Residency Five artist Martha Clarke has
found inspiration in a wild array of places.
From the Hieronymus Bosch triptych in Garden of Earthly Delights, to the short stories of Pirandello
in Kaos, to the romantic novella that served as the basis for her 2013 production of Chéri, Clarke finds
movement and story in even the most static of sources. Now, in the second of her three Residency
Five productions, she tackles one of the only American subjects in her body of work: the chaste,
mysterious, and nearly extinct Shakers. Under her direction, Angel Reapers, by Clarke and playwright
Alfred Uhry, blends music, text, and Clarke’s choreography to tell the story of Shaker leader
Mother Ann Lee and the devotion and tumult of her followers. In early December, Clarke sat down
with Literary Manager Jenna Clark Embrey to talk about her research, process, and exploring simplicity.
A SIMPLICITY OF STYLE
A N
I N T E R V I E W
W I T H
M A R T H A
C L A R K E
(far left) Martha Clarke, 2013.
(left) Women at the Canterbury
Shaker Village, year unknown.
Signature: It’s been two years since Chéri — what have you
been up to?
tures. The Shaker aesthetic is minimal and severe.
Martha Clarke: Chér