Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble brings An Evening of Soundpainting to Highland Lake.

NACL and Strike Anywhere share a long history dating back to the joint production 10 Brecht Poems in the aughts, to their production Same River, which included source material from residents of the Upper Delaware Valley, to their participation in The Weather Project, and many other collaborations between members over the years. This year NACL is pleased to host its sister company for a week-long residency which will culminate with a public presentation of Soundpaintings, Friday, September 1st at 7:30pm.

What is Soundpainting? It is the universal sign language for live composition. Comprised of over 1500 signs, the language allows a conductor/composer to sculpt a performance in real-time with improvising actors, musicians, dancers, and visual artists. The technique was created by NY composer Walter Thompson beginning in the late 1970s for use with jazz musicians. It has evolved into a multidisciplinary language that is practiced worldwide. The art of Soundpainting is a delicate interplay between the Soundpainter and the performers — a dialogue in which an improvised composition is constructed before your very eyes.

Strike Anywhere is the preeminent theatre company in the United States practicing Soundpainting. The SA Ensemble features some of the most experienced soundpainting musicians and performers in the world and has performed and taught in over 200 venues in 16 states and 8 countries.