BORDERLIGHT 2019
FESTIVAL RECAP
BORDERLIGHT 2019
From the moment we first greeted our artists, to the incredible procession of puppets down Superior Avenue, to wild innovations on the Fringe, and the unleashed jubilation of our closing night party, we witnessed magic. What we saw and felt was community created by the wonder of performance.
BorderLight 2019, in every way, exceeded our expectations. But none of this would have been possible without the magic worked by our Board, staff, event team, volunteers, artists and 2019 inaugural sponsors who took a chance on our inaugural festival—all of whom brought the Festival to life. Our gratitude is boundless.
Here, we share with you some highlights from the summer and an invitation to help shape what is to come.
2019 AT-A-GLANCE
4,000+ ticketed attendees
10,000+ festival-wide attendance
Visitors from 26 states + England
267 artists from 8 countries and 11 states
90+ staff and
volunteers
Numerous sold-out shows
45+ media stories and reviews
2019 SHOWS

A Kingdom, A Chasm
Three unlikely companions must sustain a "community" in the ravaged wilderness that was once New Orleans. Brought together by disaster, living in the shelter of a disintegrating Mercedes Benz, Emelda, Dudley, and Chauncey have created their own mini-society in a land where no society is left. Their social biases have survived while the city around them did not, however, and their little world is at the point of collapse. Through absurd humor and exuberant physicality "A Kingdom, A Chasm" explores the dysfunction of defunct social systems and the tenuous compassion that holds humans together in spite of it all.
Taking inspiration from the likes of the mad tea party in Alice in Wonderland and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Vagabond Inventions uses its contemporary approach to classic clowning to tell this surrealistic tale of friendship amidst crisis.

Aim’d so near
Two spirited women, a locked room, a tape recorder, and a puzzle. Based upon significant, courageous, and often overlooked characters from Shakespeare’s 'Othello' and 'Romeo and Juliet', Emilia and Angelica uncover the secrets keeping them trapped. Will accepting past sins free them from confinement?

AntiCone
Inspired by Sophocles’ Antigone, AntiCone is the largely wordless story of an immigrant who is put to work building a wall against her country of origin (and, therefore, her brothers), under the dangerous eye of new leader, Creon, and against the pull of her ancient namesake. Scored by evocative and visceral original music, the play combines physical theatre, clowning, and audience interaction with unique, powerful dances. AntiCone was an official selection of FringeNYC festival in the fall 2018. Recommended for ages 13+.

Cleveland Public Theatre’s STEP (Student Theatre Enrichment Program)
A community caught in an ancient conflict receives a message from a mysterious Mist. On the verge of collapse, the City looks to four citizens seeking a truth that would unravel a devastating secret hidden in the stars. As midnight approaches, four divided nations must carve a path towards a united tomorrow or crumble into ruin.
CPT’s Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) is a rigorous arts-based program that provides hands-on job training, engages youth from Cleveland families in a powerful learning experience that develops job skills, academic achievement, and interpersonal skills. As part of this eight-week summer program, youth ages 14-19 work together to create, produce, perform, and tour their own play. This program is the longest-running arts-based, workplace development program in Cleveland and is an international model for engaging youth. Since its beginning in 1994, STEP has received multiple awards and recognitions including those from the City of Cleveland, The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Through STEP, teens see themselves as a positive and inspirational force, and watch as their work has an impact on the larger Cleveland community.

CPT’s Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP)
Cleveland Public Theatre’s celebrated Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) is Cleveland’s longest-running arts and job training program for teens. STEP returns to city parks this summer, celebrating its 25th year with an original play, "Color the City," inspired by a South American Los Andes story, Huatiacuri, the Story of a Mountain.
The citizens of the Black and White City have forgotten the Colorful Mountain, once their landmark and prized jewel with otherworldly powers. As the wealthy White family seeks a cure for their sick father, a colorful woman from the Mountain, named Star, roams the city to unlock a mysterious dream. Can a black and white land rediscover the beauty and richness of colors? Led by Bolivian artist Diego Aramburo, "Color the City" showcases Cleveland youth as they work to build a brighter and more colorful world. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy free theatre in the park!
This work is made possible through the support of the Creative Fusion artist residency, a program of the Cleveland Foundation.

