
- Foundations of Feminism: The Poetics of Curiopathy As A Manifestation of the Sisterhood Zeitgeist In Feministological Nepali Archivitism | Feb 08-10
- Women of Sand: Testimonies of Women in Ciudad Juárez | Feb 08-10
Omelas
A NEW PLAY by NATE BRIMNER SMITH
DIRECTED by CONNOR LIFSON
Adapted from the short story by
Ursula K. Le Guin
This world premiere theatrical adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas paints a landscape of a city which maintains a state of perpetual happiness, although this prosperity comes with a terrible price. Interspersed with shadow puppetry and abstract dreamscapes, a cast of three performers tell the story of the utopian city of Omelas, asking: What is the price of freedom? Can happiness exist without suffering? What can utopia look, sound, smell, and feel like? And what new possibilities might lie beyond the horizon of the knowable?
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin
Used by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Copyright © 1973
All Rights Reserved.
CONTENT WARNING
Omelas features adult content and is not recommended for children. This performance makes use of a strobing effect and contains sound effects that may affect those with photo- and/or audio- sensitivities.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Connor Lifson is a director, adapter, and designer of performance based out of the Bay Area and Chicago. As a multimedia theater artist, Connor engages across disciplines, drawing on cinematic and literary vocabularies in his onstage work through live video cameras, dynamic projections, and various forms of puppetry. Directing credits include Marisol, Rona, and Persona (Northwestern), as well as immersive, site-specific adaptations of Carmilla (Witch Hunt Theatre) and Where The Wild Things Are (Tide & Foam). Connor has worked and assistant directed at various Chicago theaters, including the Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Lookingglass. Connor’s scholarship draws on phenomenology to examine how the genre of fantasy can rehearse new realities: not to hold up a mirror to society, but a shimmering looking glass — not to reflect our world’s reality, but its fantastic potential. Connor is a proud graduate and former staff-member of Northwestern University’s Department of Performance Studies and is currently pursuing his PhD in TAPS at Stanford. connorLifson.com
ON CREATING OMELAS
Hosted by TAPS PhD Candidate Marina Johnson. Statements in this podcast are the opinions of the speakers.
Nawalparasi | 1986. A group of women training to be officers for Women Development Division on their way to Rajahar, Nawalparasi. Prativa Subedi Collection /Nepal Picture Library
Foundations of Feminism: The Poetics of Curiopathy As A Manifestation of the Sisterhood Zeitgeist In Feministological Nepali Archivitism
WRITTEN and DIRECTED by YUTSHA DAHAL
RSVP Required
Foundations of Feminism: The Poetics of Curiopathy As A Manifestation of the Sisterhood Zeitgeist In Feministological Nepali Archivitism is a theatrical performance that brings archival photographs from Feminist Memory Project Collection from the Nepal Picture Library to life. The performance follows Sahana and Parijat, two young Nepali women, as they explore their feminist identity and its diverse expressions. They playfully challenge the traditional narratives of history and power while creating a dialogue between the past and present, and how we define feminism.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Yutsha Dahal is a researcher, writer, and artist from Nepal. Her artistic endeavors have been rooted in digital archiving, field research, and photographs. She has been part of two exhibitions by Nepal Picture Library: The Public Life of Women: A Feminist Memory Project (2018) and The Skin of Chitwan (2020). She has a BA from the University of Delhi and an MA in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies at Stanford University. Headshot Credit: Sagar Chhetri.
ON CREATING FOUNDATIONS OF FEMINISM
Hosted by TAPS PhD Candidate Marina Johnson. Statements in this podcast are the opinions of the speakers.
