Tessa Hall / Medusa is Laughing

MEDUSA IS LAUGHING

This solo originated as a study of The Laugh of the Medusa, by Hélène Cixous (1975). I wanted to develop a physical research of Cixous’ writing style, ‘écriture féminine’, which moves beyond the conventional bounds of patriarchal language. Over time, the study turned into a person and a woman with a mission appeared. I call her Medusa.

Medusa’s aim is to push through an impossibly inefficient, illogical, explosive way of moving until another body arrives... or another. Like Cixous, Medusa finds it crucial to invent a language that encapsulates all female narratives. This means that she finds herself concerned with the de-essentialization of women. Medusa is not afraid of being deadly (as mythology portrays her) because she knows there’s more to her than that. Medusa sabotages reason.

Credits
Concept and performance: Tessa Hall
Mentor: Bojana Cvejic
Residency support: Wild Gallery
Special thanks to: Solène Wachter, Synne Elve Enoksen, Margarida Marques Ramalhete

Medusa is Laughing is also presented as part of She sat in the room. This is an evening composed of three solos by Tessa Hall, Solène Wachter, Synne Elve Enoksen.
Supported by: Bleu Printemps, CCN Orléans, the City of Orléans, La Scène Nationale d'Orléans

Trailer Medusa is Laughing

Tessa Hall is originally from New Zealand. She joined the Training Cycle at P.A.R.T.S. in 2016 and the STUDIOS program in 2019. Tessa’s interests lead her to take on various roles from performer to writer, researcher, curator and organizer. A pivotal moment for her was in 2019 when she held a leading role in organising the GXII Festival, the graduation festival of the Training Cycle, along with colleague Jonas Gineka.
Recently, Tessa and her collaborator Némo Flouret, worked with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker on Dark Red—Fondation Beyeler. She has also written various texts for Rosas, including a piece published for the 2020 revival of Drumming.
This year Tessa has been working closely with Bleu Printemps, the production structure of Némo Flouret, Georges Labbat and Solène Wachter. This has included projects such as She sat in the room, made with Solène Wachter and Synne Elve Enoksen. In this triptych program, presented at La Scène Nationale d'Orléans as part of Soirées Performances and Festiv'Elles, Tessa presented Medusa is Laughing. She is currently in the team of 900 something days spent in the 20th century, a dance project led by Némo Flouret that takes place outside of the theatre.
Tessa’s research has a feminist focus with particular interest in sexual difference philosophy. Her work is often about the voice of women—written and spoken, on paper and on the stage. This has led her to develop a platform called SHE talk that aims to make space for this.


Saturday June 12, 2021 / 20h / ⧖ 2h incl. break
Medusa is Laughing is part of a double bill, you always buy a ticket for 2 performances
Location: Rosas Performance Space - Avenue Van Volxemlaan 164, 1190 Brussels
For tickets (7€) click here
Practical info here

Sunday June 13, 2021 /15h / ⧖ 2h incl. break
Medusa is Laughing is part of a double bill, you always buy a ticket for 2 performances
Location first part of the program (15h): Rosas Performance Space - Avenue Van Volxemlaan 164, 1190 Brussels
Location second part of the program (continuously between 16h-18h30): Wild Gallery - Gerijstraat 11 Rue du Charroi , 1190 Brussels
It is a 10 minutes walk between the 2 venues
For tickets (7€) click here
Practical info here

All pictures by Margarida Marques Ramalhete