Shari Hagopian as The Moon
“A powerful performance by Shari Hagopian. Her Moon, just lit up the whole stage sky!””
Shari Hagopian has been engaged in theater around the Wenatchee Valley since 1997, appearing in productions with Leavenworth Summer Theater, Mission Creek Players, Icicle Creek Center, Music Theater of Wenatchee and now Dangerous Women. Trained in music and voice from an early age, she's grateful to her family for indulging her penchant for “playing.” Shari is delighted for the opportunity to bring the glowing observations of The Moon to life in Unsettled, 2022.
Writing Our Narrator: The Moon
Creative Director Rhona Baron spent almost two years contemplating how the complex story of cultures and timelines could be assembled into a unified show. Because of the non-linear nature of Indigenous oral history, she wanted to identify a narrator who floated outside of time. The moon emerged as an appealing choice, being a feminine icon, a watcher in the dark and a cycling “ancient” for Indigenous women in the cast.
The tradition of naming moons proved rich in imagery and history, too. There are many moons named for the 12 (some use 13 to coincide with the 28 day menstrual cycle) lunar months of the year. For instance, May’s lunar month might be called Milk Moon, Frog Moon, Budding Leaf Moon, Egg Laying Moon or Planting Moon depending on the source and geographic location. Most moon name have their genesis in Native American lore. Some names originated in colonial America, but whatever the source, moon names reflect human response to nature unfolding over the course of a year.
Our narrator’s script, composed for Unsettled and penned by co-writers Ari Gabinet and Rhona Baron, groups the moons seasonally to establish a mood for the collection of scenes that follow. Woven through each season, moon names pop out of the poetry, threads that tie back to centuries of North American history.
“Watching Shari dance and act the Summer Moon - I haven’t felt that much joy for a long time!”
Excerpt of Summer Moon Script: copyright Gabinet/Baron 2022
I’m a Berry Moon. I’m a Birth Moon. I’m a summer moon in bloom. I croon along with lovers, tides rising as they swoon. I got a big moon belly, fully ripe, inviting you to play, When clouds dot the purple sky and wash the heat away
I’m sailing over the sweat lodge, preparing for the hunt The bright salmon in the river and the traveling jugglers stunt At the county fair or pow wow, when fry bread’s on the breeze There’s a time to rest, a time to say, traveler’s take your ease!
I’m a buck moon, I’m a salmon moon, I’m a half grown summer calf…
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