Overture: Star of Ethiopia
2013
Excerpt from installation video
In 1913, W.E.B. DuBois successfully tried his hand at producing a theatrical work about the ‘ten thousand year history of the black race.’ His pageant titled, "The Star of Ethiopia," gave the world yet another way of looking at his genius. Mixing inspiration from opera and classical theatre with the stylization of spirituals, DuBois set out to unabashedly educate the masses about the proud and complex history of the black race.
Pinder's installation begins with the limited extant photo documentation of the four pageant productions. Taking cues from the multiple Star of Ethiopia scripts found in the University of Massachusetts Credo web database and flowing with the theme of the exhibition, 'DuBois in Our Time,' Pinder creates a two-channel multiple abstract video short of an iconic moment found in the pageant. Primarily focusing on the characterization of the ‘Veiled Woman.' This piece is a stylized interpretation of the first part of the pageant. DuBois titled it the 'Gift of Iron.' He establishes the mystical ‘veiled woman’ as a symbol of black womanhood. She presents fire and iron to the “savages” of Africa to afford them a new life.
Embodying the written documentation of the moment, Pinder looked to create a powerful moment in which he incorporated DuBois's love of Wagner (and music), strong female characterization, and public theatrics. Using a contemporary score, he offers an interpretation of a moment taken from one of DuBois’s most ambitious work.
Performers
Diamond Stingly
Siobhan Leonard
Rashayla Brown
Danielle Rennalls
Alexander Wilson
Ashley McClenon
Jerome Kendrick
Rohan Thompson
Tavia K. David
Opera Singer
Oaklea Rowe
Cameramen
Jeremy Freedberg
Paul Deuth
Grip
Cooper Collier
Sound
Scott Mallory
Project Coordinator
Mahwish Chishty
Torch and technical assistance
provided by Pyro-Techniq
Dmitry Acosta
Mark Ersfeld