CPT’s International Ensemble Projects
A double bill presentation of original works by Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi and Teatro Público de Cleveland, multi-national and multi-lingual community ensembles resident to Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT).
Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi, Raymond Bobgan and Faye Hargate collaborate to create an original play based on the members’ own stories. Alejandro Moreno's "Colt 45" (performed by Teatro Público de Cleveland) begins in the aftermath of a horrible natural disaster. Dolores and Daniel are surprised to find an unconscious Donald Trump. Drama ensues as they decide what to do next.

CREATURES by Roger Titley
Presented in partnership with Cleveland Public Library's 150th anniversary celebration.
Be amazed as a fantastical menagerie of life-sized animals take over the streets of downtown Cleveland. Created by acclaimed puppeteer Roger Titley and powered by human volunteers, the procession will feature cheetah, kudu, elephants, birds and more. Volunteers (ages 12+) can join in before the event and learn to build and operate a beautiful raven puppet. This spectacular event kicks off with African drumming and dance by Cleveland's own Djapo Cultural Arts Institute.
The procession will depart from Cleveland Public Library Main Branch, located at 325 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114.
1:00 - 2:00 / 2:00 - 3:00 FREE puppet workshops open to the public
2:45 – 3:15 Performance of "Toukii - Journey" by Djapo Cultural Arts Institute
3:15 - 3:30 Puppet procession travels from Cleveland Public Library to Public Square
3:30 - 3:45 Photo opportunities with "Creatures" on Public Square
Ingenuity Cleveland is proud to support the work of BorderLight and groundbreaking creatives across the city by helping artists and entrepreneurs grow, connect, and find opportunities. Special thanks to Ingenuity for their generous in-kind offer of space for "Creatures" auditions, rehearsal, puppet storage and assembly.

Doncan’s Execution: A Scene from Tropico Macbeth By John Rivera-Resto
Tropic Macbeth is an original story based on 'The tragedy of Macbeth' by William Shakespeare. Although the basic plot remains close to the original - a tragedy of murder and political ambition, this adaptation, set in the 1935 Caribbean, has a Different story and new characters.Is a story of strong women, and how they use men to achieve power, justice and revenge. The decades-long hatred between the Orillan and Doncan families explodes when "the lady Macbeth" (lady Macbeth), uses her husband, the commander Macbeth, in a Machiavellian plan to overthrow the Doncan regime and reinstate the the Orillan to their orginal power.

Dreamscape
The Collected Few Dance Project is proud to present their second production, “Dreamscape”. The 40 min dance concert explores the many adventures our minds takes us on daily. From moments of heavy regret and grief that we cant seem to shake. Feelings of love and passion that constantly fuel our hearts. Recurring moments that we see over and over, and even our deepest nightmares that haunt us to our core.

Fairy in the Lake
Fairy in the Lake is a short opera in three acts that follows the coming of age story of a young man from Brazil. He overcomes racism and choses to start a new life. Wanting to leave the pain of his life behind he loses a part of himself, his culture and creativity. Still, he hears the call of a fairy, and is drawn to a lake, where he is reborn.
Music and story written by Obediya Jones-Darrell, and the accompaniment is performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (previously recorded in Prague, Czech Republic). Story is narrated by Opera singers Carla Chambers-Jeffreys (Canada) & Liz Huff (Cleveland). The fairy is portrayed by aerial circus performer, Lucretia Denise (Cleveland), as she flies through the air during the performance.

