Pontine On Tour

JOURNEY TO HEAVEN: THE SHAKER WAY

The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, better known as the Shakers, is America's oldest communal society. For over 200 years its members have lived quietly in secluded communities, sharing a simple life and seeking perfection in everything they do. Dedicated to the glory of God, Shaker perfectionism can be seen in the serene beauty of their villages (including those in Canterbury and Enfield, NH, and Sabbathday Lake, Maine), in the gracefulness of their furniture and crafts, and in their qualities of character--devotion, thrift, humanity, ingenuity.

The Shakers have been part of the American scene since 1774, and have been fascinating writers and observers ever since. The Shaker were spiritual pioneers; they are not simply one chapter in the American saga; in their quest, they are a symbol of it.

The text for Pointine's newest production, JOURNEY TO HEAVEN, THE SHAKER WAY, is drawn entirely from writings by members of the Skaker communities. It includes divinely received messages, as well as letters, journals, and testimonies. The action explores dramatic fragments embedded in the texts, as well as lyrical movement suggested by the Shaker emphasis on physical work and the laboring movements of the Shaker worship service.

JOURNEY TO HEAVEN also draws on the rich musical traditions of the Shakers. Pontine's co-artistic directors consulted with Mary Ann Haagan of the Lower Shaker Village of Enfield, NH, in researching Shaker laboring and dancing. Ms. Haagan is the musical director of The Singers of Lower Shaker Village Enfield, NH. The score for JOURNEY TO HEAVEN includes original recordings by Randy Armstrong.

The visual style of JOURNEY TO HEAVEN looks to Shaker architecture and decorative arts, as well as to divinely received paintings and drawings. From their founding in the late 18th century, the Shakers spurned visual oconography of all types. But during a period in the mid-19th century, known as "Mother's Work," the Shakers produced a wealth of visual art which gave substance to metaphorical gifts from the Spirit Land, such as the "Bower of Union," "Holy Mother Wisdom's Seal," "Mother's Bread," "Holy Wisdom's Doves," and the "Wine of Power." The set for JOURNEY TO HEAVEN: THE SHAKER WAY utilizes these gift images in a scene which interprets a text of an actual Shaker service.

The counterpoint of texts collected from various sources brings diverse voices to the subject, creating a dialogue between the historical and contemporary importance of the Shakers' theology and lifestyle, between the small, everyday tasks that made up that lifestyle and the utopian ideal that framed it, and between the individual, personal experience of Shaker life and the united image conveyed to "the world's people."