CHARMED ONES

by Corian Ellisor and ensemble.

A compilation highlighting the dancers’ journey and magic moments of the live performance.

Filmed by AJ and edited by Ashley James.

The short film is available On Demand on June 26, then throughout the festival!

The recent live outdoor performance, Charmed Ones, marked 7 Stages’ return to in person performances. Charmed Ones was an outdoor dance feast rooted in queerness, magic and ritual. Conceived by Corian Ellisor as a dreamscape celebrating the beauty and resilience of othered bodies, the performance wields movement as a form of protest. Charmed Ones explores the power of ceremony, channels the lifeforce of existing in love with chosen family, and conjures healing, joy, and light. The ensemble includes queer performers Alex Abarca, Leo Briggs, and Patrick Otsuki. Alongside composer Ptar, occultant and set designer Cody Waters, and poet Nicholas Goodly, the performers create a live journey of connection.

SERVICE SATURDAY

1:00 – 4:00 PM ET

As we continue to examine our role, ask what is essential, and connect with the needs of our community, in honor of PRIDE we offer our local community COMPLIMENTARY services with:

• Food provided by Just A Touch Ministry & Outreach
• Clothing and PPE distributions
• Complimentary Big Read books – Advice from the Lights
• Coffee from Java Lords
• Info and advocacy from Fair Districts GA and Lost n Found Youth
• Covid testing and vaccines provided by our friends at the New Georgia Project.

Also, check out our Artistic Associate and student responses to the book and join artist Nicolette Emanuelle who will be sharing and collecting stories centered on the question What Are You?

Covid-safety procedures are in place for all in-person events at the theatre.

Circus of the Self

1:00 – 4:00 PM ET

by Lucy Eden – Outdoor Performances

In this autobiographical busking show, Lucy Eden interweaves circus and poetry to explore issues of identity, gender, and our capacity for transformation. Blending humor, poignant personal narrative, circus arts, and a healthy dose of literary analysis, Lucy chronicles a journey of gradual self-discovery: fear, repression, acceptance, and celebration. This performance includes juggling, knives, unicycles, and fire.

Lucy Eden is a veteran Atlanta performance artist, unicyclist, juggler and transgender visibility advocate. With a background in street performance, her passion for bringing circus arts to pedestrian spaces has been life long. She has performed in both solo and ensemble productions in Atlanta and across the US. Her shows combine storytelling, virtuosity, and a unique queer southern charm.

WHAT ARE YOU?

INSTALLATION AND STORY GATHERING

1:00 – 4:00 PM ET

by Nicolette Emanuelle – Live Indoor Installation and Interaction

Paper Dolls

6:00 – 9:00 PM ET

by Jenna Edmonds and Matt Greenia – Live Indoor Performance and Installation

“Paper Dolls” uses a combination of spoken word, music, and handicraft to invite the audience to look at the ways in which we reflect and refract ourselves through inanimate objects. The work is inspired by Stephanie Burt’s poem “Paper Stephanie”, which is featured in the collection Advice from the Lights.

Moon Walkers / Sun Safari

6:00, 7:00 & 8:00 PM ET

by Flight of Swallows – Live Performance

Flight of Swallows is conjuring history anew: honoring the work of Steve and Rönnog Seaberg, legends of the Atlanta art scene, by reinterpreting two works that were performed 20 years ago. Steve, now 90 years old, is an inspiration to many in the Atlanta circus community, both as an instructor and a performer, having appeared on America’s Got Talent when he was 85 doing a strength and acrobatics act. In this piece, which features a special appearance by Steve, the company weaves live music, movement, poetry, and projection to awaken the parts of ourselves we thought were lost to the past.

Flight of Swallows is a collaborative effort that is joined by a revolving cast of musicians and movement artists who excel at collaborative improvisation. Their pieces function as conversations between movement artist and musician.

I’m Not Buying It

6:15, 7:15 & 8:15 PM ET

by Vickie G. Hampton and Christopher Hampton – Live Immersive Performance

What were they thinking when they called the cops on an innocent black person doing something as innocuous as shopping? “I’m Not Buying It” looks for answers by listening in on a private conversation between a new cashier and a security guard when a black customer comes into a posh jewelry store.

For an enhanced audio experience, bring headphones to this listening-oriented performance.

Vickie and Christopher Hampton are an unstoppable mother-son team. Vickie G. Hampton is an award-winning free-lance writer, editor and publications manager with experience spearheading myriad editorial projects—from magazines and annual reports to advertisement copy and executive communication.  Two of her plays, “I Am Grace” and “Learning Curve” were professionally read at the National Black Arts Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is also the author of two children’s books. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., and a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism in New York.

Christopher Hampton is a multi-hyphenate artist (writer, actor, director, teacher, musician) and graduate of the California Institute of the Arts based in Atlanta. Christopher has developed and performed work at 7 Stages, Horizon Theatre, Working Title Playwrights, Theatre Emory, The Aurora Theatre, Whole World Improv Theatre, The Alliance, among others. He is honored to collaborate with his mother, who is a constant stabilizing force and inspiration in his life. His film “Cracking Zeus” can be streamed on the Alliance’s “Spotlight Series” page.

HYSTERIA

6:30, 7:30 & 8:30 PM ET

by Burning Bones Physical Theatre – Live Indoor Performance

Women’s emotional expression has always been policed – first venerated as religious ecstasy, later condemned as witchcraft, and eventually diagnosed as the mental illness hysteria that mysteriously only afflicted one gender. This dance performance by Burning Bones Physical Theatre incorporates elements of butoh, clowning, and burlesque to conjure the stories of women in psychiatric hospitals, whose role as the subjects of early photography was essential in establishing the practice of psychology.  

Burning Bones Physical Theatre is based in Atlanta, Georgia. We are creating work that is original, bold, and personal. Burning Bones is dedicated to collaborating with fellow creatives to engage with the local community and expand the possibilities of live performance in daring and imaginative ways.

Crimson Chrysalis: Emergence

All day

Katelyn Greaton –Sculpture Installation

What do you see when you look into someone eyes? Within every face lies a different truth. When you peer into the reflective faces within this installation, you’re invited to envision who, or what you may be. 7 faces, 7 representations. Which one are you?

Kate Greaton is an Atlanta based mixed media contemporary sculptor, ceramicist and production designer. After graduating the University of Southern Maine in 2018, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she put her sculpting and design skills towards creating unique music videos; most notably, K Michelle, Call Me Karizma and Carole’s Daughter. Now living in Atlanta, Kate is going back to her roots and focusing on her own sculptures while also pursuing art in film. Kate uses mixed media to combine realism and abstraction to demonstrate the relationship between the beauty of our world and our imaginations.