2018 Jumping the Broom Performance

Program text appears on the recording of performance, Jumping the Broom (2005). Choreography by David Roussève. Text by David Roussève. Music by Nat King Cole Trio "If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow. Recorded voices include David Roussève and Gesel Mason. Lighting Desing by Cheles Rhynes. Performed by Gesel Mason

The video begins in blackout.

Program text appears. Jumping the Broom (2005). Choreography by David Roussève. Text by David Roussève. Music by Nat King Cole Trio, "If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow." Recorded voices include David Roussève and Gesel Mason. Lighting Design by Cheles Rhynes. Performed by Gesel Mason

David Roussève's voice is heard over the loud speaker. His voice is raspy and sounds like an older gentleman from the South. He speaks as if recalling an old memory.

"Funny how it's the little things we remember about the times we want to forget. Guess my mind remembers the chirp of the crickets at sunset and the smell of sweet summer grass in hopes my heart might forget seeing my wife like that."

Stage is in a blackout as a raspy voice from what might be an older gentleman from the south begins to speak as if recalling an old memory "Funny how it's the little things we remember about the times we want to forget. Guess my mind remembers the chirp of the crickets at sunset and the smell of sweet summer grass in hopes my heart might forget seeing my wife like that."

A warm spotlight begins to fade in on the left side of the stage to reveal the performer. The raspy voice continues saying "But I can't never forget that sight"

The performer stands straight up with her arms pulled above her head. Her head is fallen back so she gazes up towards the ceiling.Her body slowly turns to left as if her arms are hanging from someting above. The voice continues saying "or that it happened"

A warm spotlight slowly fades up to reveal Gesel standing upstage right, wearing a tattered white lace wedding gown with a red flower afixed to the center of her chest. Her arms are exposed all the way to the shoulder and her wrists are bound by a chain. Her body slowly turns to the right. Her arms are raised above her head as if hanging from something and her gaze is toward the sky. The raspy voice continues.

"But I can't never forget that sight. Or that it happened. Just 'cos we was so much in love."

The performer is wearing a tatered lace wedding gown. Her arms are exposed all the way up to the shoulder. On the right side of the dress is a red flower that sits on the performers chest. A rope ties her wrists together.

The performer makes a choking noise and her body jerks in response. Her body contiues back to turning. The voice says "just 'cause we was so much in love"

Gesel's body makes a jerking motion.

The performer begins to slowly turn the opposite way. The voice says " You see I never know nothing greater than the palm of Jesse's hand stroking my face as I fell asleep in her arms."

Gesel makes a gasping sound.

The raspy voice continues, "You see, I never knowed nothin' greater than the palm of Jesse's hand stroking my face as I fell asleep in her arms."

Gesel slowly begins turning her body to the right.

The performer chokes again, her body contracting again in response. The voice says "That's what got me through those hot days of picking"

Gesel makes a coughing sound and her body jerks in response.

Gesel continues turning to the left, then slowly begins to turn to the right.

The raspy voice continues, "That's what got me through those hot days of picking. At night, when Jesse'd blow on the blisters on the back of my neck, and wipe my face with her palms, even the life of a slave somehow started to seem worth living."

The performer turns her body back to the left. The voice says "At night when Jesse blows all the blisters on the back of my neck and wipe my face with her palms, well even the life of a slave somehow started to seem worth living."

The performer's voice is strained as she makes a sounds that resembles a grunt and a gasp, attempting to breath.

Gesel makes a coughing sound.

The performers arms are released from above her head. The weight of her arms pulls her upper body down. She leans over with exhaustion.

If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow by Nat King Cole begins to play. The music is soft and romantic. It's long drawn out notes make the song slow and relaxing to listen to.

Gesel's hands drop to her chest and the weight of her arms pulls her upper body down. Her body wavers back and forth slightly as if totally exhausted.

"If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow" by Nat King Cole begins to play. The music is soft and romantic. Its long, drawn-out notes make the song slow and relaxing to listen to.

The warm spotlight begins to become brighter around the performer

The performer slowly struggles to lift her head to look towards the audience. Her body slowly shaking with fatigue

The warm spotlight begins to become brighter around Gesel.

Gesel slowly struggles to lift her head and look toward the audience. Her body shakes with fatigue.

The performer begins to slowly turn her head to left, eyebrows furrowing, and her face beginning to scrunch together with frustration and fear.

