Screaming Shrubbery

Or, The Regrettable Naïveté of Ms. Elanore Ghastlypants

“Third Rail Dance’s pastiche of murder and jazz is like a round of Clue deconstructed by acerbic drama students.” – The New Yorker

About Screaming Shrubbery (2005)

at the Merce Cunningham Studio, New York City

Born from a creative residency in summer 2004 at Swarthmore College, Screaming Shrubbery was an evening-length dance theater piece (approx. one hour) created by Jennine Willett, Tom Pearson and Zach Morris in collaboration with the cast: Julia Behringer, Josh Matthews Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, and Mayuna Shimizu. Drawing inspiration from thrillers, mystery novels and farce and set against the prudish backdrop of Edwardian Society, the piece moved at breakneck speed through macabre, nefarious and otherwise raucous episodes.

Alternating between the comic and poignant, the six-member ensemble plus one dummy craftily portrayed 99 characters through a bevy of plots and plans and sneakings about. The Maid and Butler facilitated the action of a weekend engagement celebration fraught with murder and mayhem. Topiary came to life and sang in three-part harmony. The Aristocracy danced with drunken abandon, and, the audience was served tea and crumpets if they sat real close.

“The shrubbery did scream in this comically macabre piece of dance theater… They sang, spoke and danced their way with gusto through a multitude of roles.” — Jack Anderson, The New York Times

Photos

  • Cast of Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Cast of Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Zach Morris, Mayuna Shimizu, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Tom Pearson

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Jennine Willett

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Mayuna Shimizu

    Photo by Richard Termine

  • Screaming Shrubbery

    Photo by Richard Termine

Press Coverage

Credits

THIRD RAIL DANCE presents
Screaming Shrubbery,
or The Regrettable Naiveté of Ms. Elanore Ghastlypants

Creative Team

Conceived, Choreographed, and Directed by: Jennine Willett, Tom Pearson, Zach Morris
In Collaboration with: Julia Behringer, Josh Matthews, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Mayuna Shimizu

Production

Original Music Composed by: Russel M. Kaplan
Lighting Designer: Jason Jeunette
Production Manager: Andrea Dohar
Topiary Birds: Barry Weil
Costumes, Jennine Willett, with Tom Pearson, Zach Morris, and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus
Technicians: Christopher Cummings, Matt Gratz (Lantern Design)
Project Coordinator: Shannon Paige

Additional Music: Selections from French Cabaret, Dixieland Brass, Victorian Music Boxes, Argentine Tango

Cast

(In Order of Appearance)

Julia Behiringer/Mayuna Shimizu
Elanore Ghastlypants, The Vamp, and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

Josh Matthews
Serge (The Butler), and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

Tom Pearson
Lady Ghastlypants, Raoul (The Motorist), Ballerina, Creeping Unmentionable, Frau Tubbybuckle, and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

Marissa Nielsen-Pincus
Lord Ghastlypants, Babette (The Maid), The Poetess, Creeping Unmentionable, and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

Zach Morris
Beau, Ralph (The Shifty Groundskeeper), and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

Jennine Willett
The Baroness, Penny Dreadfuls, Velma Clump, a 40 year-old Debutant, and several other Neutral and Aristocratic Characters

The Dummy
The Silent Stranger and several other non-speaking roles

Project Support

Screaming Shrubbery was supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Material for Screaming Shrubbery was developed at The Swarthmore Project, a residency for choreographers and dancers sponsored by Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.

Special Thanks to: Barry Weil, Ethan Mann, Mike Meehan and Levels at the Great Neck Library; Ken and Maggie Morris; Kathryn Moroney; David Sheingold; Jeremy Xido; Kerrin Willett; Paul Millman; Ruth and Dan Millman; Lisa and everyone at the Great Neck House; Anita Yavich; Joy Goodwin; Liesl Schillinger; Owen Phillips; Richard Termine; Dance Theater Workshop; Nikki Berger; our house­mates at Swarthmore: Betty, Sarah, Jamie and Sita; Sharon Friedler, Jon Sherman and the faculty of Swarthmore College; Tony Walsh; Paul Ben-ltzak and The Dance Insider Online; NYDAC; and lastly, Alberto Bohl and the staff of The Cunningham Studio.

Dedication: This performance is dedicated to the memory of Mme. Cha Cha The Mystic - who was, sadly, astral projecting and never came back during pre-production.