MUTABLES

HERE Arts Center presents The Mutables, directed and written by Kat Mustatea. The
Mutables is a hypnotic operatic experience that explores the “…mythographies of the feminine monstrous” using BodyMouth (a sensor-based instrument), vocals, and dancers’ bodies.

The piece takes inspiration from the ielele, female forest creatures in Balkan folklore who lure men astray and render them mute. Through its innovative fusion of technology and performance, the work invites audiences to confront the complexities of femininity’s definition.

“Am I hurt?” a woman wrapped in nude fabric asks, “I’m not hurt, not in the sense of
cause and effect,” she further explains. The woman struggles to find her voice while the ielele lament the experiences of womanhood. The ielele in chic black and red geometric vestments flick their wrists and heads while their lower bodies often move in a sustained up-and-down pattern. These movements, using the BodyMouth as an instrument, create music that underscores the whole piece.

One of the ielele, wearing only red, sings with a beautiful yet chilling opera voice. The repetition of this vocabulary creates a shared language among them, while allowing for their own personal variations. As the performance unfolds, a palpable tension hangs in the air, reflecting the complexities of identity and existence. The combination of their vocality and movement entrances the audience, creating a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere.

The Mutables emphasizes the importance of voice in all forms, from speech to sounds
and gestures. “You’re not mute, you’re just pissed off.” This moment reminds us that silence can stem from a vigorous passion, rather than a character flaw. Every day, this message of finding one’s voice becomes increasingly integral. As noted by Mustatea, to fight totalitarian rule, “…alternate modes of speech became an urgent form of survival and resistance.”

The Mutables challenges us to rethink our understanding of communication and expression in a world that often seeks to silence the nuanced complexities of womanhood and, more generally, personhood.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Frankie Lehr