Sheena McGrandles

DAWN: A Musical on Reproduction (Sophiensæle 2021) is performed by four bodies on the cusp of fertility and a small chorus of childfree people. It negotiates different perspectives on reproduction, parenthood and the figure of the child as an ambiguous symbol of hope.

[Duration: 2,5h (incl. interlude)]

Première: Sophiensæle (Berlin) 23-25 September 2021
Touring: MOVING IN NOVEMBER (Helsinki) 9-10 November 2022
Theater im Depot (Dortmund) 20-21 September 2024

In an autofictional musical, Sheena McGrandles interweaves personal experiences with myths and narrations from ancient and contemporary times, in order to speculate about our possible futures and the role of reproduction. Together with a temporary collective of Berlin artists, DAWN explores different perspectives on parenthood and the power of the child as a symbol of hope. Where does the human need to create a family come from? Which bodies may and can reproduce, how and where? What wishes do we project onto a child who, as part of a new generation, could permanently change our current society with its classic family constructs and role distributions?

Four bodies on the edge of fertility enter into a dialogue with Dawn, a Goddess with rosy fingers, that opens the gates of heaven for the Sun-God to rise. At sundown, this Goddess dies, only to be reborn again the next morning. Together with a small choir of childless people, they create an experimental musical that combines concert, spoken word and performance into a multi-layered and humorous artistic work.

Trailer HERE
Libretto DAWN

Conversation with Kerstin Schroth (MOVING IN NOVEMBER) here
Instant reflections V by Nina Vurdelja here