Dana Aber’s new solo show, BAGGAGE AT THE DOOR, performs this this Thursday, Aug 30, 7:30pm at The Dixon Place. Baggage at the Dooris a wry peek inside the head of a seemingly well-adjusted trauma-queen— it is one woman’s struggle to get through the terrors of her past and reclaim tenderness. With music written in collaboration with award-winning emerging composers, Baggage at the Dooris an autobiographical solo show addressing the critical moment when a trauma survivor realizes she may no longer be able to simply cope; when falling in love triggers her latent PTSD, she might be f*cked. This quirky and candid piece explores her attempts to break the PTSD trauma cycle and find strength to open the door toward a better life. TW: trauma TW: PTSD TW: humor.
Ms. Aber’s first solo piece marks the end (she strongly hopes) of a 7-year PTSD cycle of destruction and reconstruction, and uses her personal essays & poems collaborated into song by individual composers. Songs for ‘Baggage at the Door’ were created in collaboration with composers, including: James Ballard, BWay: Nice Work if You Can Get It; Christie Baugher, Dramatist Guild, York Theatre’s NEO [new/emerging/outstanding]; Alanya Bridge, BMI Lehman Engel Scholar; Amy Burgess,Queens Council of the Arts Grant; Sara Cooper, Jonathan Larsen Grant; Rachel Dean, ASCAP award; Thomas Jacobsen, Asst. Prof of Theatre, Univ. of Minnesota; Nina Kauffman, Off-Bway, Mel Silverman Award; Teresa Lotz, Parity Productions, LezCab; Martha Miller, Poet, Certified Daring Way Facilitator; and Joseph Trefler, cofounder CMTWC (Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective).
Dana Aber has been seen in NYC Off-Broadway, at the NYFringe Festival, NYMF, Apollo Theatre, and FDCAC/Classical Theatre of Harlem. Theatrically, she’s played across the country and across the seas. A strong advocate for the development of new musicals, she has been involved with multiple presentations at New Dramatists, Below 54, NYMF, NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, & Dramatists Guild, Dixon Place, and Ars Nova. Through her Big Thunder Productions company, Dana has created and helmed 8 concert-cabarets withupwards of 50 contributing musical collaborators, showcasing over 85 performing artists, mostnotably the bi-coastal #YesAllWomen Raise Your Voice concert that linked artists across the country to the movement for gender equality. She is a survivor and advocate, and is honored to be able to use her voice to share for those who cannot. DanaAber.com
Dana Aber is thrilled to be showing the first iteration of this new solopiece at the Dixon Place, at 161A Chrystie Street. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door, and will be available through the DixonPlace.org website.
The Dixon Place is a non-profit cultural institution that has nurtured over 10,000 artists in its 30-year history. The Dixon Place Lounge offers refreshments to be purchased before, during, and after the performance. Bar proceeds directly support the mission of the Dixon Place theatre to provide an opportunity for the development of new artists and new work.
