"Look Up"
PROGRAM
MERIDITH MONK
Other Worlds Revealed, from ATLAS
Earth Seen from Above, from ATLAS
ELENA RUEHR
Exoplanets
MOLLY HERRON
Stellar Atmospheres
ELIJAH DANIEL SMITH
New work TBD (World Premiere)
CHRISTOPHER CERRONE
Beaufort Scales (World Premiere), with visuals by Hannah Wasileski and lighting by Li Zhao
Inspired by a poetic table of wind measurements from the 19th century, Beaufort Scales traces a trajectory from placidity (“Sea like a mirror / Smoke rises vertically”) to calamity. The original scale—12 steps, two hundred words—is the scaffolding for an exploration of changing weather phenomenon in our modern era. Cerrone treats Beaufort’s original text as a moiré—he interweaves texts from authors throughout history—Melville, Teju Cole, Anne Carson—to create a kaleidoscopic view of weather, all headed towards an inexorable climax: “The air is filled with foam and spray / Devastation.” Beaufort Scales is a cautionary tale in the era of climate change.
