Works by Annalisa Dias:
THE INVENTION OF SEEDS
4380 NIGHTS
ONE WORD MORE
SERVANT OF THE WIND
THE LAST ALLEGIANCE
Synopses:
The Invention of Seeds – Jessie and their father David run a small family farm in rural Indiana. When a private investigator hired by the multinational seed corporation iGrow knocks on their door demanding information, Jessie and David know something can’t be right. Meanwhile, a cargo truck overturns on I-70 and a baby GMO Seed falls out and meets the warm Indiana Soil. Together, the Seed and the Soil ask the Center of the Earth big questions about life itself. With all the characters, we ask ourselves, “what if we are all seeds?”
4380 Nights – At the end of President Barack Obama’s second term, after he had campaigned on the promise of closing Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, of the 800 men who were detained there over the course of 14 years, 41 remained. In 2016, President Donald Trump promised to keep the facility open for the foreseeable future. Over the course of 12 years, or 4,380 nights, Malik Djamal Ahmad Essaid has been held without charge by the United States government at Guantanamo. As he languishes in his cell, his interactions with those on the outside interconnect with historical and mythical events in a riveting exposé of the legacy of global colonization and the continued violent coercion of black and brown bodies. 4380 NIGHTS asks how we might acknowledge our interconnected past and present and together build a future free from the walls.
One Word More – The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. In it, the magician Prospero arrives on a mysterious island where he meets and conquers its inhabitants by the power of his magic. One character – Sycorax – is only ever referred to and never seen. One Word More reimagines Sycorax by giving her voice, body, and agency through stylized physical theatre, dance, and original text. Juxtaposing Shakespeare’s work with the journals of Lewis and Clark, One Word More surfaces the complexities of colonization, desire, and conquest.
Servant of the Wind – In a tour de force solo performance featuring contemporary dance, autobiography, kalaripayattu (a south Indian martial art), and excerpts of the Ramayana, Servant of the Wind is a multidisciplinary examination of the ways in which we sacrifice ourselves in the purpose of serving others.
The Last Allegiance – Weaving poetry, myth, and epic fight scenes, The Last Allegiance recounts the story of Prince Esfandiyar’s final adventure. At the behest of his father the King, Esfandiyar sets off on a doomed journey across the desert to confront the ancient hero, Rostam. Accompanied by his brother and son, he encounters dragons, ghosts, and the mythical Simurgh bird. Adapted from the Persian epic, the Shahnahmeh (or Book of Kings), this deeply felt play invites us to experience awe and wonder while ultimately questioning destiny, loyalty, and our national heroes.
Bio:
Annalisa Dias is a Goan-American transdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and award-winning theatre maker working at the intersection of racial justice and care for the earth. She is Director of Artistic Partnerships & Innovation at Baltimore Center Stage. Annalisa is also a Co-Founder of Groundwater Arts.
Prior to joining BCS, Annalisa was a Producing Playwright and Acting Creative Producer with The Welders, a DC playwright’s collective; and a Co-Founder of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice. Artistic credits include: WRITING: 4380 Nights, the earth that is sufficient, One Word More, The Last Allegiance, A Legacy of Chains, Crooked Figure, Consider the Dust, Matanuska, Coal, and Servant of the Wind. DEVISING: Wit’s End Puppets: Malevolent Creatures; banished? productions: Tyger; Theater Alliance: I Love DC. DIRECTING: Source Festival: Dust to dust to dust and Dressing Bobby Strong; The Salima Project (film). Annalisa’s work has been produced or developed by The Welders, Theater Alliance, Signature Theatre (DC), Arena Stage, the Phillips Collection, The Gulfshore Playhouse, the Mead Theatre Lab, The Hub Theatre, Spooky Action Theater, Tron Theatre (Glasgow), and OverHere Theatre (London). Annalisa frequently teaches theatre of the oppressed and decolonization workshops nationally and internationally and speaks about race, identity, and performance. She is a TCG Rising Leader of Color.
Website: www.annalisadias.weebly.com