Lara Lynn Cottrill-McGill and Sarah Carleton
An original piece by Amiche Artists, The Heart of Shahrazad is a journey of healing as told through the eyes of Shahrazad, a young woman living in the midst of a violent world. Inspired by the stories found in The Arabian Nights watch as Shahrazad's journey unfolds, as portrayed by actress Sarah Carleton, with music performed by harpist Marissa Knaub and soprano Lara Lynn Cottrill. Through the unique blend of these three artists, including original music composed by Eliane Aberdam and script by Sarah Carleton, it is a story that delves into the past to find wisdom for our modern times.
Marissa Avon
The Heart of Shahrazad was premiered in Pittsburgh, PA August 13th, 14th, and 15th, 2015.
In one of Amiche's brainstorming sessions One Thousand and One Nights came into the conversation, and particularly the character of Shahrazad, the storyteller of these numerous tales. The more we imagined what her personal story was, the more we saw a story from the past, that had so much to say about our current world and the violence that so many live in the midst of. The news is often filled with stories of violence, both locally and around the world, from rape to domestic violence, to kidnappings and human trafficking. And though violence impacts everyone, women bear the primary brunt of violence in the world. This performance is a wrestling with what we do when we live in the midst of violence or have been the recepiant of violence.
Review from August 13th, 2015 performance - http://www.pghintheround.com/the-heart-of-shahrazad/
Selections were also performed at the 2018 Women Composers Festival of Hartford on April 7th, 2018. http://www.womencomposersfestivalhartford.com
