SWELL

SWELL is a music-theatre work that weaves together ten original avant-garde/new music compositions written by ten richly inventive composers drawing from their personal histories as immigrants and children of immigrants. Their unique, surprising, and deeply human stories are told through voice, piano, cello, and violin in this music-based contribution to the global immigration narrative.

The company of artists, with immigrant backgrounds ranging from Taiwan to Trinidad, Israel to India, and Mexico to the Philippines, have deftly assembled a quilt of contemporary sound that, in this workshop presentation, is gently enhanced by movement and video projection. Conceived by lyricist, librettist, and playwright Melisa Tien, SWELL is an exploration of the theatrical and musical possibilities that begin to present themselves when artists who are immigrants and/or children of immigrants are offered a storytelling platform.

Run time: 70 min