Gesel slowly turns her gaze stage left. She reaches her arms in the direction of her gaze. Her arms seem heavy as her fingers slowly wriggle, as if reaching toward something beyond her gaze.

The performer laboriously lifts her arms to the right. Her gaze focused on something beyond her hands

The performer begins to reach for something slowly starting with the fingers which then causes her arms and upper body to reach as well. Her look changes to a look of desperation

The fingers begin to curl into relaxed fists and she folds her body back down. She looks defeated by her body which seems to be barely able to keep her standing.

Gesel slowly curls her fingers in and lowers her arms. Her face shifts from a look of determination to sadness, as if what she is reaching for cannot be reached.

Gesel slowly lowers her arms and drops her head. Her upper body crumples forward and slowly relaxes toward the ground.

The performers hands are suddenly pulled behind her on the left. She gasps.

The performer slowly begins to release tension from her arms until they lay down in front of her. Her head and upper body slowly arch back and to the right until she begins to look to the right. She starts to reach to the right again.

Gesel suddenly flings her hands behind her to her right. She gasps.

Gesel's arms slowly lower as her upper body dips closer to the ground, arching toward the sky. Her gaze slowly turns upwards. She gradually comes to a standing position with her gaze still raised toward the sky.

Gesel's body arcs to the left and her upper body slowly crumples toward the ground as she lowers her gaze toward the ground.

The performer's arms are suddenly pulled behind her again to the left. She gasps.

She suddenly flings her arms back to her left side and gasps. Her body rebounds from the force and her upper body tilts forward slightly. She holds her gaze toward the downstage left corner.

Gesel's arms fling to the left again and she gasps.

The performer is pulled back further, straining her left arm straight across her body. She gasps

Gesel flings her arms up above her head and her upper body drops to the left. She makes deep, gutteral sounds from her throat as if trying to speak but produces no words.

The performer's arms are pulled above her head. She gasps. Her body is bent over to the left, still slowly shaking with fatigue

The performer makes guteral sounds deep within her throat, attempting to speak but is unable to communitcate any words

The performer's arms are dropped. The raspy voiced older gentlemen begins to speak again "I never understood how they could teach us about Jesus and then refuse to let us love."

Gesel's arms drop to her left and her torso flops over as if from total exhaustion. She slowly drops her torso to the front and hangs limply.

The perfomer gradually folds her body forward again. The voice sayis "But on that man's plantation, slaves was forbidden to marry"

The raspy voice continues, "I never understood how they could teach us about Jesus and then refuse to let us love. But on that man's plantation, slaves was forbidden to marry."

The performer's hands are quickly pulled towards her stomach. The voice says "But I loved..."

Gesel gasps and quickly pulls her hands into her chest. She gasps again and returns to a standing position with her hands still clutched to her chest.

The raspy voice continues, "But I loved Jesse with all my heart."

The performer arms tense quickly to her chest, the muscles of her shoulders are tensed up towards her ears. The voice says "... Jesse with all my heart..."

The performer chest pushes towards the ceiling, releasing her head back, keeping her hands near her chest. The voice says, "... and I wanted to hold her forever."

Gesel gasps and thrusts her head backwards and holds her face toward the ceiling. She pants slowly.

The raspy voice continues, "And I wanted to hold her forever. So whilst his family was away at church, all the slaves snuck out behind the last field of corn. Oh, we put a broom on the ground and while everybody was singing, and clapping, and dancing, me and Jesse—we held each other tight and jumped over that broom."

The tension from the performer's arms and shoulders slowly releases. The voice says "So while his family was away at church..."

The performers begins to lean her body towards stage right, head arching up and over towards the right. The voice says "...all the slaves snuck out behind the last..."

Gesel drops her torso to the left, still panting, and then drops her head toward the ground.

The performer's hands drop down and she begins to slowly fold forward again. The voice says "...field of corn. Oh, we put a broom on the ground. And while everybody was singing and clapping and dancing."

The performer begins to gather the bottom of her dress together. The voice says, "and jumped over that broom." It is revealed that chains shackle her ankles together.

Gesel begins scrunching the hem of her dress up her legs, revealing chains shackling her ankles. She slowly returns to a standing position and tilts her head toward the sky. She is still panting.

The performer begins to roll her spine up until her head is released back, holding onto the above her knees. The voice says, "then Jesse, she looked into my eyes and said 'I love you and now forever I am your wife'"

The raspy voice continues, "Then Jesse, she looked into my eyes and said 'I love you and now forever I am your wife.' And you know what? That was the only time in my life I knowed how it felt to be a full human being."

