By Annette Hinkle
Kate Mueth and her theatrical dance troupe Neopolitical Cowgirls enjoy treading the edges of what’s expected in their art. They’ve done it successfully for a number of years with productions like “Trojan Women Redux,” “Wody Girtch Mama” and, most recently, “Zima!,” an interactive winter allegorical scavenger hunt which was offered on the streets of Sag Harbor in February as part of HarborFrost.
Mueth describes the Cowgirls’ performance process as a mash up of acting, dance and music. While there are rehearsals and a set structure in each piece, a great deal more comes from the improvisations of the performers themselves within that format.
“It’s lovely for the actor or dancer,” says Mueth. “It works that muscle of trust, using your ensemble members, being in the moment and taking what’s there.”
It’s also about letting go and tuning in.
“You have to listen and watch. It heightens senses,” she adds.
It’s not just the performers who are involved in the process. Mueth’s productions are designed so audience members feel involved as well. Breaking down that fourth wall which traditionally separates audience from actor is the goal. Mueth finds pushing the boundaries of conventional theater not only challenges and frees the performers, it invites viewers to expect the unexpected.
“That’s the kind of stuff I love,” she says. “There’s a little edge and a sense of flying by the seat of your pants. It makes it immediate and different every night. For me it makes theater what it’s supposed to be. It reflects life. Who will you bump into? Your new lover? Will you get hit by a bus? Scream at somebody in the street?”
“You won’t really get hit by a bus in our productions — but maybe by a theoretical bus.”
Currently, the Neopolitical Cowgirls (and there are a few “cowboys” in the troupe by the way) are gearing up to offer “Eve,” an experiential theatrical piece in which audience members will have some control over their destiny depending upon which of 12 different rooms they visit during the performance. While the production (which will run August 21 to 26 at LTV studios in Wainscott) is scripted to a point, it leaves room for individual choices on the part of the actors as well as audience members, and is underscored by carefully selected music, original costumes (by Yuka Silvera) and set pieces (by Brian Leaver).
Curious theater goers who don’t want to wait a month will have an opportunity to see what “Eve” has in store for them this Sunday, July 8 when the Neopoltical Cowgirls host a special private, sneak peak fundraising event of the production at the The Meadows, the North Haven home of Michael Daly, a member of the non-profit group’s board. The event runs 6 to 8 p.m. in the Daly’s garden and in addition to the performance, guests will have an opportunity to meet Mueth, along with members of the troupe and the board, and hear some of the stories behind the creation of the production. Strawberries and Prosecco will also be served.
While the interactive style of dance, music and theater which Mueth has been developing for a number of years is one she arrived at through her own artistic process, “Eve” does evoke shades of “Sleep No More,” the popular piece of theater currently running in Manhattan.
Set in a hotel, “Sleep No More” takes place over five floors and audience members determine their experience based on the rooms they enter and the actors they encounter there. Aficionados of the production return again and again to dig deeper into the story. Mueth likens the production to the playing of complex video games.
“The experience is really palpable,” says Mueth who recently saw “Sleep No More” for herself. “Not that this is going to be all theater, but it is a bit of zeitgeist for theater. Like reality TV I think it comes out of being so detached from being online all the time. In weird ways we’re looking for the realty experience.”
While “Eve” may bear some structural similarity to “Sleep No More,” Mueth explains the impetus behind all Neopolitical Cowgirls productions is her desire to push the envelope by breaking down the fourth wall.
“For me it’s about theater outdoors or in alternative places. Not where you’re just sitting down,” explains Mueth who adds that a certain sense of unpredictability comes with the change in venue. “You don’t know what to expect. I think of it as a bath you put yourself into of art, music and theater.”
While outdoor spaces are typically where the cowgirls preform (and where they will offer Sunday’s sneak peak), using the intriguing indoor space of LTV is something that Mueth is looking forward to.
“It’s 12 rooms of various sizes, with huge ceilings and some spaces that are just little nooks and crannies,” says Mueth. “People will come in as a group and just start exploring for a couple songs. Then an entrance happens. It’s more contained than ‘Sleep No More.’ I like to think of it as the alternative to going to a club. There’s no ecstasy, no booze — but music. For me even if you close your eyes and listen, the music will take you on your own journey. It’s primitive to modern and very stimulating in its own right. We do have things happening, you can follow the thrust of the story with Eve, but there are other clues of a deeper story you can get by watching other characters in other rooms.”
“There are textural moments, but they are carefully thought out,” she adds. “This whole story about Eve is about how we write our own story or how others write it for us.”
But for now, the other big story for the Neopolitical Cowgirls is fundraising, which is the next major hurdle for the group. Though “Eve” will have just a one week run this summer, by next summer, Mueth hopes to offer it for two months at LTV. That means the year ahead will be focused on the raising of both money and awareness for the project in the community. Sunday’s event in North Haven is the first example of that effort.
The economy has hurt everyone, but even more grassroots artists who are just beginning,” says Mueth. “People are more willing to give money to sponsor events that have the big celebrities. But our culture as a whole doesn’t support artists who make art and aren’t famous.”
“I see value in the work and that’s why I wanted to be a part of it,” adds Daly who explains that he became enamored of Mueth’s group and its mission after seeing a production “Trojan Women Redux” at Mulford Farm in East Hampton. “It’s about community. The word ‘community’ has so many different meanings. This is a new meaning. The way Kate does that draws me in. You see the people walk into her productions and then walk out with a different gait.”
“Articulating the mission and vision in a way that draws support is the challenge,” adds Daly. “We’re creating the organization to tap into it. We have the work, there are resources — now we need to effectively tap into them.”
The special, private, sneak preview fundraiser for “Eve” is Sunday, July 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Meadows, 283 Ferry Road, North Haven. A minimum donation of $25 will be requested. Prosecco and strawberries will be served. For details, call Lisa Freedman at 899-3261. “Eve” runs August 21 to 26 (8 p.m.) at LTV Studios on Industrial Road, Wainscott. The show is for adults 18 and up and tickets are $25 to $95 (which includes a closing night party). For more information visit evehamptons.com or neopolticalcowgirls.com. For those who would like to donate online, Neopoltical Cowgirls can be found on artspire.org, a fundraising site for non-profit groups offered through the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Top: Connor Burford and Ana Nieto in "Eve." (Barry Gordin photo)
