A genre-defying musical shrine to queer identity and transformation invites us into an irreverent feast of gender, memory, and grief.
Once upon a vine, John Jarboe’s aunt revealed that John not only had a twin sister in the womb, but that John consumed her: “You ate her. That’s why you are the way you are.” This was a lot for John to swallow! In this musical shrine to the consumed twin, named Rose, John welcomes you into a feast of gender through song, storytelling, and a full plate of wordplay.
Featuring all original music written in collaboration with Emily Bate, John Jarboe, and Pax Ressler.
“As queer folx, however we identify, we are always in dynamic tension between being who we are authentically and the tyranny of respectability: fitting in by making ourselves more palatable, more recognizable to a cis-het society in order to get through the day, escape harassment, and for some of us, just to survive. I don’t pass. I don’t fit into a clean, commercialized narrative of transition. What I love about the story of Rose is that it is unmistakably disrespectful, pretty tasteless, and entirely me.”
– John Jarboe
Content Transparency
This performance includes themes of fetal mortality and growing up queer in Michigan in the 90s, some graphic eating imagery, and cannibal humor.
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano
About the Artist
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Ogemdi Ude | Choreography and Direction (in collaboration with the performers)
Kayla Farrish, Selah Hampton, Jailyn Phillips-Wiley, song tucker, Junyla Silmon, and Chanel Stone | Performers
Selah Hampton | Dance Captain
Myssi Robinson | Archivist
Lambkin | Composer
Sim Carpenter | Set and Lighting Designer
Noah Latty | Rehearsal Stage Manager
tania “t” saiz perez | Production Stage Manager
Celeste Jennings | Costume Designer
Sara Pereira da Silva | Producer
Dominique Rider | Dramaturg
Ny Opong & Catherine Kirk | Process Partners
Rose was commissioned by Works & Process and developed in collaboration with The Bearded Ladies Cabaret.
The work was created during the pandemic in Works & Process bubble residencies at Mount Tremper Arts and Bethany Arts Community, with the support of the Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Foundation.
Early iterations of Rose were presented by Works & Process in the Guggenheim Rotunda (2021), Guggenheim Theater (2022), and CulturalDC (2022). Rolling World Premiere at FringeArts (2023), La MaMa ETC (2024), and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (2024).