Of Ivory and Flesh: Statues Also Suffer

Rebecca Crown Hall, Jerusalem Theatre

Marlene Monteiro Freitas (Cabo Verde, Portugal)

Duration: 80 minutes (no intermission)

In this compelling performance by Cape Verdean choreographer Marlene Monteiro Freitas, human feelings suddenly awaken among a mechanical tribe of dancers. As an invisible external force controls their bodies to the rhythm of a live trio of drummers, the human statues must deal with feelings they have never encountered before such as pain, desire, and sexuality. Monteiro Freitas brings to the stage a tribalism that looks directly at the way in which the West characterized it, creating a ball for living statues that blurs the distinction between source and imitation and between the living and the dead, to the extent that she brings a new nature into existence.

Monteiro Freitas, who draws inspiration from sources such as the myth of Pygmalion and the seminal film Les statues meurent aussi (Statues Also Die, 1953) by Alain Resnais and Chris Marker, speaks a rare language of theater and dance that demands a high level of physical and emotional expression from the dancers. Of Ivory and Flesh has enjoyed worldwide success since its premiere at the Montpellier Dance Festival in 2014. 

Choreography: Marlene Monteiro Freitas

Performed by: Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Andreas Merk, Betty Tchomanga, Lander Patrick

Percussion: Cookie, Tomás Moital, Miguel Filipe

Lighting and scenery: Yannick Fouassier

Editing and sound: Tiago Cerqueira

Research: Marlene Monteiro Freitas, João Francisco Figueira

Production: P.O.R.K (Lisbon)

From the critics:

“This show is like a strobe light, impossible to ignore, giving you flashes of stories and asking you to fill in the blanks. Not to mention it’s one heck of a party.” (Bachtrack.com)

“A work that is a slice of vitality, touching emotions and intellect alike” (Revuejeu.org)

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