I recently applied for a collaborative grant to put on a performance art piece I am writing called The Cure at Troy. I am happy to announce that I have been awarded $2000 to rehearse, promote and perform my work:
On behalf of the review panel of the Coordinating Council for Music at New York University, I am delighted to inform you that you have been awarded a Creative Collaboration Support Grant. Your award is in the amount of $2,000 to be used in support of the expenses outlined in your proposal, during a one year project period beginning June 1, 2009. Details about expense reimbursement are attached for your information. Please sign and return the form to acknowledge acceptance of the award.
Each proposal was reviewed by a panel of faculty drawn from the representative schools comprising the Council: FAS, Gallatin, Steinhardt, Stern, and Tisch. The panel met and discussed the proposals, making judgments about which proposals deserved the highest priorities for support. Also considered was the project’s congruence with the goals of the Creative Collaboration Support Grant including a unique approach, the potential for strong collaborations, and a well-specified plan.
Congratulations and best wishes for a productive and successful year.
Irish poet and playwright Seamus Heaney based The Cure at Troy on Sophocles’ Philoctetes. The play aims to be a true translation of the text except for the catharsis, which reflects the tumultuous northern-Irish conflict between British Protestants and Irish Catholics. This collaborative project will create a performance piece where music and acting come together to reflect the emotional content of Heaney’s work, and update its meaning to our current post-9/11 mindset, where cycles of violence create a seemingly unending threat to our way of life.
The work features ten parts, four actors and 6 musicians. The actors are scored as representing Neoptolomus, Philoctetes and two chorus members. As for the musicians, there are 2 cellists and violinists, a violist and a pianist. The movements are subtitled as follows:
- Philoctetes
- Neoptolomus’ Pity
- Philoctetes’ Venom
- (Untitled so far)
As the project progresses, I’ll keep this blog up to date about anything interesting that’s going on. After the work is premiered, I’ll host a recording and (hopefully) a video. Additionally I’ll provide analysis of my work for those interested.