Caitlin Ort and Megan Ort bring their adaptation of the classic short story The Yellow Wallpaper to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.
“Based on the story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, this six-person dance thriller is brought to life through a fusion of visceral choreography and classic text that ‘will take your breath away’ **** (TheFrontRowCenter.com). While undergoing treatment for “female hysteria”, Jane is confined to a room of yellow wallpaper. As the weeks pass, the wallpaper takes on a horrifying life of its own. Jane becomes convinced that there are women trapped within the walls, and that it is up to her to set them free.”
Where: Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street
When: 7-29 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-yellow-wallpaper
Tell us about the show. Where did the idea come from?
The Yellow Wallpaper is a dance thriller adaptation of the classic feminist story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It’s a genre-bending gothic horror and a true cross-section of scripted narrative and concert dance. The story follows a woman named Jane who is confined to a room of yellow wallpaper while she is undergoing treatment for “female hysteria.” As the weeks pass, the wallpaper takes on a horrifying life of its own. Jane becomes convinced that there are women trapped within the walls, and that it is up to her to set them free.
In 2016, after getting out of a toxic relationship and experiencing the collective trauma of the first Trump election, Caitlin rediscovered the story while paging through an anthology at a laundromat. It was as though Charlotte was reaching out from the grave to Caitlin, saying, “Right now, you need this story and the world needs you to tell it.” It became so clear that this story needed to be turned into a theatrical experience, and it needed to be driven by dance. So Caitlin teamed up with her sister Megan, and after several New York workshops and presentations, the production is now ready to make its Fringe debut.
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
The Yellow Wallpaper is a six-person sexy haunted house DANCE THRILLER of an iconic classic story. Sixty minutes to be dazzled by evocative choreography, surrender to an absurd and haunting tale of psychosis, learn a bit about history, and purge your female rage.
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe? And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
We first came to Edinburgh Fringe as spectators in 2014, and we’ve been dying to come back! We love the absurdity. Our favorite memory was being spontaneously yanked onto a school bus parked on the side of the street for an immersive comedy experience, and moments afterward, crying our eyes out at a solo mime show around the corner. We love how Fringe will surprise you.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
We want to geek out about theatre all day, every day! We love chatting with other creators. We also can’t wait to hear what Fringe audiences take away from our production. We think our show has just the right amount of mystery and ambiguity that leaves the audience to come up with their own interpretations of what really happens in the story.
What’s next for the show?
The sky’s the limit! We’d be thrilled to take the production to London and tour around the UK. We have dreams of an Off-Broadway run in New York, and there are also possibilities of expanding the show into a fully site-specific immersive experience. We’re so open to seeing where the Fringe can take us and can’t wait to dive in.