La Mama ETC and Under the Radar Presents
Rose: You Are Who You Eat
Conceived, Written, and Performed by John Jarboe
Directed by MK Tuomanen
Produced by The Bearded Ladies Cabaret and Jecca Barry
Theatrical Co-World Premiere with Woolly Mammoth, CulturalDC, & FringeArts
From a commission by Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Part of the 2024 Under the Radar Festival
A true story of gender cannibalism, set to music
Once upon a vine, John Jarboe’s aunt revealed that John not only had a twin sister in the womb, but that John consumed her: “You ate her. That’s why you are the way you are.” This was a lot for John to swallow! In this musical shrine to the consumed twin, named Rose, John welcomes you into a feast of gender through song, storytelling, and a full plate of wordplay. Featuring all original music written in collaboration with Emily Bate, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, and Be Steadwell.
Rose was commissioned by Works & Process and developed in collaboration with The Bearded Ladies Cabaret. The work was created during the pandemic in Works & Process bubble residencies at Mount Tremper Arts and Bethany Arts Community, with the support of the Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Foundation. Early iterations of Rose were presented by Works & Process in the Guggenheim Rotunda (2021) Guggenheim Theater (2022), and CulturalDC (2022.)
at La Mama, The Downstairs, 66 E 4th St, New York NY 10003
Jan 10th-Jan 20th
Tues- Sat at 8pm
Sat & Sun at 1:30pm
with the possibility of an extension in the following week (for internal knowledge, not to be made public)
SHOW SCHEDULE
JANUARY
Wed, Jan 10th
Opening Night
8:00 PM
Thurs, Jan 11th
8:00 PM
Fri, Jan 12th
8:00 PM
Sat, Jan 13th
1:30 PM
Sat, Jan 13th
8:00 PM
Sun, Jan 14th
1:30 PM
Tues, Jan 16th
8:00 PM
Wed, Jan 17th
8:00 PM
Thurs, Jan 18th
Masked Performance
8:00 PM
Fri, Jan 19th
8:00 PM
Sat, Jan 20th
1:30 PM
Sat, Jan 20th
8:00 PM
TICKETING
$35 General Admission
$30 Students and Seniors
The first 10 tickets bought to every show are $10
https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1183038
COVID SAFETY
TBD
CONTENT WARNING
Content warnings include: themes of fetal mortality and growing up queer in Michigan in the 90s, graphic eating imagery, sexually explicit language, and cannibal humor. Flashing lights will be used briefly, 40 minutes into the show.
ABOUT JOHN JARBOE
John Jarboe (she/her) is a director, singer, writer, producer and host serving you revolution, herstory, queer community making, and a whole lot of glitter. She is the founding artistic director of The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, a Philadelphia-based company, now thirteen years old.
She has directed and written original work performed at La Mama ETC, Joe’s Pub, and for Opera Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Wilma Theater, Guggenheim’s Works & Process, and Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series. As a director Jarboe has directed and helped create shows for Cookie Diorio, legendary Mezzo Stephanie Blythe, and for Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. As a writer and performer Jarboe has toured to Paris, Poland, New Zealand. Find more of her work with The Bearded Ladies @beardedladiescabaret or beardedladiescabaret.com
QUOTES from John Jarboe
“It’s not every day you learn that you are a gender cannibal”
“I’ve been working on this project with Works and Process since spring 2020, but in a way, I have been working on it since conception. It’s been a long process of digestion and one I’m ready to share with people in live space. Rose is the most personal piece I’ve worked on. I think it’s a step deeper and forward for me in my artistic process and for me as a human. It’s a healing ritual of sorts that I hope will do for the audience what it is doing for me.”
“As queer folx, however we identify, we are always in dynamic tension between being who we are authentically and the tyranny of respectability: fitting in by making ourselves more palatable, more recognizable to a cis-het society in order to get through the day, escape harassment, and for some of us, just to survive. I don’t pass. I don’t fit into a clean, commercialized narrative of transition. What I love about the story of Rose, is that it is unmistakably disrespectful, pretty tasteless, and entirely me”
Press QUOTES
"A show about gender cannibals, adorned by tender, frisky music." (New York Times, Alexis Soloski). We also have "Jarboe is an appealing performer"
"This piece, which Jarboe describes as a “support group for gender cannibals,” is a reckoning with identity and queerness."
Full review (please don't share with press directly) here.
From an article titled "Five Shows We've Loved at the Philadelphia Fringe So Far"
"Cannibalism isn’t usually a hit topic for live performance, but John Jarboe embraces the surprise factor with silly, introspective glamor." (Philadelphia Inquirer, Rosa Cartagena)
CAST/CREW
In Collaboration With The Bearded Ladies Cabaret and Fringe Arts
Director: MK Tuomanen
Producer: Jecca Barry
Music Director: Emily Bate
Score Supervisor: Pax Ressler
Compositions by Emily Bate, John Jarboe, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, Be Steadwell
Arrangements by Heath Allen, Emily Bate, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, and Be Steadwell
Scenic and Video Designer: Christopher Ash
Costume Designer: Rebecca Kanach
Lighting Design: Kate McGee
Sound Designer: Taylor Jedlinski
Production Manager: Calvin Anderson
Stage Manager: Nic Labadie-Bartz
Additional Dramaturgical Support: Sally Ollove
Musicians
Guitar: Emily Bate
Keys: Pax Ressler
Cello: Daniel de Jesús
Drums: Mel Regn
Films Conceived, Written, Produced, and Co-Directed by John Jarboe
In Collaboration With
Co-director of Film, Director of Photography, Film Co-Production Design: Christopher Ash
Co-Director of Film, Performance Director and Dramaturg: MK Tuomanen
Film Co-Production Design, Costume Design and Fabrication: Rebecca Kanach
Music Director, Film Boom-Boy: Emily Bate
Project Manager and Film Assistant Director: Nic Labadie-Bartz
Film First Assistant Camera: Alik Barsoumian
Art Director of Films: Hamilton Guillén
Wardrobe and Set Decorator: Scott McMaster
Producer: Emily Schreiner
Compositions by Emily Bate, John Jarboe, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, Be Steadwell
Arrangements by Heath Allen, Emily Bate, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, and Be Steadwell
Craft Services and Residency Cook: Rae Kingfield
Additional Props: Jo Vito Ramírez
MUSIC VIDEOS
John Jarboe, lead artist, performer, and lyricist
Christopher Ash, director/cinematographer,
sound mixer
Emily Bate, composer and harmonies
Rebecca Kanach, makeup and costume design
Heath Allen, piano and arranger
Justin Yoder, cello
PARTNERSHIPS
Rose began as a commission and presentation from Works & Process at the Guggenheim through a bubble residency at Mount Tremper Arts in Fall 2020 and at Bethany Arts Community in Spring 2021. The spring 2022 performances are developed with support from Works & Process, Cultural DC and FringeArts. Rose has also received support from The Bearded Ladies Cabaret via the John S and James L.Knight Foundation and individual donors.
This version of ROSE had a sold-out run at Philadelphia's FringeArts festival in September 2023. Next it will have a run at DC's Woolly Mammoth theater in June 2024, part of the Co-World Premiere. An art installation drawing from the same inspiration point and led by Jarboe will take place from Spring–Fall 2024 at Philadelphia's Fabric Museum and Workshop.
Rose: You Are Who You Eat
La Mama, ETC and Under the Radar Festival
Jan 10-16th, 2024