we the temple

                                   Duir-wyyd: The Dreamer’s Doorway

Playwright and Director Sandra Kammann and her cast presented the world premiere of Duir-wyyd: The Dreamer’s Doorway in the Women’s Voices Theater Festival 2015 at two venues in the Washington DC metro area. Opening at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre on October 24 at 7:30 PM & October 25 at 3:00 PM, the production then moved to DC’s Spooky Action Theater for October 31 at 7:30 PM & November 1 at 3:00 PM.

About the Play                                                                                                                     

Driven by activist passion and anthropological training, playwright Sandra Kammann’s newest work tackles religious persecution, eco-spirituality, the mother-daughter bond and the nature of eternity, for starters. The hallmark alchemy of her mythic approach is deliciously nourishing, and the play’s visionary perspective proves both disarming and exhilarating in its bold authenticity. With a stirring musical score, luscious vocals, ancient poetic lore and arresting physical-theatre, Duir-wyyd: The Dreamer’s Doorway weaves tangible magic, offering a compelling message for our time.

While navigating life’s challenges, Melissa feels the widening gap between her dreams for the future and her daily existence. When she and her teenaged daughter Claire find themselves displaced, a sense of powerless mediocrity threatens to overtake her once buoyant nature.  When the dreams begin, she is unaware of their meaning, and the gifts they offer.  Startled awake, she hears retreating voices singing a familiar blessing in a language she no longer comprehends. Through the portal of her dreams, the story of Duir-wyyd: The Dreamer’s Doorway unfolds.

Set in contemporary Washington D.C. and in ancient Ireland, the heart of the play follows a band of Druids, members of an illuminated spiritual elite revered as practitioners of ancient Celtic wisdom. “Duir-wyyd” or “Druid” translates as one who can traverse the veil between the worlds to experience and transmit sacred knowledge. Allied with the spirits of Nature, Druids were the shamanic leaders of their time, tending to their people as healers, bards and visionaries. As Rome’s reach expands and the church’s influence grows, a monumental struggle over the fate of the people of the Isle of Eire ensues. Drawn into this world in her dreams, Melissa’s revelations rock her world.

About the Playwright / Director 

Sandra Kammann: playwright, director, choreographer, cultural anthropologist, educator, activist and lifelong practitioner of Transformational Theatre and mystical ritual traditions. Founding Artistic Director: Sisters of One Eye Dance/Theatre Troupe. Playwright & Director: Crack Between the Worlds: the goddess returns (adaptation, Aeschylus’ The Eumenides), produced by Studio Theatre’s Secondstage: Helen Hayes nomination for Best Musical (Deborah Wicks-La Puma, Composer & Music Director). Faculty: The John F. Kennedy Center Community Partnerships Initiative; Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory. M.A. Cultural Anthropology: Transformational Theatre (Honors) & M.F.A. Performance, The George Washington University

Kammann’s new play adds to her body of evocative and powerfully communicative works, as she continues to challenge culturally imposed paradigms. “I am keenly interested in the innate transformational power of live performance, which can move audiences to expand the boundaries of consciousness and human potential. My research on sacred embodiment and ritual practices continues to broaden the reach of my creative process.”

CAST

Featuring Carol Spring (Actor/Vocalist/Fiddle), who also directs for the Washington Area Fringe Festival, and Madison Middleton, who at 15 was the youngest playwright to present a play in the 2015 Women’s Voices Theater Festival. The original cast of Actor/Vocalists also included Mary Abbott (Harp), Craig Allen (Doumbek), A.J. Calbert, Madelyn Farris, Vanessa Nolan and Lilian Oben. Designers: Romula Hawthorne & Lynn Sharp Spears (Masks), Margaret Howard & Virginia Ward (Costumes & Set), Zanikos (Light) and Stage Manager Pamela Laray Willis.

DESIGNERS & CONSULTANTS

Margaret Howard (costumes, set & properties), Romula Hawthorne (mask design), Lynn Sharp Spears (mask creation), Matt Jones, Rebecca Carle, Virginia Ward, Denise Diggs, Nancy Paris.

 Women’s Voices Theater Festival