Mosaic Dance Theater Company to Premiere Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy

A Story Spanning the Ages

Rich with emotional and social relevance, award-winning playwright Ruth Cantrell crafts Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy to leap from ancient Greece to our modern times. Episodic in nature, the scenes change from the mythological time of the Trojan War and other classical myths to historical with the massacre at My Lai in South Vietnam, a suicide bombing in Pakistan, the Holocaust, kidnappings in Nigeria, the school shooting at Sandy Hook in Connecticut, and the bombing of the 16th St. Baptist Church in Alabama. The play also explores fleeing from war-torn El Salvador and an imagined domestic sexual assault.

Like Odysseus's epic journey in Homer's The Odyssey, Cassandra embarks on her own odyssey through suffering. Cassandra: An Ongoing Tragedy depicts the eternal existence of hate and evil in these different appearances and traces their origins to the myth of Pandora's box. Audiences will experience a sense of community with the different episodes and various cultures presented.

Through the voice of Cassandra, the doomed seeress of Troy, who was cursed to see the future, but never to be believed, audiences see what she sees: humanity's inability to stop repeating the evils brought about by hate. And yet, we cannot answer the unspoken question at the heart of the piece: Will we ever learn not to hate?

"I wrote the play to give Cassandra a voice to tell her own story—a story that is filled with trials and tribulations, not unlike people living in today's world, or those heroes in ancient Greek mythology," said Cantrell.

The stories told in this piece, related by fictional characters in historical situations, are presented through live spoken word and dance, with a commissioned score of original music. Extensive use of video, voiceovers, and projected images heighten the immediacy of these ongoing tragedies.

Dance as Activism

The production uses dance theater as a platform to raise social consciousness about the horrors of war, genocide, rape, school shootings, and terrorism. "These horrors disappear from the front page after their first sensational headlines, yet they continue to plague society. We must continually keep these horrors in front of us and allow Cassandra's final voice of Hope to move us forward and inspire us better," said Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, Producing Artistic Director and Founder of Mosaic Dance Theater Company.

Varricchio directs the production, with choreography by Samara Adell and music by Michael V. Ficocelli. A cast of eleven performers brings this world premiere to the stage.

Based in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Mosaic Dance Theater Company is dedicated to the dance and folkloric traditions of the Mediterranean region. The Company's original dance, theater, and educational programs celebrate the rich diversity of cultures of the lands of North Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. The dances and music, the stories and myths, and the history and legends of this fascinating area form the wellspring of inspiration for Mosaic Dance Theater's creative vision.

Founded in 2003, this critically acclaimed company is known for its artistry and authenticity, not only in creating the original works that comprise its repertory, but also in faithfully researching their origins to ensure cultural integrity. Touring nationally to performing arts venues, universities, schools, and community institutions, the Company is the recipient of the Sunshine Award for its contribution to the performing arts, recognized by NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) and the United Nations. Mosaic Dance Theater is led by Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, Producing Artistic Director and Founder, and Samara Adell, Artistic Director for Dance.

This program is made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, a partner of New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and funding from The Puffin Foundation.