CORNERED IN THE DARK

Award-winning choreopoem about the psychological aftermath of sexual assault. In the tradition of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf,  Moïse’s Cornered in the Dark marries visceral spoken-word with ensemble-generated movement. Four women meet in a dream to weave their stories of sexual violence into a bold tapestry of solidarity and resistance. A series of ceremonial group slam poems and "monologues as snapshots,” Cornered in the Dark is a call to women—and the men who love them—to fiercely take back the night. One act. 4 characters. Winner of the 2004 Drammy for Best Ensemble Acting.

 

reviews

“Lenelle N. Moïse's riveting choreopoem...intense, impressive power...Cornered in the Dark relates several nightmarish stories about the sexual abuse of women, but it goes far beyond first-person narration of these disturbing tales. It enthralls the audience with a carefully orchestrated rhythmic text abounding in visceral imagery and an evocatively choreographed gestural language. The piece, which Moïse wrote and directed, and in which she is one of four women performers representing Fire, Wind, Earth and Water, takes us into the tormented souls of women who have had their worlds torn apart by violent and abusive males. Not only do we experience the vulnerability and rage of violated women, but we also witness the agony of victims who wrestle with the incomprehensibility of what has happened to them, even as they seek to soothe each other's anguish.”  

—The Oregonian

 

production history

November 4-20, 2004 Portland, OR

Insight Out Theatre Collective at the Firehouse Theatre


June 2000 Ithaca, NY

Kitchen Theatre Company

 

staged readings

September 29, 2009 Louisville, KY

University of Louisville


September 28, 2009 Louisville, KY

Jefferson Community & Technical College


April 2000 Ithaca, NY

Juna’s Cafe

 

Photo credits:

Press photo courtesy of Insight Out Theatre Collective