The performer drops the fabric and begins to slowly hunch forward. She looks towards the audience, eyebrows furrowed with frustation. The voiced continues with a small laugh saying "and you know what, that was the only time in my life, I knowed how it felt to be a full human being."

Gesel slowly turns her gaze forward and her face changes to a look of determination.

The performer's hands begin to shake in small rapid movements. The shake then begins in her arms and head, then in her whole body. The performer begins to gag and grunt.

Her hands begin shaking. The shaking continues up her arm and into her shoulders until her whole body is shaking. She makes gutteral sounds from her throat that gradually get louder. She attempts to break the ropes that bind her wrists against her thighs by hitting her thighs repeatedly. She yells in frustration.

The performer looks down at the ropes that tie her hands and tries to break them against her legs, hitting her thighs over and over again. She stomps her feet and flips her body up and down. She is yelling in frustration

The performer stands still, hands held tight near her neck as her fingers strentch up, her eyes looking up. She gasps for air in short breaths and shaking with fatigue. The voice says, "Didn't take long for him to find out we had married. I come back from the fields on the prettiest summer evening, just dreaming 'bout the time I had soon spend with Jesse. And there she was..."

Gesel suddenly returns to standing and holds her hands splayed below her chin. Her mouth is gaping open and she pants rapidly. Her body pulsates in response to her panting. Her face is tilted toward the ceiling and her eyes are rolled back in her head.

The raspy voice continues, "Didn't take long for him to find out we had married. I come back from the fields on the prettiest summer evening just dreaming about the time I'd soon spend with Jesse. And there she was. Strung up by her hands with blood rolling down her back like tears falling down the wrong side of her body. They waited for me to see her. Then they cut Jesse down and loaded her into the back of his raggediest wagon and took her off to be sold."

The performer's breath begins to slow, her finger begin to curl into fists as the voice says "...strung up by her hands with blood rolling down her back, like tears falling down the wrong side of her body. They waited for me to see her. Then they cut Jesse down..."

Gesel's breathing slows and her panting deepens. Her body gradually relaxes as she bends her upper body forward.

The performer breathing continues to deepen as she hunches over, hands clutched towards her body, looking out towards the audience in desperation as the voice says "...loaded her into the back of his raggidist wagon and took her off to be sold. I remember Jesse's lips was trembling as she looked into my eyes..."

The voice continues, "I remember Jesse's lips was trembling as she looked into my eyes and raised up her arms. Through chains she turned over her hands and showed me the palms that would never again stroke my cheeks, as if to say that for the rest of time, they would surely wish that they could."

The performer straightens her arms, and raises her hands across from her face. The voice says, "and rasied up her arms. Through chains she turned over her hands..."

Gesel extends her arms out in front of her and appears to be gazing at something beyond her reach. Her hands are splayed and her fingers are spread wide. She is breathing deeply and her body writhes with her breathing. She has a look of longing on her face.

The performer strenches her fingers towards the audience, bending her knees down, struggling to keep her arms up. Her face pleding with the audience in desperation. The voice says, "... and showed me he palms that would never again stroke my cheeks as if to say that for the rest of time they would surely wish that they could. I watched my whole life pull off and disappear in the back of that wagon..."

Gesel's face turns to a look of anger and determination.

The voice continues, "I watched my whole life pull off and disappear in the back of that wagon. And all I could think was, 'But I just wanted to love her.'"

The performer slowly reaches her body to the right. Bending her legs slowly to lower her body closer to the ground. The voice says,"... and all I could think was 'but I just wanted to love her.' I fell to my knees..."

Gesel appears to become aware of something in the distance stage left. She slowly turns her gaze to the left.

The voice continues, "I fell to my knees. And though I have lived for forty more years, I cannot remember if I ever got up again."

Gesel reaches her arms toward stage left as her body slowly sinks to the ground. She comes to a sitting position and continues reaching toward stage left. A spotlight slowly lifts on stage left to reveal another dancer lying on the floor.

The performer drops her hips to the ground then sits down while keeping her hands outstrenched to the right. Focus of her eyes looking out and past her hands. She slowly relaxes her body into the ground. The voice says, "... and though I have lived for forty more years, I cannot remember if I ever got up again."

