“Moves beautifully, with stunning expressiveness.”
– N.Y. Times
Bessie Award-winner Okwui Okpokwasili spins a modern folktale. A daughter attempts to construct a coherent past out of her mother’s cryptic signals and signifiers. Interweaving legacy and the loss of old tongues, rituals and original songs, and a good old attempt to get a grip, Pent Up sheds new light on traditional spells and third world brothels, and transforms every scratch & win ticket into a lucky one. Directed by Peter Born.
Okwui Okpokwasili has been developing Pent-up with Peter Born through workshops and residencies with 651 ARTS, P.S. 122 and Centre National de la Danse from 2006-2007. She was a collaborator and performer in Achill in Modern Wars and Death of Nations: Heimwehen at the FFT in Dusseldorf, Germany. Most recently she performed in Annie Dorsen’s Democracy in America at P.S. 122. A Bessie Award recipient for her work in the final part of Ralph Lemon’s Geography Trilogy, “Come Home Charley Patton”, she continues to collaborate with Ralph Lemon.
Developmental support for Pent Up: A Revenge Dance, was provided by 651 ARTS and presented as a work-in-progress in 2006 as part of 651’s annual Salon 651 series.
Pent Up is part of Best of Boroughs: as part of our commitment to promoting excellence in the arts in New York City, P.S. 122 partners with esteemed arts organizations from all over the city to present B.O.B., a tour of the brightest local theatre, dance and performance from the five boroughs.
2010 Bessie Award
Feb 8 – 22, 2008
Tuesday – Saturday 8pm
Sunday 5:30pm
Additional performance Mon, Feb 9 8pm
Also playing in the COIL 2009 Festival