Floored
This site-specific work takes place in an elevator and elevator lobby across multiple floors. As audience members enter, exit and ride the elevator at their own will, who knows what they will encounter?
Each time a door opens, a new scene and new opportunity awaits both in the elevator and in the lobby. Places are exchanged, shoulders are nudged, whole conversations are had with a glance, a gesture, or a choreographed interaction. The movement of the audience through the elevator and the opening/closing of the doors causes interactions to be viewed in an interrupted context and much like life, lends itself to interpretation based on the viewers own experiences, inferences, thoughts and desires. As the performance progresses, and groups become intertwined at each intersection, it may become difficult to impossible to know who is performer and who is audience.
This new work in progress is intended to be a fun, surprising, sometimes revealing experience rooted in movement improvisation that invites and welcomes audience participation.

Form I-485
A newly married couple is put to the test by immigration officers.
This "pop-up" performance can be seen during these times:
Wed 7/24/2019 6:00pm-7:30pm (Playhouse Square)
Thu 7/25/2019 6:00pm-7:30pm (Playhouse Square, then wandering)
7/26/2019
6:10pm (Hermit Club Patio)
6:35pm (Outcalt Theatre Lobby)
7:25pm (Miller Classroom Lobby)
7/27/2019
4:30pm (Outcalt Theatre Lobby)
5:30pm (Helen Theatre Lobby)
7:20pm (Hermit Club Patio)

I Am But a Whisper
As dancers, our job is to interpret the music. As people we have so little control over how others interpret us. I AM BUT A WHISPER allows the audience to choose how the physical dance they see on stage is shaped by the personal playlist they select before each performance. The playlists have been created and curated by the dancers, but the audience will decides the tone of the show they view. Using a silent disco format, I AM BUT A WHISPER creates multiples shows and experiences out of a choreographic outline, fleshed out by the viewers perception and interpretation.

In Their Footsteps
Thousands of American women served in the Vietnam War. Infinite Variety Productions (IVP) interviewed five of these women - all volunteers. Through a script created from the oral histories and an innovative set using five blocks, IVP tells the often unknown, yet timely, story of the human side of war.

Journey to the Kingdom of Hypnos
Do you remember where Sleep is, Dear Ones? Mnemosyne invites you to close your eyes and journey to the court of that benevolent Greek god-creature of Slumber. But beware, in this Underworld the River of Oblivion is spilling over her shores and threatens the Waking.
*This immersive audio experience must be listened to on headphones.*

Love’s Lost Raree Box
"Step right up and take a peep inside this wonderous box!” ...an enticing invitation from the Raree Box Madame, an unusual woman in possession of a precious box with mysterious origins. Solo artist Chris Seibert seduces willing audience members to share in stories of love and loss, magic and origins.
This "pop-up" performance can be seen during these times:
Thu 7/25/2019 7:00pm-8:30pm (Playhouse Square, outdoor)
Fri 7/26/2019 8:45pm-11:00pm (Public Square)
Sat 7/27/2019 5:30pm-7:45pm (Public Square)
Sat 7/27/2019 9:30pm-10:30pm (Public Square)

Marie Curie Horror Story
This Marie Curie mystery unfolds as the famous scientist finds herself in an unknown place inhabited by a mysterious woman. As Marie reflects on the triumphs and tragedies of her life, she slowly unravels the puzzle of the present. The play paints a vivid picture of Marie's passion for science, her deep love for her partner and husband, her tenacity in weathering the great storms of her life, and her complicated relationship with her “radiant child.” Through memory, music, and poetic and horrific storytelling, Marie is confronted by her past and is forced to come face to face with the chilling realities of her radioactive discovery. Marie Curie succumbed to radium poisoning in 1934. She was still alive when a group of young women worked as watch dial painters in the US, using glow-in-the-dark paint.

Peter Pan and Wendy
A fresh take on a beloved story follows Wendy's adventures in Neverland with the charming immortal Peter Pan. Through make-believe that becomes all-too-real in battles with the fiercest lady on the seas, Captain Hook, Wendy discovers that to love truly is to risk loss - but to risk loss at the ticking hands of time is to embrace the possibility of loving truly.

