In this tense one-woman show, combining text with physical theater, eerie images mix with an internal monologue as the writer/ performer Matilda Woods (writing under a pseudonym) dives into a series of events from her life, swimming in the ever-shifting waters of memory. A woman, bound by conventions and expectations that befall her gender, navigates the fluctuating tides of exposure and concealment. When the truth is suppressed, it gains power and momentum. Where in a woman’s body does that power live, and when it is finally released, where does it go? What is the sensation? Disquiet? Hysteria? Or something far more sinister? Chasing the Tides, or Exposure is a Rorschach test of a play, guaranteed to evoke a strong response in everyone who ever struggled with secrets.
About
Playwright and performer Matilda Woods explains the origins of this work: ”This process – a very unusual one, for both of us – began as a series of writings called “body musings,” initiated by a prompt from Jessica, inviting me to be hyper-present in my body in seemingly mundane activities –, like exercising, bathing, cleaning. The musings gave way to forgotten memories and nagging questions that have followed me throughout my life, and I eventually discovered that what I was actually doing was creating a space to speak about things I had never given myself permission to express. Some of the material in this piece is rigorously truthful, some of it is rigorously fiction, and yet, in its way, everything is emotionally true and deeply personal. When I thought about the impact this play might have on people in my life, I decided to create an alter ego, a safe space where I can play as hard and as wild as I must. It has been tremendously cathartic and I am unbelievably grateful to Burr and our stage manager Darielle Shandler for their incredible creative midwifery.”
Production CREDITS
Written by
Matilda Woods
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Directed by
Jessica Burr
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Featuring
Matilda Woods​
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Lighting Designer
Jay Ryan
Production Stage Manager
Darielle Shandler
Costume Designer
Sera Bourgeau
Sound Designer
Julian Evans