Copyright held by the Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop
View Permission for Production Policy
Written and performed by the company
Directed by the directing team
Under our own influence.
The players stand around the outsides of the performance space emitting a single note louder with each breath.
After finishing their singing each performer begins to move towards their place in a shape in the center of the space, moving only on the exhale.
When they reach their spot they morph into the shape and say their line:
Group A:
“The angel of God who had been leading Israel’s camp now moved and went behind them.”
Group B:
“When the water was thus divided the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land.”
Group C:
“With the water like a wall to their right and to their left”
The last person in:
“Then Moses led Israel forward from the red sea and they marched out to the desert of Shur.”
The group melts out of the shape and begins to move in a pack. Members of the group fall out of the pack and are pulled back in.
As they fall out they say:
“Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?”
As they pull them back in they say:
“Fear not. Stand your ground and you will see the victory the lord will win for you today.”
Eventually the group can no longer pull in those left behind and the performers are left dispersed around the room again. Those left behind continue to breathe audibly.
As they fall they say:
Group A:
“They had been rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food.”
Group B:
“Here there was no water for the people to drink.”
The final person to collapse says:
“The Lord said to Moses I will now rain down bread from heaven.”
After two breaths the performers begin to move together again, moving only on the exhale and shaping when they come into contact with each other. As they hold their shapes on contact they speak their individual lines: (chosen by the performers from The Book of Exodus)
When they reach the center of the playing area each new contact adds weight to the group, finally the weight is too much and the group collapses. Individual lines are spoken again in the silence left by the cessation of the audible breathing.
The last line spoken is: “Is the lord in our midst or not”
After this line the group again begins breathing in unison and the performers begin to rise up and emit a single note again as in the beginning.
When everyone is standing and singing the lights go down.