Women of Sand: Testimonies of Women in Ciudad Juárez
DIRECTED by MARÍA ZURITA ONTIVEROS
by HUMBERTO ROBLES
With Texts By Antonio Cerezo Contreras, Marisela Ortiz, Denise Dresser, Malú García Andrade, María Hope, Eugenia Muñoz y Juan Ríos Cantú
RSVP Required
A new classic of protest theater, Women of Sand: Testimonies of Women in Ciudad Juárez is a snapshot of the femicide crisis in Mexico, collecting testimonies from family members of missing women, journalists, and activists. Vignettes tell the stories of murdered and missing women, as well as the family members that look for them, and through poetry, music, prayer, and even shadow puppetry, this ensemble-driven piece spotlights the crisis but also the hope and incredible resilience that families, feminist activists, and women themselves show in the face of a government that turns a blind eye. This documentary piece has been staged more than 230 times in 22 different countries. Women of Sand is a deeply meaningful exploration of the fight for social justice, asking, how do we find hope and the will to keep going in the midst of adversity and grief?
This play is dedicated to the memory of Pável González,
murdered in Mexico City on April 23, 2004.
¡Contra el olvido y la impunidad!
CONTENT WARNING
Women of Sand includes explicit descriptions (but no depictions) of sexual assault, femicide, and mutilation. The play is a protest piece, and these descriptions are not gratuitous, but are necessary to understand the brutality of the femicide crisis in Mexico and its disregard for women’s humanity. Please take care when approaching this piece.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
María Zurita Ontiveros is director, puppeteer and theatermaker from Mexico City, Mexico. Her research focuses on theater and performances of justice and healing in Latin America, and on racial performances of puppetry. Moved to this research because of the femicide crisis in Mexico, she seeks to create work exploring the potential of theater as a tool for activism. Human resilience fascinates her, fills her with hope, and guides her art. Her artistic practice is based on community, healing, and endless curiosity.
María’s previous work includes Duke University’s 2021 mainstage Medea, the musicals In the Heights and Title of Show (director), Tender Age at the 2019 National Playwrights Conference (assistant director), 2021 La Mama Puppet Fest (puppeteer and designer). She has also worked in the Literary Department of the Vineyard Theatre in New York, and served as company manager of the Off-Broadway premiere of sandblasted by Charly Evon Simpson.
ON CREATING WOMEN OF SAND
Hosted by TAPS PhD Candidate Marina Johnson. Statements in this podcast are the opinions of the speakers.
ADMISSION
Free + Open to The Public
RSVP Required for Week 2
No Late Seating
WHEN
WEEK 1 | Feb 01-03 at 8pm
Omelas
WEEK 2 | Feb 08-10 at 8pm
Foundations of Feminism: The Poetics of Curiopathy As A Manifestation of the Sisterhood Zeitgeist In Feministological Nepali Archivitism
AND
Women of Sand: Testimonies of Women in Ciudad Juárez
WHERE
NITERY THEATER in OLD UNION
Stanford University Main Campus
SPONSORS
This Repertory was made possible in part by the Pigott Fund for Drama, the May Ellen Ritter Production Fund, and the Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Fund.
IMPORTANT INFO
CONTENT WARNINGS
Omelas (Week 1) features adult content and is not recommended for children. This performance makes use of a strobing effect.
Women of Sand (Week 2, Part 2) includes explicit descriptions (but no depictions) of sexual assault, femicide, and mutilation. The play is a protest piece, and these descriptions are not gratuitous, but are necessary to understand the brutality of the femicide crisis in Mexico and its disregard for women’s humanity. Please take care when approaching this piece.
LATE SEATING / RE-SEATING
For safety reasons, we cannot accommodate late admission OR re-seating while the performance is in progress. Please plan on arriving with ample time to find parking, locate the theater, move through the box office, etc.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Electronic Assisted Listening Devices will be available for pickup at the Box Office on performance nights.
For disability-related accommodations, please contact: tapsinformation@stanford.edu. Requests should be made by Jan 31.
COVID-19 POLICY
Patrons should not attend events if they are experiencing symptoms of upper respiratory illness. If patrons should test positive for COVID-19 within ten days of being on campus, they should report using the General COVID-19 Case Reporting Form.
FILMING NOTICE
Performances of Grad Rep will be recorded for possible future private/public viewing. Cameras in the theater may incidentally capture audience images and audio in the background. Those in attendance should be aware of this possibility and not attend if there are concerns. Email tapsinformation@stanford.edu before attending with any questions.