Frankfort will be host to an original theatrical and dance performance Aug. 27 and 28, called
Chaotic Harmony. If the name seems an oxymoron, it's really a reflection of the inspiration behind the performance, taken from some of northwest Michigan artist Gwen Frostic's work.
Frostic's art, largely nature-based, serves as the muse for choreographer and director Gretchen Eichberger and writer Anne-Marie Oomen, who have created Chaotic Harmony to both mark the tenth anniversary of Frostic's death, and bring her messages to a new audience.
"We decided to use her words and her art as springboard for new thinking and moving, for something entirely different, for something that would free her message from the shadows--which would let her fly," says Eichberger.
The pair hopes to give Frostic's work, especially her book-length meditations on nature and the environment, renewed attention in a time when her words may be more relevant than ever.
"In this age of environmental threat, her words take on new resonance. In this age of simplified vocabulary, her diction holds a unique literary value. In this age when we could so easily forget the women who have made a difference aesthetically and culturally in our own region, Gwen is a model we need to rediscover," Oomen says.
The piece merges dance, spoken-word performances, original music from Breathe Owl Breathe that includes field recordings made by Frostic near her Benzonia home, and the contributions of many regional talents. Hughthir White, Jamaica Weston, Denise Sica and Cornelia Dhasaleer will dance; the set pieces were designed by artist and sculptor Bill Allen; the choral text will be read by Holly Wren Spaulding, Jennifer Sperry Stiennorth and Tim Joseph.
The project has been sponsored and funded by Gwen Frostic Prints, the Institute of Sustainable Living, Art and Design, and generous donations from the community.
The performances of Chaotic Harmony will take place at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27 and 3 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Meeting House of the Congregational Summer Assembly, two miles north of Frankfort on M-22.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Gretchen Eichberger, Northwest Michigan Folklife Center
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