FirstWorks Presents a Premiere Performance of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s “The Telling”
Artists and activists come together on January 22, 2022 in this first-of-its-kind event with music, dance and light composed to explore a response to crisis and communion in our lives
Providence, RI (November 30, 2021) — FirstWorks, a Rhode Island non-profit dedicated to building community through world-class arts, will present renowned composer, violinist and activist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and “The Telling” at 8 p.m. on January 22, 2022 at WaterFire Arts Center. “The Telling” is a new collection of his original compositions with instrumental solos, dance and chamber music — each exploring the question: how can we, the living, honor the lost? A Town Hall dialogue will follow the live concert.
In “The Telling,” artists will reflect upon and respond to the forces of crisis and communion in our lives, with performance stories of anger, anguish, and enduring hope. This convergence of artists will surround the audience with singers, dancers and strings at Providence’s majestic WaterFire Arts Center in a new creative partnership between WaterFire Providence and FirstWorks. Featured collaborators are Melvin Chen (pianist), Dana Greenfield (director), MusicWorks Collective (string quartet), Becky Bass (soprano), Brandie Sutton (soprano), Albert Rudolph Lee (tenor), and Shura Baryshnikov (choreographer).
“Twin Stars: Diamond Variations for Dae’Anna” is the centerpiece of the program, incorporating movement for the first time. This complex chamber work by Roumain, with libretto by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, is a cry for racial justice and a searing artistic response to the killing of Philando Castile who was fatally shot during a traffic stop by a police officer in 2016 while driving with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter Dae’Anna.
“My brother Marc Bamuthi Joseph has found a way to look at the moment from the stars — the heavens — and in this, he elevated me above the fray, past the anger and rage, and into a space of healing and promise and empathy — most of all for Dae’Anna,” said Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR). “The stage may be our last bastion of democracy — a place where every voice can be heard and our musical diplomacy thrives.”
“This unique convergence of local-global creative forces promises to move our hearts and minds forward,” said Kathleen Pletcher, FirstWorks Executive Artistic Director. “In the two years DBR has served as FirstWorks Artistic Ambassador, he has been a wellspring in furthering work that speaks to who we are as a society and our aspirations for a more just world.”
The Telling: Original works performed by DBR and collaborators include
“I Have Nothing to Do Except Love” – Premiere live performance
“They Still Want to Kill Us”
“Love is the Only Word Sweeter than Black”
“Twin Stars: Diamond Variations for Dae’Anna,” featuring MusicWorks Collective
Box Office Information
“The Telling” will premiere at the WaterFire Arts Center on January 22, 2022 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35-$55 with a pay-what-you-can option, to offer equitable access. Tickets are available firstworks.org or by calling 401-421-4278.
A month-long video exhibition titled “The Seeing,” produced through a creative partnership between FirstWorks and WaterFire Providence, will accompany the premiere performance of “The Telling,” on view at the WaterFire Arts Center from January 12 through February 6, 2022. The exhibition will feature seven film works scored by Daniel Bernard Roumain and is open to the public.
Health and Safety
All attendees must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with photo ID, or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance. Masks are required for all.
About FirstWorks
FirstWorks is a non-profit based in Providence, Rhode Island whose purpose is to build the cultural, educational and economic vitality of its community by engaging diverse audiences with world-class performing arts and education programs. Since 2004, FirstWorks festivals, performances and programs have attracted more than 600,000 participants.
Last season, FirstWorks arts education programs reached over 5,500 students from public and charter schools across Rhode Island with transformative, arts-based learning experiences.
FirstWorks is the founding partner of PVDFest, collaborating with the City of Providence to produce the City’s free signature arts celebration since 2015. In 2019 PVDFest drew 130,000 visitors to Providence to experience music, art and spectacular performances.
Embracing collaboration, FirstWorks has fostered over 90 community partnerships across business, social service, government, arts, and education sectors. Visit http://firstworks.org to learn more.
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) is a prolific and endlessly collaborative composer, performer and activist. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), DBR has worked with artists from Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones to Lady Gaga; appeared on NPR, American Idol, and ESPN; and has collaborated with the Sydney Opera House and served for two years as FirstWorks Artistic Ambassador.
Acclaimed as a violinist and activist, DBR’s career spans more than two decades, earning commissions by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. Known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic, urban, and African-American music influences, he has composed chamber, orchestral, and operatic works and created large scale, site-specific musical events for public spaces.
About the WaterFire Arts Center
WaterFire Providence purchased the Arts Center in 2012 and began rehabilitation for the vacant, historic industrial building in the underserved Olneyville/Valley neighborhood of Providence. The 37,000 sq. ft. multi-use arts center has become WaterFire’s first permanent home in the community and serves as its headquarters, production complex, and a multi-purpose arts venue as well as a social enterprise platform strengthening the organization’s long-term financial sustainability. Exhibitions presented at WaterFire Arts Center will further the organization’s agenda of providing arts and culture opportunities and experiences for all, regardless of social, cultural or economic background. For more information about the WaterFire Arts Center including rental inquiries, please visit: https://waterfire.org/wfac
Key Artistic Collaborators Include:
Melvin Chen (pianist) has received acclaim for solo and chamber performances throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia. He is the Deputy Dean at the Yale School of Music, and also serves as Director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the original commissioner of “Twin Stars.”
Dana Greenfield (director) has worked as a theater+film director throughout New York City and internationally, extending east to Romania and south to Buenos Aires. She worked under the late avant-garde titan Lee Breuer, recently continuing direction on his production of “A Coffin in Egypt.” She is an associate producer at Sozo Artists.
MusicWorks Collective (resident ensemble of Community MusicWorks) performs in concert halls to corner taquerias, with a sense of community-building and celebration. They have performed in Boston, New York City, and at L.A.’s J. Paul Getty Museum.
Shura Baryshnikov (choreographer, dancer) is an interdisciplinary artist who works broadly as a dancer, actor, improviser, choreographer, and somatic movement educator. Most recently, Shura served as movement designer for Anne Bogart’s critically acclaimed production of “The Handmaid’s Tale” at Boston Lyric Opera and Bridge Repertory Theater’s award-winning production of George Brant’s “Dark Room.”
Funding Partners/Credits “The Telling” is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ New Work New England program. FirstWorks gratefully acknowledges support from the Providence Tourism Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.