The performer slowly reaches her hands to the downstage right corner. Slowly moving past her legs to reach as far as she can without leaving the ground. A new voice of a women with a deeper tone begins to speak, "Funny how it's the little things we remember about the moments we'd rather forget." Another light slowly reveals another women laying limp at the right side of the stage. The voice continues, "I remember a magnificent sun and white steps that glistened like magical porcelain."

A recording of Gesel's voice is heard over the loudspeaker. She says, "Funny how it's the little things we remember about the moments we'd rather forget. I remember a magnificent sun and white steps that glistened like magical porcelain. Maybe I remember these things in order to forget the feeling of my heart being crushed."

The performer sudders back slightly, as if something pulls her back. She goes back to reaching towards the other women. The voice says "Maybe I remember these things in order to forget the feeling of my heart being crushed."

Gesel suddenly twitches and pulls her arms back slightly then reaches her arms again toward stage left. She furrows her brow then rapidly pulls her arms back toward her and flings them over her right shoulder.

The performer has her hand quickly pulled behind her. She bends her body back to the left. She faced turned up

The women on the ground wears a brown suit with a black tight shirt. Her feet towards the performer. She is barefoot

The stage lights brighten to reveal another dancer lying limp downstage left of Gesel. The other dancer is wearing a brown men's suit with a black shirt underneath. Gesel gazes toward the ceiling and appears to struggle to hold her body upright.

The performer struggles to keep her body sitting up. She shakes slightly with exhaustion. The voice says, "I loved Katherine with all my heart, and I had never known like running up the steps in front of that court house with my arm around her. She was so excited that when I placed my hand on her chest, next ot that redflower she insisted on wearing..."

Gesel's voice continues, "I loved Katherine with all my heart. And I had never known a thrill like running up the steps of that courthouse with my arm around her. She was so excited that when I placed my hand on her chest next to that red flower she insisted on wearing, I could feel her heart pounding through the faded lace of her grandmother's wedding dress.

The performers hands are suddenly pulled above her head, arms bent so her wrist hover only inches above her head. She continues to struggle in a small rocking motion. The voice says"... I could feel her heart pounding through the faded..."

Gesel flings her arms above her head. Her mouth hangs open. She appears to be both in pain and exhausted. Her body writhes with discomfort.

The performer curls her fingers into her palms and begins to quickly shake her arms with tension. She then relaxes her hand down again. The voice says, "...lace of her grandmother's wedding dress. We were half way up the stpes when the long line of couples waiting in the sun..."

Gesel's hands and arms begin trembling. She lowers her arms to her right shoulder. She gazes toward the other dancer and reaches her arms toward her with longing and falls forward onto the ground.

Gesel's voice continues, "We were halfway up the steps when the long line of couples waiting in the sun began to turn and walk away. I do not know how to describe a look of utter devastation. The stoop of the shoulders, the tremble of the fingers, the reflection of the eyes of a heart that does not know if the next beat is worth taking. But that's what I saw in those couples. And right then and there, we knew. The weddings had been stopped. And that ours was, once again, forbidden."

The performer shifts her weight to the right and look towards the women again. The voice says, "...began to turn and walk away."

The performer attempts to raise her arms towards the women. Even though she moves her arms in a way that makes the look heavy. The voice says "I do not know..."

The performer swings her arms in a small circles, causing her to fall off balance towards the ground. The voice says, "...how to describe a look of utter devastation."

The performer begins to drag her body along the floor towards the women, pulling her body up and over her arms to inch along. The voice says, "The stoop of the shoulder, the tremble..."

Gesel presses her arms into the floor to drag herself across the stage toward the other dancer.

The performer flips over her right shoulder onto her back. The voice says, "... of the fingers,..."

The performer continues to ove along the ground inching towards the women. The vocie says, "...the reflection in the eyes of a heart that does not if the next beat is worth taking. But that's what I saw in those couples."

Gesel falls onto her back and gazes up at the ceiling. She reaches her arms above her head and uses her upper arms to continue pulling herself across the stage.

The performer stiffens her torso and curls her head towards her hands. Frustrated by the ropes that contain her. She falls back to the ground. The voice says, "And right then and there we knew, the weddings had been stopped..."

Gesel struggles to sit up. She falls back onto her back, then attempts to sit up again. She continues dragging herself across the stage. She moans with the effort.

The performer stiffens her torso again, fighting to break against the ropes. Then giving up and fall back down. The voice says, "...and that ours had once again forbidden."