Poetry Free Cleveland
Poetry Free Cleveland is a street poetry team writing typewriter poems by request on the spot for free. We're all about bringing poetry to the people. What do you need or want a poem about? We'll use your response to craft a personal and meaningful poem. Poetry Free Cleveland started in 2021 as a solo act, popping up at local festivals, parks, neighborhoods, and online. The response has been enthusiastic, so the project has expanded into a team of published poets active in the Cleveland literary scene.

Public Fransit
Featuring original music by Cleveland based public transit rock band The Frans, “Public Fransit” explores the history of public transportation in the US and Cleveland. This new short play was created through a partnership with Cleveland Public Library, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.

Resistance
Written by Golden Globe award-winning actress and playwright, Regina Taylor ("Crowns"), "Resistance" is a series of short plays that tackle a range of topics, from LGBTQ rights to gun rights to voting, to the 13th amendment's tie to modern slavery and the prison system. These diverse plays take an unflinching look at our current social political terrain.
This project is made possible through grant support from the Minority Arts and Education Fund (MAEF), a program of the Cleveland Foundation.
"Resistance" is made up of the following 6 short works:
DEJA VU
As 101-year old Pearl waits her turn to cast her ballot she recalls her participating in the marches for the Voting Rights Act, Pearl has a hard time figuring if she stands in the past or present as things seem painfully familiar in the age of MAGA.
JIM JOHNSON
Real life Jim Johnson was a janitor at Princeton University. One of the students recognize him as a runaway slave. Johnson had the right to contest his being dragged back down south into slavery by fighting his identity. He lost the case but the town "bought" him from his owner. Johnson had to pay off the debt. He lived to see the passage of the 13th amendment which abolished slavery except in the case of imprisonment. Under this law - Johnson's descendants remain slaves to this day.
BITING THE BULLET
Maya and Harold share the memory of the death of their son by gun violence. They do not share the same opinions on gun control laws.
ANY OTHER NAME
On the eve of the birth of their first child - Serena and Cynthia can't agree on the name of their first child: Penelope... which has a safe and traditional family history and meaning to one... or Dragon Planet Boxer which is fierce and in your face to the other, who doesn't want her child to ever feel that she has to hide. As their child listens to her parents stories, she readies herself to take on the names that the world might give her even before she takes her first breath.
MARS
The devastation of global warming has passed the point of no return. People are lining up to buy a one way ticket to Mars. Mars is a planet named after a god of war and has its own thoughts about being colonized.
HEADRAG
A centenarian African American woman is getting ready for God to land on earth in a spaceship and carry her home. She believes that God must look like her since no one sees her/hears her and treats her like a foreign body.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:
Regina Taylor (PLAYWRIGHT) is an actor, director and playwright. Playwriting credits include: “Bread” (Edgerton Award. Water Tower Theater), “Crowns” (four Helen Hayes awards, including Best Director), "Oo-Bla-Dee," (Steinberg-ATCA award) and "Drowning Crow," (Broadway, MTC), “The Trinity River Plays” (Edgerton Foundation Award) and “stop.reset” (Signature Theater Residency Five).
Ms. Taylor received the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair Fordham University at Lincoln Center. An Artistic Associate of Goodman Theatre, Taylor is its most produced playwright. Signature Theater residency five playwright.
Taylor in her TV role as Lily Harper in "I'll Fly Away” received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress, 3 NAACP Image Awards and two Emmy Award nominations. Her other television roles include “The Unit”. Taylor was first African American lead in Masterpiece Theatre’s "Cora Unashamed," starred as Anita Hill in HBO’s “Strange Justice” and “A Good Day to Die” starring Sidney Poitier. She has co-starred in USA Networks’ Dig and guest starred in “Elementary” and “The Black List”. Next year Taylor is featured in Netflix’ One Day and a Night starring Jeffrey Wright, Ashton Saunders and directed/written by Joe Robert Cole (writer: Black Panther) and guest stars on Red Line (Producer Ava DuVernay for CBS).
Taylor’s film credits include “Saturday Church”, "The Negotiator," "Courage Under Fire," "Clockers," and "Lean on Me." Taylor was also the first Black woman to play Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway.

