JoAnn Sellars, John Bailey, Maida Withers, Brook Andrews

WHITE MANSIONS – 1975
The first performance took place at the newly renovated Washington Project for the Arts space on 1227 G Street NW,  Washington, DC in 1975.  Dancers assisting in cleaning out the pigeon dung in the 3rd floor space, discovered a long piece of white silk fabric that inspired the characters and historic view of the deep SOUTH that are now gone – end of Gone with the Wind perspective.  So, each MWDCCo dancer developed a character:  Maida Withers was the death figure; Brook Andrews, Rhett Butler; John Bailey, Tom Sawyer; Betty Tittsworth, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; JoAnn Sellars, a fussy Southern Belle.

1975 – A 60 minute site specific performance at dusk in the historic Holy Rood Cemetery located in upper Georgetown in Washington, DC.  Holy Rood is one of the oldest cemeteries (1832) in Washington, DC.  White Mansions was performed in 1975, at dusk, for two evenings by Brook Andrews, John Bailey, JoAnn Sellars, Betty Tittsworth, Maida Withers, Ten additional community and university dancers and young children all dressed in white, appear to be occupants, of sorts, in the cemetery,

For the Saturday performance hundreds of yards of white stretch fabric had been installed through the trees and around the tombstones in the cemetery.  Fabric was brought from Connecticut where Maida and JoAnn had been in a residency with Artists-in-the-Schools National Dance Program.  The fabric was stolen from the cemetery overnight and unavailable for the Sunday performance consequently.  A local radio station kindly broadcast a request for the return of the stretch fabric while inviting the DC audience to attend the event in the cemetery.

The long white piece of silk found at the WPA site served as a connector throughout the piece, White Mansions, as it became a wedding veil, a table for celebration, a wrap for death, other.  Several children and adult performers were in the cemetery carrying flowers and playing in white clothes engaged as if they lived there, suggesting the continuity of life after death.   Music: Marimba was performed live in the cemetery.  (Musician unknown at this time). Church Bells in the neighborhood, playing, were a spontaneous addition to our event.

The cast departed the cemetery in a gold Rolls Royce leaving the audience in the cemetery in the dark…perhaps confronting his/her view of death.

The Washington Post covered the story in two full pages with large stunning images! This recognition was important introducing the public to Maida’s interest in “site specific work” as well as stage performances.
Betty Tittswork and Brook Andrews
Betty Tittsworth
Betty Tittsworth and Brook Andrews
John Bailey, Maida Withers, JoAnn Sellars

Cathy Borteck, group adults and children residing n the cemetery!

Video was shot, regrettably, on a reel to reel 1/2″ tape that had been used previously, which accounts for lines on the video from the old tape.