Gesel's voice continues, "I don't know how long we stood there, unable to move, before Katherine managed to put her head on my shoulder. Then I remember the feel of her tears as they rolled down my breast, leaving tracks over my heart before they splattered onto those magical steps that no longer wished our feet to be there."

The performer begins to crawl again. Fliping her body to right then left and pushing her arms against the floor to move her body. Her legs begin to work and she pushes the heels of her feet against the floor. Her voice gasping choking with desperation. The voice says, "I don't know how long we stood there, unable to move, before Katherine managed to put her head on my shoulder. Then I remember the feel of her tears as they rolled down my breasts, leaving tracks over my heart before they splattered on to those magical steps that no longer wished our feet to be there. Eventually we made it home. We got drunk on a bottle of wine while we listened to Nat King Cole."

Gesel's voice continues, "Eventually we made it home. We got drunk on a bottle of wine while we listened to Nat King Cole. As I fell asleep in Katherine's arms with her palms stroking my face, I wasn't thinking about the politics of it, or the biology of it, or the right and wrong of it. I was too crushed for any of that to matter. That night, all I could think was, 'But I just wanted to love her.'"

The performer final reaches the women and grabs hold on her foot. Breathing heavily her hands move towards her ankle and her face begins to relax. The voice says, "As I fell asleep in Katherine's arms with her palm stroking my face, I wasn't thinking about the politics of it, or the biology of it, or the right and wrong of it. I was too..."

Gesel lies flat on her back and grabs onto the dancer's left foot.

"If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow" by Nat King Cole Trio begins to play again.

"If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow" by Nat King Cole begins to play.

Gesel slowly extends her hand up the other dancer's ankle and drags the dancer toward her. Her face gives the impression that dragging the other dancer takes a tremendous effort.

The performer pulls the women closer to her and turns on her stomach. Reaching her hands up along her body, pulling herself along the woman's body. The voice says, "...crushed for any of that to matter. That night, all I could think was that I justed wanted to love her."

Gesel extends her hand to the dancer's knee and pulls herself toward the dancer's limp body. Gesel continues dragging herself up the length of the dancer's body until her head comes to rest on the other dancer's chest.

Gesel's voice continues, "I fell asleep and dreamed about slaves jumping the broom to marry. But I suppose I was really dreaming about just how far this hatred could go.

The performer looks at the woman's face, confused and disappointed, her hands rested against the women. The voice says, "I fell alsee and dreamed about slaves jumping the broom to marry. But I suppose I was really dreaming about..."

The performer places her head gently onto the woman's chest, trying to listen for a heartbeat. The voice says, "just how far this hatred could go."

The performer lifts her upper body, changing her expression to scared and frantic, gasping for air. She attempts to speak "I love her"

Gesel struggles to sit up. She makes grunting sounds from deep in her throat and slowly drags herself closer to the other dancer's face. She grabs onto the other dancer's right arm and attempts to lift the other dancer off the ground. She continues grunting as if the other dancer's body is extremely heavy.

The performer drags the woman's body closer to her by the woman's arm. Her words riddled with fatigue and desperatation "I just." She continues to pull the women saying "to love her"

The performer pulls the women on to her lap. The woman's head hanging heavy over the performer's legs

The performer brings the woman's hand to her cheek and begins to force her head up and down the woman's hand. Mimicking a stroking motion against her cheek. She says "I just wanted to love her, I just wanted to love her, I just wanted to love her."

Onstage, Gesel weakly cries, "I just wanted to love her."

Gesel strokes the other dancer's palm down the side of her face and gazes up at the ceiling.

Gesel repeats, "I just wanted to love her."

Gesel continues stroking the other dancer's palm against her cheek.

Gesel repeats, "I just wanted to love her."

Gesel's voice softens and the lights fade to black.

The spotlight around the performer and the woman fades to black

Applause

Applause

Program text appears on the recording of performance, "Jumping the Broom (2005). Choreography by David Rousseve. Text by David Rousseve. Music by Nat King Cole Trio "If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow." Recorded voices include David Rousseve and Gesel Mason. Lighting Desing by Cheles Rhynes. Performed by Gesel Mason"

Program text appears. Jumping the Broom (2005). Choreography by David Roussève. Text by David David Roussève. Music by Nat King Cole Trio, "If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow." Recorded voices include David Roussève and Gesel Mason. Lighting Design by Cheles Rhynes. Performed by Gesel Mason