Exploring Self-Image with The Clothesline

Known collectively as The Clothesline, the spring dance and theatre troupes explored the complex emotional relationship between women and clothing. Dancers put on a show entitled All Dressed Up And…, featuring both solo and ensemble explorations of the topic, while the Spring Theatre Collective put on a production of Nora Effron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

The dancers prepared for their show by studying choreography and dance improvisation, in addition to dance technique, in order to tap into deeply personal connections and creativity in their movements. Reflecting on the performance, Dance Instructor, Donna Franklin, said, “[The dancers] brought extraordinary creativity and intensity in presenting the full range of emotions. The voice of the choreographer came together with the expressiveness of the dancers in a powerful and moving way. That impact was felt by all who experienced this performance!” The performance ended with a Q & A session for the audience to speak directly with the student choreographers for a deeper understanding of the pieces they had performed.

In the Black Box, the Spring Theatre Collective brought their personal touch to the acclaimed work of Nora Effron through their performance of her seminal work, Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Students performed many of the vignettes from the original stage production, while also adding their own voices through original monologues prepared for this production. “In producing a play about the emotional context of clothing, it seemed necessary to hear the voices of the student actors interspersed with those of the characters. Through writing their personal clothing monologues, the performers connected even more deeply with the stories of the women they portrayed throughout this show,” said Director Gwen Couch. The personal touch of the performers could be found in every detail of the production, down to the set dressing, as students brought and used some of their own clothing as props. Both performances left their audiences with much to consider when thinking about the human relationship to clothing, both the good and the bad.