Commissioned by Folger Theatre and inspired by the rich collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Third Rail Projects’ newest immersive experience, Confection, is a rollicking rumination on opulence, inequity, and teeny-tiny desserts. Using accounts of the extravagant banquets and sumptuous feasts held by the aristocracy of the late 17th-century as a springboard, Confection is a multi-sensory dance/theater performance that contemplates cultures of consumption and poses the questions: How much does sweetness cost, and what are we willing to devour to satisfy our appetites?
In this 45-minute experience, audiences are granted exclusive access to the Folger’s magnificent Paster and Sedgwick-Bond Reading Rooms, with a performance that winds its way through these massive and ornate spaces, and are invited to savor bite-sized delights designed by local pâtissiers.
Confection is performed without an intermission and is not recommended for audience members who are not comfortable standing, walking, or being alone. Because of the immersive nature of this piece, audiences may be standing for several minutes at a time over the course of the performance and may be required to navigate small spaces. Comfortable shoes are advised. Audience members might be separated from their group and should be 14 years of age or older.
Thirty-six performances only. There is a maximum capacity of 50 audience members per performance.
Confection is in association with Before ‘Farm to Table’: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures, a Mellon initiative in collaborative research, convened by the Folger Institute.
This project was supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanties, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
