CulturalDC Presents
Rose: You Are Who You Eat by John Jarboe
April 1 & 2 at CulturalDC’s Source Theatre
Rose: You Are Who You Eat was commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim.
We are on the stolen ancestral land of the Nacotchtank, also known as the Anacostan Indigenous peoples. Survivors of the various diseases and wars that the colonizers brought forced the Nacotchtank people to join with larger tribes like the Piscataway and Pamunkey. The Piscataway and Pamunkey tribes are still here today, Indigenous people endured, and as we share art and community today on their land, we must educate ourselves and uplift their historical contributions and present actions.
Tonight’s program is dedicated to Barbara Maier Gustern.
Photography featured throughout by Christopher Ash.
This is a true story…
In 2018 my aunt revealed I had a twin in the womb.
She said, “You know you had a twin in the womb?”
I didn’t know.
She said, “You ate her. That’s why you are the way you are.”
This was a lot to swallow.
My aunt’s pronouncement that my gender stemmed from an act of fetal cannibalism is the seed for this piece: a celebration and “digestion” of this new found twin, who I later learned would have been named “Rose.”
Rose: You Are Who You Eat is a multidisciplinary shrine weaving together stories, a song cycle, and a garden of images and films all dedicated to John Jarboe's twin Rose.
This work is created by a trans artist with queer collaborators that resists the urge to soften, make palatable, or neatly package queer identity. It creates a space where the nuance, complexity, and idiosyncrasies of a gender journey can be fully explored without compromise.
CulturalDC is working to grow the piece with John Jarboe, presenting this concert in April 2022, and a full, multimedia installation in Summer 2023 as part of our Mobile Arts Program.
Original compositions featured in tonight’s performance of Rose:
Rose: A True Story
(in which we learn the true story of how John ate her sister inside her mother)
Composed by Emily Bate, arrangement Heath Allen, lyrics by John Jarboe.
Fuck Me/Be Me
(in which we acknowledge that we are all cannibals)
Composed by Be Steadwell, arrangement by Emily Bate, lyrics by John Jarboe.
I Will Not Disobey Mom
(in which we hear a letter written by John, age 8, to her mother)
Composed by Daniel de Jesús, lyrics by John Jarboe.
She Summers in Vienna
(in which we chronicle the parallel lives of two siblings)
Composed by Emily Bate, lyrics by John Jarboe.
And Then Rose Said
(in which Rose finally has her say)
Composed by Pax Ressler, lyrics by John Jarboe.
Dear Mom
(in which we have the talk)
Original melody by John Jarboe, Music by Pax Ressler. Lyrics by John Jarboe.
Rose Concerts are Conceived, Written, and Performed by John Jarboe
In Collaboration With The Bearded Ladies Cabaret and
Director: Mary Tuomanen
Producer: Emily Schreiner
Music Director: Emily Bate
Scenic and Video Designer: Christopher Ash
Costume Designer: Rebecca Kanach
Lighting Design: Evelyn Swift Shuker
Sound Designer: Taylor Jedlinski
Props Designer and Wardrobe: Scott McMaster
Production Manager: Calvin Anderson
Project Manager: Nic Labadie-Bartz
Video Engineer: Yōsuke Araki
Associate Lighting Designer: Hamilton Guillén
Assistant Lighting Designer: Krista Smith
Additional Dramaturgical Support: Sally Ollove
DC Followspot Operator: Cassandra Saulski
Musicians
Guitar: Emily Bate
Keys: Pax Ressler
Cello: Daniel de Jesús
Drums: Mel Regn
John Jarboe (she/her) is a director, singer, writer, producer and host serving you revolution, herstory, queer community making, and a whole lot of glitter. She is the founding Artistic Director of The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, the largest queer performance organization in Philadelphia, recently known for hosting a 12 hour International Festival of Cabaret called FEAST as well as making a mobile stage out of a 15 foot box truck called The Beardmobile. The Beardmobile toured for the first time to Washington, D.C. in October 2021 with support from CulturalDC. She has directed and written original work performed at La Mama ETC, Philadelphia Musuem of Art, Joe’s Pub, Opera Philadelphia, The Wilma Theater, Guggenheim’s Works & Process, and Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series. As a director Jarboe has directed and helped create shows for Cookie Diorio, legendary Mezzo Stephanie Blythe, and for Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. As as writer and performer Jarboe has toured to Paris, Poland, New Zealand, and most recently received commissions and two residencies from Works and Process at The Guggenheim.
