TENDER YOUNG CREATURES
documentation & information for presenters
Tender Young Creatures is a live installation centred around the theme of young women walking at night. Inspired by the classic tale of Red Riding Hood, the performance is a contemporary look at the wolf that lives inside us.
A chorus of young voices cry out to the daughters of the world amidst a backdrop of moving images and projected animations. This is a work which offers young female voices a platform to be heard.
In a highly visual and richly aural landscape, up to 100 girls reignite Red’s story and ask us to consider fear, the thing we feed most.
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8 minute trailer | Carriageworks, Sydney | Nov 4 2017
Archival of Full Production. | Carriageworks, Sydney | Nov 4 2017
TECH REQUIREMENTS
TOURING PARTY | 4 choral leaders including director |
VENUE STAFF | 1 x AV tech if using projections |
SHOW DURATION | 60 min |
BUMP IN | 4-8 hours, depending on space |
BUMP OUT | 2 hours |
STAGING REQUIREMENTS | minimum space: for a cast of 100 and audience of 200, we'd estimate a space of 500m sq, (e.g. 20m x 25m).
TYC is a site specific work. It can be performed inside or out, in a park, a courtyard, a gallery or any large, open space. |
LIGHTING - description | A regular wash on a basic rig. |
LIGHTING - venue to provide | simple lighting rig. |
LIGHTING - producer to supply | nothing |
SOUND - description | The girls sing to a prerecorded backing.
A PA system that connects to a laptop. |
SOUND - venue to provide | PA |
SOUND - producer to supply | laptop |
AUDIO VISUAL - description | There is an option to include projections as part of the performance if the space permits and a projector is supplied. |
AUDIO VISUAL - venue to provide | projector (optional) |
AUDIO VISUAL - producer to supply | laptop |
SPECIAL EFFECTS | none |
DRESSING ROOM REQUIREMENTS | 1 x room for soloists/chorus leaders from The House. The local chorus will arrive dressed but will need space to prepare and relax before performances. |
LAUNDRY REQUIREMENTS | none |
AN OPTIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STEM PROJECT
As an alternative, rather than a wash of lights and the PA system, Tender Young Creatures can be performed with each girl holding a lantern. These wooden lanterns contain both light and a speaker. We have precise plans on how to construct the lanterns and, as we would need 100 of them, can work with high schools to run STEM workshops where the kids can learn to build them. Please contact us for more information about how this might work
TIMELINE & fee guide
The process requires 6 full days of rehearsal, plus a visit to your city 3 months prior to performance for casting. Ideally for community engagement processes, rehearsals are done over three intensive weekends. However if preferred, it can be a six day week prior to production.
The casting process is a series of workshops which can be done as an incursion at multiple schools. This process can vary from 1 day per school to a full week incursion per school. If schools are interested in making these workshops available to many classes we could spend a week at each school, alternatively teachers can put forward students they recommend to spend a day with us. To facilitate these workshops The House will bring a team of 3-5 staff depending on participant numbers and facilities (Danielle plus young conductors).
APPROXIMATE PROJECT FEES:
Casting/Workshop Phase: $8-13K p/w
Rehearsal & Performance Phase over 2 weeks: $18-25K
TOTAL: $26-38K
THE MUSIC
Tender Young Creatures is 10 musical "moments" in a fifty minute show. A cast of 12 to 100 girls are broken into four groups to deliver the four part harmonies, layered text and percussion
Tender Young Creatures is an immersive experience, each audience member has a unique experience as the harmonies fall around them, and cast speak directly to them. Please keep in mind the recordings below are rehearsal tracks and do not convey this experience, they are included to give a sense of the music and do not include text.
WHISPERED:
A girl walks. She walks alone night.
When she ran, the world watched.
What big eyes they have.
Our Daughters run with wolves, and we throw them to the dogs
SUNG:
Surround yourself with friends
Beware when the day ends
Never talk to strangers
Think of all the dangers
Keep your alert
For anyone that could hurt
Never stray from the path
This night might be your last"
moment 1: mothers' advice
Mother's Advice
moment 2: i love to walk
This is sung in cannon, each girl joining in turn.
I love to walk, with the stars shining bright
I love to walk, without a care at night
I hear the wind a whispering, I feel the breeze so light,
I see the moon a glistening oh what a pretty sight
I love to walk with the stars shining bright
I love to walk, without a care at night
moment 3: all is mine
This is in 4 parts with 4 glocks
My world, my forrest, my mind, my heart
My world, my forrest, my mind, my heart
All is mine
All is mine
All is mine
All is mine
moment 4: flowers
With delight the cast move and explore 3 things, then get hand picked flowers to the audience. Lots of movement. Lightness.
Flowers Moment
yes they are pretty
should i be straying
There is a red one
I shouldn’t be staying
Rose of pink velvet
colours in my head
These blooming blossoms
They are the cause of
Yellow daisies
on the horizon
if i keep going
maybe i’ll find them
scattering petals
float as the wind blows
further from my path
pull at my heart and
Come on little flower, wont you come and grow.
