Haunted

Laura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp

Haunted

H A U N T E D

Haunted is a dynamic dance theater performance that unearths the true story of demonic possession that inspired the cult classic book and film, "The Exorcist." Created and performed by Laura Schandelmeier and Stephen Clapp with live music by Chloe and Leah Smith of Rising Appalachia and Ghanian percussionist/storyteller Kofi Dennis.

Upcoming Performances:

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

11-22 August 2010

Dance Base
14-16 Grassmarket
Edinburgh, United Kingdom EH1 2JU

Haunted is a dynamic dance/theater performance that unearths the true story of demonic possession that inspired the cult classic book and film, "The Exorcist." Created by Laura Schandelmeier and Stephen Clapp, the evening-length performance work is a collaboration between artistic and life partners Schandelmeier and Clapp, with live music by sisters Chloe and Leah Smith of the musical ensemble Rising Appalachia and Ghanaian percussionist/storyteller Kofi Dennis. Haunted examines a story of demonic possession from the diverse community in which Schandelmeier and Clapp live and work - Mount Rainer, Maryland (USA) where The Washington Post first reported in 1949 about the "Haunted Boy of Mount Rainier."

"...Breathtaking...Eloquent...Strangely Transporting..."
(David Cuthbert, The Times Picayune)

"...an intriguingly spooky movement-theater piece..."
(Celia Wren, The Washington Post)

The premier of Haunted was performed on a (23' x 29') Ouija board painted onto a Marley dance floor by visual artists Valerie Theberge and Shahin Shikhaliyev, with costumes by Ayo Ngozi. (The Ouija board set can also be projected through a gobo to facilitate touring). Haunted draws from acts of possession, ghost stories and ritual to create a dynamic motion narrative and a unique musical sound-scape. For mature audiences. (A family friendly version is also available).

A recent incarnation of Haunted was a duet performance by Schandelmeier and Clapp with video from the New Orleans based Mondo Bizarro's I Witness project. Haunted at the State of the Nation Festival was made possible with funding from Alternate ROOTS and the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with ArtSpot Productions and Mondo Bizarro.

Haunted Originally premiered in May 2008 at Dance Place in Washington, DC and has been presented by Joe's Movement Emporium, ArtSpot Productions/Mondo Bizarro, and Dance Base. The work marks the 4th evening-length performance collaboration by Schandelmeier & Clapp.

The premier of Haunted was made possible in part by
The National Endowment for the Arts
Alternate ROOTS
The Maryland State Arts Council
The Prince George's County Arts Council
Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections Program *

*Leadership support for Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program is generously provided by MetLife Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Amphion Foundation, Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund, BMI Foundation, Inc., Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Jerome Foundation, mediaThe foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Virgil Thomson Foundation, Ltd.

Haunted was presented at Joe's Movement Emporium with funding in part from Alternate ROOTS, the Prince George's County Arts Council, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. Please click here for video clips of Haunted.

Laura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp
Co-Artistic Directors
Dance Box Theater, Inc.
3311 Rhode Island Avenue #305
Mount Rainier, MD 20712
(415) 779-6383

Background Photo by R.C. Schandelmeier