CulturalDC supports innovative artists across all disciplines and makes their work accessible to diverse audiences. We provide unconventional space for relevant and challenging work that is essential to nurturing vibrant urban communities. CulturalDC has made a name for itself in providing a platform for bold contemporary artists to interact with audiences in thought-provoking ways. We have collaborated with artists such as Andres Serrano (Insurrection), Jennifer Rubell (Ivanka Vacuuming), Umar Rashid aka Frohawk Two Feathers (Capital Artist Residency: Culinarialism), Devan Shimoyama (Mighty, Mighty), M. Florine Démosthène (When We Gather...), Bread & Puppet Theatre (Insurrection + Resurrection Service Circus), and Jefferson Pinder (THIS IS NOT A DRILL). CulturalDC owns Source Theatre, and a 40-ft shipping container transformed into a Mobile Art Gallery. In addition to presenting, CulturalDC has brokered more than 350,000 square feet of artist space since 1998, including the Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, Atlas Performing Arts Center, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Source Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Rose is also a series of films, songs, and partnerships. Rose began as a commission and presentation from Works & Process at the Guggenheim through a bubble residency at Mount Tremper Arts in Fall 2020 and at Bethany Arts Community in Spring 2021. The spring 2022 performances are developed with support from Works & Process, CulturalDC and FringeArts. Rose has also received support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and individual donors.
Films Conceived, Written, Produced, and Co-Directed by John Jarboe
In Collaboration With
Co-director of Film, Director of Photography, Film Co-Production Design: Christopher Ash
Co-Director of Film, Performance Director and Dramaturg: Mary Tuomanen
Film Co-Production Design, Costume Design and Fabrication: Rebecca Kanach
Music Director, Film Boom-Boy: Emily Bate
Project Manager and Film Assistant Director: Nic Labadie-Bartz
Film First Assistant Camera: Alik Barsoumian
Art Director of Film: Hamilton Guillén
Wardrobe and Set Decorator: Scott McMaster
Producer: Emily Schreiner
Compositions by Emily Bate, John Jarboe, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, Be Steadwell
Arrangements by Heath Allen, Emily Bate, Daniel de Jesús, Pax Ressler, and Be Steadwell
Mixer: Lucas Campbell
Craft Services and Residency Cook: Rae Kingfield
Additional Props: Jo Vito Ramîrez
Still hungry?
Rose doesn’t have to end when the show is over! Listen to the official playlist and get involved with the future development of this art.
Join the Rosebuds - stop by our table in the lobby after the show to learn more!
We are looking for ardent supporters up and down the East Coast who can help engage and bring in new audiences who will delight in experiencing Rose. John Jarboe, the collaborating artists, and CulturalDC want to ensure that this work of queer representation is accessible to all who would benefit, and supported by those who have the resources. As a Rosebud, your support will make a difference in how this new multidisciplinary work succeeds.
You plant the seeds…
Bring 10 friends to the Concert in Spring ‘22
Bring 10 friends to the Installation in Summer ‘23
Give $500 or Get $500 (introduce sponsors, donors, partners to the project)
Spread the word through your networks - we’ll provide graphics, special offers, and language!
You pick the flowers!
Invitation to all special events including a pre-show cocktail for the Concert, a party in Summer ‘22, a tea party in Spring ‘23, the Installation opening in Summer ’23, and other Rosebud gatherings!
Complimentary tickets and drinks at the Concert
Exclusive content previews and thoughts from the artists
Acknowledgment on our website, programs, etc.
Thanks to our Rosebuds: Emily Ann Alexander, Michelle Martineau Green, Hiroshi and Anna Jacobs, Isaac and Kristi Maiselman, Gerald Musarra and Carlos Ortiz, Jessica and Nick Nigro, Olwen and Don Pongrace!
Thank you to Duke, Caroline, and Kathryn at Works & Process; Bethany Arts Community; Mount Tremper Arts; Kristi, Pete, CM, Jamal, Crystal, and Quincy at CulturalDC; FringeArts, and all the individual supporters who have made Rose possible. A special thank you to Barbara Maier Gustern.
