On Monday, people across the country will gather to witness a total solar eclipse.
It’s the first time in decades that an eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Many will gather at public parks or observatories to witness the event. But one local theater group is planning a very different celebration of this rare celestial occurrence.
Think of it as part pagan ritual, part flash mob: those spontaneous, but well-rehearsed dances that spring up in public and go viral on the internet. On a recent evening, a group of about 7 people gathered for a rehearsal on Barrington town beach, as kids and families played nearby.
Some parts look like a Tai Chi lesson, as the group moves in unison through a series of slow deliberate steps. That is, until everyone begins chanting to the ocean. That’s the part that made me think of a pagan ritual.
The group is just a handful of the 100 people who will gather at Easton’s Beach in Newport to perform during the solar eclipse. The hour-long song-and dance ritual is called the Sea Pageant.
Director Rebecca Noon said the piece is a celebration of the eclipse and the ocean.
“By saying what does the ocean want, or what is the ocean going to see, or what can I do to make something for the amazing body of water that literally sustains our planet, you just make different kind of art,” said Noon.
She is part of the avant-garde theater group that’s producing the show, Strange Attractor. For the past year, small groups have gathered across the state to rehearse separately. They’ll come together for the very first time on the day of the performance.
Many participants aren’t trained actors or dancers, which Noon said gives the piece a sense of spontaneity.
“There’s no sound cues, there’s no light cues, it’s 100 people moving in unison, the whole thing lasts about an hour,” said Noon. “And they have to listen to each other enough to stay together.”
She said the whole thing could fall apart mid-performance, but that’s ok. She says the piece is really about giving anyone who happens to be on the beach a chance to take a break from their everyday lives, and see something unique.
“I think the audacity of 100 people moving in unison is something that will be really special to see.”
Sort of like the eclipse itself. The Sea Pageant dancers will take their places on Easton’s Beach as the moon begins to cross in from the sun.
