Obsidian Art Space to Present HYPOCRITE

Join Obsidian Art Space for the limited run of HYPOCRITE, a semi-autobiographical performance piece exploring the nature of memoir. An intimate and electric evening of entertainment, HYPOCRITE's co-creator, director and actor Melissa Flower digs deep into her personal life to expose the lies we all tell ourselves -- and others.

This project is the result of a long-distance collaboration between Houston and New York-based theatre artist Melissa Flower, Dallas Playwright Thomas Ward, and "Basic 6," a Suzuki and Viewpoints interest group of Houston actors. In addition, HYPOCRITE was work shopped in NYC, including a SITI Conservatory staged reading featuring actors Jackie Rivera, Elia Steffan and Casey Jordan.

Utilizing their movement-based Viewpoints and Suzuki training, HYPOCRITE artists will daringly explore the contemporary anxieties of identity, change and loss. "The ethos and philosophy of Viewpoints training has completely informed our writing process for this show," explains co-creator Melissa Flower. "Viewpoints is a way of experientially studying the two overarching and unavoidable realities that construct a performance: Time and Space. It is an improvisational, research-oriented practice that deconstructs our reliance on hierarchical structures -- even the importance of text -- allowing us to investigate the nature of theatre itself."

In mid April, Melissa directed and performed in a stage reading with New York City's SITI Conservatory artists Jackie Rivera, Elia Steffan and Casey Jordan.

"It's like a memoir. Except we aren't sure what is true. And we don't know who it belongs to. Wait. Let me try again. We will not 'perform.' It's all true."

This project is funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance on behalf of City of Houston.

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