VEIL: Two Sisters, a multimedia performance project developing over a period of four years, reveals two sisters lured into a link between the earthly and heavenly realms. As one sister calls forth the other from death, themes of mortality, forgiveness and community progress.

Blending realistic and abstract gestures, combined with a layered video environment, VEIL becomes an enchanting poem, taking the audience through the sisters’ tenacious dream of connection, offered guidance and grounding by a shifting chorus of three women.

Inspired by the Celtic notion of ‘thin places’, alluding to a place where heaven and earth meet, Berkshire’s fascination with the concept grew out of engaging a sense of deep connection to a would-be sister who passed before she was born. Exploring this thin veil of relation on multiple levels, VEIL considers the process of forgiveness and its potential within relationships, even after death. While Western culture attempts to keep death out of sight and often labels forgiveness as weakness, the project approaches death with gentleness, and forgiveness as a courageous act of perseverance. A series of community workshops exploring these themes, was offered with the project, some participants performing in the last section of the piece.

A gifted team of collaborators reunited in VEIL, including the five performers, visual designers Shaun Irons and Lauren Petty, and 2nd camera jahmani Perry. This is Cynthia’s fi rst project with lighting designer Philip Sandstrom, musician Skip LaPlante and video capture by Craig Marsden. Work sample available, University Settlement, March 2019, performed by: Adriane Erdos, Krista jansen, Victoria Murphy, Yumiko Niimi, Nicole Touzien.