the croning (the elders and the young ones 2027)
by Shavon Norris
Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N American St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
FEBRUARY 20 - 28, 2027
TICKETS ON SALE NOVEMBER 1
THE CRONING (the elders and the young ones 2027) serves as an unearthing, exploration, and celebration of the experience of aging for Black women. Interweaving dance, music, and storytelling, and led by Shavon Norris, five Black elders and a chorus of seven young people mine the particularities, pleasures, and frustrations of aging while Black. To “crone” is to celebrate a woman’s transition into old age, and delving into that meaning is at the heart of this piece. THE CRONING sheds the cultural expectations of what is “right” about a body, and pushes back against the tendency for aging women to be rendered invisible, quiet, something to be avoided or feared. Here, the process of aging is centered; more specifically, aging Black women are front and center.
Inspired by these threads, Black elders and young people living in Philadelphia come together, individually and collectively, to explore the physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual nuances of aging. That research transforms into performance: in February 2027, the group takes to the stage to dance, say, sing, and story their histories, their right-nows, and their desires for the future.
meet the artists
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meet the artists •
SHAVON NORRIS is an Artist. Educator. Facilitator. She grew up in a Black Sci-Fi Christian home in the Bronx that sparked her curiosity about the magic and medicine living within us. She utilizes movement/dance, along with text, sound, and imagery to reveal the stories living in our bodies. Her art is an act of testifying, inviting us closer to the quiet and raucous parts within and to our individual and collective power to activate healing.
ALEX TORRA is a director, producer, educator, and Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of Team Sunshine Performance, where he has directed most of the company’s ensemble-devised works in its 15-year history. He has also had long-time collaborations with poet Denice Frohman and choreographer/facilitator Shavon Norris, and he has recently directed works by singer/composer Emily Bate and transqueer clown/cardboard constructionist Eli Nixon. In addition to his directing work, Alex also serves as an Assistant Professor of Theater at Swarthmore College.
THE ELDERS | Germaine Ingram, Lisa A. Nelson, Shavon Norris, Bethlehem Roberson, Elle.Morris
THE YOUNG ONES | Danielle Currica, Betsaleel Charmelus, Nadia Ureña, Cierra Woods, John Mayorga, Matthu Minns, Regina Banks, Journee Lutz (former contributor)
Lead support for THE CRONING (the elders and the young ones 2027) was provided by the William Penn Foundation, with additional support from the Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial Foundation. Support for the development and research of the project was provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Treasures Project Grant, Leeway Art and Change Grant, and Writer’s Room Unmapping Fellowship.