PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts presents “AfterTalk: A Play by Chard deNiord,” a new work of poetic theater that merges ancient mythology with contemporary artistry. Performances take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill. Tickets are $20 general admission / $10 students and are available at nextstagearts.org.
“AfterTalk” is a collaborative theatrical experience that unites some of Vermont’s most accomplished artists. The performance features Adrienne Major and David Zucker, with contributions from cellist Eugene Friesen, visual artist Eric Aho (projected paintings), choreographer Alison Mott, lighting and sound designer Francesca Bourgault, production manager Jenny Holan, and director Eric Bass.
Written by award-winning poet and former Vermont Poet Laureate Chard deNiord (2015–2019), “AfterTalk” unfolds as a lyrical dialogue between Inanna, Goddess of Fertility, and Dumuzi, God of Agriculture and date palms. Meeting one last time in the threshold between worlds, the divine lovers revisit the dimensions of their connection — and the eternal question of whether their bond will endure or dissolve forever.
The play draws inspiration from an ancient Sumerian antiphonal poem — one of the earliest known love poems, predating the Song of Songs — unearthed in 1947 in the ruins of Nippur. DeNiord reimagines this 4,000-year-old text within a modern theatrical framework, weaving together poetry, music, movement, and projected art to explore themes of love, power, and memory.
“’AfterTalk’ invites audiences to experience an ancient story through the language of modern performance,” says Next Stage Communications Director Heather Ahrenholz in a release. “It’s a remarkable convergence of Vermont artists interpreting one of humanity’s oldest expressions of love.”
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