lovingly burdening the constellation

Taking physical and philosophical cues from the practice of family constellation therapy and inspired by star gazing, “Lovingly burdening the constellation,” is a performance that moves within a “stellar” family system. Five women attempt to maintain an equilibrium between enacting inherited roles and histories while embarking on personal journeys. Members of the constellation use materials like lamps, foil, chalk, and dirt in the process of revealing and concealing their inner light through a combination of choreographed, staged, and improvisational actions. The performance concludes with a stellar explosion that relies upon the audience for its termination.

The performance is accompanied by selections from Act One of Stranger Love, an opera composed by Dylan Mattingly with libretto by Thomas Bartscherer. The opera was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and premiered on May 20, 2023. “Lovingly” was performed to the Contemporaneous Ensemble recording.