Synopis

​“The Golden Cage” is the story of a mythical Bird-man who’s on a lifelong quest to find the ultimate symbol of security, the legendary Golden Cage. When he finally finds it, on a remote mountain peak, it’s everything he imagined. Except for one thing: There’s a woman living inside it. She says it’s made of cement and iron and that she’s a prisoner. “The Golden Cage” is about perception, isolation and the cages we build around ourselves – and it’s about the human connection that can set us free.

Writer:

Deborah Henson-Conant

Bios:

Deborah Henson-Conant is a Grammy-nominated composer and performer whose work combines story and music. Her works range from one-woman operas and song cycles, to musical theater, suites and concertos.

She’s premiered dozens of her own works for electric harp, voice and orchestra with both regional and national orchestras including Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Tacoma Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic. She’s performed her original one- woman musicals at the Chicago Humanities Festival, Kennedy Center, Boston’s Lyric Stage and Central Square Theater.

She collaborated in the development of the “DHC” electric body harp designed and manufactured for her by the French CAMAC harp company.

Her creative mentorship program “Harness Your Muse” supports performers in developing new solo projects combining theater and music. Her online Academy, provides training in musical performance and improvisation for harp players worldwide.

Her residencies include collaborations with students, faculty and dance departments. Her cross- discipline collaboration project with scientists, dancers and journalists, “Inviting Invention” was a feature of the Cambridge Science Festival and her words-and-music project “Strings of Passion” is used in audience outreach.

Production History