Table For Two
Once upon a time there was a woman and a man. For clarity’s sake, we will call them Mr. and Mrs. They were in love and because of that, they decided to marry one another. And for the sake of all of you, let's just say this love story does not end well.

Tesha; An “Other” Look at Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, infamously known as Notorious RBG is a contemporary cultural icon and much can be accessed about her life and work. The second female ever to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court, the Associate Justice's accomplishments and influence on gender equality are legendary.
Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, Ginsburg taught at Rutgers University Law School and then at Columbia University, where she became its first female tenured professor. In law school, she was the first person to make both the Columbia and Harvard Law Review. She served as the director of the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union during the 1970’s. She argued and won 5 out of 6 landmark gender equality cases before the Supreme Court. She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1980 and named to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. A champion for equality, she continued to argue for gender equality in cases such as United States v. Virginia. She died September 18, 2020 due to complications from metastatic pancreas cancer.
So....what isn't there to know about the extraordinary contribution and life of RBG?
Borrowing from her documented life story, playwright and actress, Juliette Regnier narrows the broad scope of Justice Ginsburg’s astonishing life and imagines her right here. Right now. If we could sit in her company, what would she say? Tesha; An "Other" Look at Ruth Bader Ginsburg, set during Aninut, (the time and space between death and burial in the Jewish Tradition), Ms. Regnier, as RBG takes us through forearm planks, The Taj Mahal, Marty’s casseroles, baton twirling, Harvard Law School, the passion of Dvorak, The United States Constitution, and the cost of gender inequality.
As she dresses for lunch with her husband Marty and other deceased guests such as Notorious B.I.G. and Justice Antonin Scalia, she revisits time; the ‘50’s, the ‘70’s, the ‘90’s, and thoughtfully extemporizes on the conditions of those eras and their influences. She confides in us her experiences in marriage, friendship, career, the law, religion, the opera, muses on the realities of time and takes aim at the rippling harm of unconscious gender bias.
This intimate one-woman portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is ultimately about time - the maddeningly slow evolution of civilization, liminal time, 1933-2023, times of unrest and upheaval, and seizing the right time to midwife and foster change.

The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God
Based on George Bernard Shaw’s short story, this side-splitting comedy follows a young African girl who is abandoned by a white missionary for asking too many questions about God. Taking matters into her own hands, she sets off on her own to find out who—or what—God really is. Along the way she meets a number of characters who have very different views on God. In the end she’s forced to make her own decisions on God and her search.
This work is made possible through the support of the Creative Fusion artist residency program, a program of the Cleveland Foundation.

The Light House
On a little island in a faraway sea, there is a little girl who tends a lighthouse and who never ever smiles. Until one day, when she must set out for the horizon, and beyond....
From the playful minds of longtime pals and award-winning collaborators, Natasha Mirny and Tia Shearer Bassett, The Light House is a unique combination of shadow puppetry, storytelling, and interactive theatre. Celebrate the imaginative possibility of everyday objects (a cereal box, a flashlight, a sheet!) as you help Natasha and Tia tell a tale full of silliness and heart. Also…sea creatures.
The Light House: an interactive shadow show about finding your light. Best for ages 3-8, but everyone is invited.

The Shadow of the Clock
The Shadow of the Clock is a radio play mystery performed by two actors. A man receives a written death threat which says he will die at midnight. The play takes place in his locked apartment, with the only other character being the detective he hires to prevent the murder. The play unfolds in real time from eleven thirty five to midnight as the characters grow to trust each other less and less and try to predict and prevent the cause of death waiting for them at the play's finale. Performed before a blindfolded audience, The Shadow of the Clock offers the strange and unique experience where a play's audience and its characters attempt to do the same thing: imagine what they cannot see. This half hour original play by Luke Brett is not only a suspenseful riddle, but also an escalating human scene exploring our fascination with death, the emotions that come in the face of death, and the power of a frightened imagination.

