Open Wounds

Open Wounds takes place in war zones and their adjacent areas. It is about the complicated things that are caused by and are triggered by war. It has an overall negative tone. There are moments of desperation, anger, aggression, violence, sadness, hopelessness, and franticness. Divided into five sections, the piece shows vignette stories of people, communities, and places affected by war. Visually, each section lived in the same world but had distinct differences for each story. For instance, the first section was a short duet. It was a conversation between two people not seeing eye-to-eye. They were lit with two downpools that separated and followed each dancer off as they walked away from each other. The big unity section was like falling in line with “what you’re supposed to do.” It had a distinct area for the collective, but moments of separation for the individuals trying to break free from the status quo.
The music and stories flowed one into another. Accordingly, the lighting cues had lots of fades and overlapping. This piece used the full stage black (FSB) and haze. The FSB gave the stage a darker, desolate, more intimate look. Haze showed beams in the darkness, like sunbeams or the light from a missile in the air.

Choreography: Audrey Baran in collaboration with the performers

Lighting Design: Dallas J. Cook

Costume Design: Shevaré Perry

Stage Management: Amaree Ratliff

Performers: Avery Allen, Christian Bryant, Nancy Fernandez Salgado, Jasmine Forner, Abbi Gray, Alexis Holloway, Jada Leverette, Calista Loftis, Aarushi Mandal, Constanza Martell-Cote, Angelina Musa, Ava Nultemeier, Emma Teague, Macy Turner, Ella Zuchowski, Talise Joseph (understudy)

Music: Son Lux, with editing by Audrey Baran