SenseAbility Opens September 29
SenseAbility opens at Open Eye Figure Theatre this Friday September 29, and we’re excited to share this work with you.
SenseAbility lives at the intersection of our personal lives and our cultural narratives. The show is about individual and community responsibility and accountability. Two stories converge in this show:
Elijah in the Wadi is an exploration of the life and character of the Prophet Elijah, an iconic figure in the Abrahamic religions. Elijah speaks truth to power, and is a fierce advocate for those who are disenfranchised. He also faces his own struggles of isolation, doubt, frustration, and personal failure. At the end of his corporal life he is carried away in a whirlwind, and he travels through time, representing our constant struggle to be our best selves.
Making Sense reflects on my recent trips and new family connections in Bethlehem, West Bank. Raised in a Conservative Jewish family, the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians became personal for me when my daughter met and married a Palestinian man from Dheisheh Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. A vast wave of new sensory input provided many opportunities to evaluate existing narratives and assumptions, and to ensure that my values are in alignment with my actions in the world.
In SenseAbility an immersive sensory landscape surrounds the audience with the sounds, sights, smells, tastes… even the touch and feeling revealed in the visceral experience that is inescapable in a life under sustained occupation. How is destiny revealed in the face of scarcity and uncertainty? How is resilience, even joy, possible under such challenging circumstances? Can we imagine the Prophet Elijah as another sojourner on our pathway toward greater understanding? Despite a constant struggle to be one’s best self in the malaise of loneliness, doubt and oppression, Elijah beckons us to take up our mantle and discover what is possible.
Max Sparber wrote an article about the show for American Jewish World:
Dixie Treichel created a profile of Craig Harris for KFAI:
SenseAbility Artistic Collaborators
Conceived, Written, Composed and Performed by Craig Harris
I’m thrilled to be working with this amazing team of collaborators to bring SenseAbility to the stage. This would not have been possible without their creativity, artistry and constant encouragement.
Direction & Story to Stage Collaboration by Kym Longhi
Projection Design, Installation & Story to Stage Collaboration by Jim Peitzman
Costumes, & Digital Illustration by Candy Kuehn
Lighting Design – Mike Grogan
Sound Design – Sean Healey
Recorded Cello – Randall Davidson
Performance Schedule
September 29, 7:30pm
September 30, 7:30pm
October 1, 2pm
Run time: 65 minutes. No intermission.
Recommended for ages 12 and older.
Pay-as-able option always available.
Reservations or pre-purchase strongly recommended.
Tickets
$18 — General Admission
$15 — Student or Senior
$10 — Economic Accessibility Ticket
Or pay-as-able at the door
Available at openeyetheatre.org.
Location and Parking
Open Eye Figure Theatre
506 East 24th St., Minneapolis, MN 55404 (Map)
612-874-6338
Open Eye is located 2 blocks south of Franklin Ave between Portland Ave and 35W.
Park for free in the Lutheran Social Service lot at 24th and Portland.
This project was made possible with support from the Howard B. & Ruth F. Brin Jewish Arts Endowment, a fund of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s Foundation.
Thanks to Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council for their support of Elijah in the Wadi.