This Is NOT About My Dead Dog
“This is NOT About My Dead Dog” is a comedic one-woman show reflecting on sex, alcohol, and an awkward girlhood. Follow actor/playwright Amy Schwabauer on a journey from young partier to young adult involving German Shepherds, breakups, and offbeat ruminations on the natural world. Originally produced to sold-out houses in January 2017, “This is NOT About My Dead Dog” is a tour-de-force from a unique talent hailed as “brave,” “brilliant,” and “brazen,” and praised for “spin[ning] a worthy anecdote and command[ing] the stage with flair.” Don’t miss this breakthrough work by Cleveland’s “Best Actress” for 2017.

Three Countries, One Mother
Using storytelling, poetry, movement, and song, Three Countries, One Mother explores the history and culture of the Bhutanese-Nepali-American people who were displaced from their homeland as part of the Bhutanese Refugee Crisis in the 1990s and early 2000s. This play is inspired by the true story of Neema Bal’s family– members of the Tamang tribe, an ethnic group in the Bhutanese-Nepali community. The Tamang tribe speak their own Tibeto-Burman language and have a diverse spectrum of influences on spirituality--including Buddhism and indigenous shamanism.
Spanning generations and countries, this deeply personal narrative weaves together family stories and ritual to investigate the impact of cultural legacy on an individual. The audience is invited to journey with Neema through his cultural inheritance as part of a quest to better understand himself.

Uncle Toots’ Pasta Dish
Uncle Toots wants one last pasta dinner in the home he’s about to lose, but more than sauce is stirred up and served when his family and longtime hospice nurse ambush him about a 60 year relationship he packed away. With you, Toots’ wide-eyed sister, Aunt Barb, World War II veteran husband, Rocky, and Nurse Nancy at the dining room table, a tale of lost love awakens this contentious family to realities they’ve never faced before. "Uncle Toots’ Pasta Dish" is an improvised experience you help bring to life even if you decide to just shut up and eat!

Welcome to my House
Welcome to My House is an interactive performance art conversation with Robin VanLear, creator of Parade the Circle. Meet her in her rolling house, a treasure trove of props, ideas and memories. Exchange stories. It may start in her world but it will invade yours. Some days are silly and others serene. Be ready to swing from laughter to sorrow. This soul baring experience will inspire you and leave you with plenty to contemplate after her house rolls away.
Robin and her house on wheels can perform in any setting that is not cramped yet allows the audience to feel private and comfortable. This house without walls carries an assortment of inspirational bric a brac of Robin's making and choosing. Each show she arrives as a different character who will warm you with her charm, her laughter and possibly her tears.
Visually quirky with thoughtful commentary on this world that we all share, Robin wants to weave a web that encourages your thoughts, ideas and experiences to intertwine with hers. The result is a piece of community magic.
2019 SUPPORTERS
The 2019 BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival presented by Char and Chuck Fowler
THANK YOU TO OUR INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Thank you to the following individuals, whose generous contributions have made possible our inaugural festival
PLATINUM
Char and Chuck Fowler
Lee Heinen
GOLD
Kim Sherwin
Bob and Sally Gries
Clark Khayat
Nancy Griffith
SILVER
Holley Martens
Chann Fowler Spellman
Harriet Warm
Steven Minter
James Anderson and David Wittkowsky
Jason Drake
Roe Green
Carrie Gustafson
James Ratner
Neil and Amy Viny
BRONZE
John C. Williams
LuAnn and Andy Brown
Rebecca Dunn
Stacy and Michael Goldberg
Pamela Haag
David Goodman
Patrick and Jeanne Walker
Lauren Fine
Yana Mikho-Misho
T. Paul Lowry
Felton Thomas, Jr.
Rachel Costanzo
Joanne R. Cohen