Come on little flower grow grow grow
Stars, beautiful stars, beautiful stars
ALL TOGETHER:
Stars, beautiful stars, beautiful!!
Turning Turning (Step, then turn)
Turning Turning (Step, then turn)
Turning Turning (Step, then turn)
Turning Turning (Step, then turn)
And then the wind changed
And then the wind changed
And then the wind changed
And then the wind changed
Don't go into the unknown
But if you ever must
Any place you ever roam
Stay with those that you trust
Always follow your instincts
And always be aware
That the wolves of our small world
Are always waiting there
RED MEETING THE WOLF JAZZ STYLE
W: Hey pretty thing you doing OK? I wouldn't want a lovely young girl like you lost on the path.
R: I know the way, I'm going to visit my grandmother's house.
W: your grandmother hey ? what a nice young thing you are.
R: she's sick and in bed.
W: Well we can't have you straying then. There is an easier path down this way, no way to stray off that one
R: I've walked this path a thousand times. Mother says not to wander.
W: there are orchids down that way too. Come on love, have some fun.
SONG:
Ahhh ah ah ahhhh ah ah ahhhh ahhhhh
Ahhh ah ah ahhhh ah ah ahhhh ahhhhh
Ahhh ah ah ahhhh ah ah ahhhh ahhhhh
Don't touch red don't touch red, don't touch 5 x
Jump jump, look look.
Jump, jump look look. Just to get to hiding spot.
moment 5: the wolf
Wolf Moment
moment 6: GRANDMA
Once upon a time
A wolf spied a girl
He listened to hear voice
Grandma was home
He sent her off track
Where flowers would grow
She did not know where he would go
He entered the house
As quiet as a mouse
As his jaw grew wide
Poor grandma cried ...
Then she died
Once upon a time
A wolf ate her whole
In the lick of a lip
He devoured her soul
Fear ran through her
from her head to her toes
She did not no how this would go
He entered the house
As quiet as a mouse
As his jaw grew wide
Poor grandam cried
Then she died
moment 7: shivers
When the hair on the back of your neck starts to stand on its own. This is a cut section of the rehearsal track. It evolves into a song cycles in 6 parts.
big eyes
watching
through the
windows
big ears
listening
through the
cracks
big eyes
watching
through the
windows
big ears
listening
through the
cracks
(2 part)
big nose
lying
about
big nose
lying
about
LIAR x11
(HIGH)
Shivers
Shaken
Whispers
Is there anybody there
(LOW)
Shivers
Shaken
Whispers
Is there anybody there
(HIGH)
Shivers, Shivers down my spine
Shaken, shaking all around
Whispers, whispers in my head
Is there anybody there
is there anybody there
(LOW)
Shivers, Shivers down my spine
Shaken, shaking all around
Whispers, whispers in my head
Is there anybody there
is there anybody there
Together
Shivers, shivers down my spine
Shaken, shaking all around
Whispers, whispers in my head
Is there anybody there
is there anybody there
Shivers
Shaken
Whispers
Is there anybody there
Shivers
Shaken
Whispers
Is there anybody there.
moment 8: RUN
Run Moment 8
RUN. Fight of flight. Here the drums take over the space. The girls are now running all their movement and harmonies with cues from the live drums. This culminates in a pecking order being found and a girl hunted. Circled using the audience as a barrier to move in on her.
moment 9: WE SEE BLOOD
This moment is fractured with drums, chanting, and text.
SPOKEN:
Aye, we see blood. And our screams are not of horror.
Do not shelter us from that which we crave, lust after, need, with croaked pretences of protection.
We need none of it. Do not turn our faces away, crying for our lost girlhood, for we will bite the hand that cradles us. (CHANGE CAPES TO RED)
You will not encircle us in your arms and hold us back. We will tear free, our hair will shake loose. We will not be pretty.
We are not assassins or cats or pieces of art or dolls to be leered at.
Sweat drips from us, slicking our hands and hair and feet.
We are fierce, not sultry.
Our war cries have been building in our heads every time you silence us. You mistook it for blankness, for submission. But here we are at the foot of your bed and you never even heard us open the door. We are not assassins. We are berserkers, warriors, whirling arms and legs and claws that will *rip the shadow of fear to shreds.
And when the killing is done, you will see that we do not shy from blood.
Nay, we drink it in, we coat ourselves in it, we wear it as ornamentation.
It slips down our throats and noses and ears and melts down to our heart.
It covers our eyes so we see through a sanguine veil. Crimson coloured glasses of the best kind.
AYE. We see blood.
And if you do not stop your feeble protests, it will be yours.
Drums infiltrate the AV. Every hollow space and cavity in the space is found to create a whole environment that reverberates. Call and response chant. UNISON.
SUNG:
Fear will swallow you whole
moment 10: we will not stop
Will not stop x 4
Girls made of age old oak
Stone covered by red silk cloak
long hair under thorny crowns
watch as red turns into hound
Footsteps continue
Shadows continue