"Moon Bears & Sister Wives" will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Nov. 6 at Las Esquina. From left are Laura Ellen Frank, Laurel Birdsong, Moore, Estes and Hanson.
Photo by Phil Peterson
{ Special to Ink }
Mark Southerland has spent a lot of time thinking about bears. Moon Bears, to be specific.
When the Kansas City artist and performer was first creating the concept for his new “Installation Operettas: Moon Bears & Sister Wives,” he had no idea the bears actually existed. Korean moon bears, also known as Asiatic black bears, are an endangered species bred for their gall bladders.
Southerland began to wonder if these bears and “sister wives,” the wives of polygamist Mormons, could support each other.
“I started to imagine that they might dream of each other to find solace,” Southerland said.
With a bear suit designed by local “Project Runway” contestant Ari Fish, costumes by designer Peggy Noland, musical guests, vintage Lyric Opera backdrops and dramatic lighting effects, each performance promises to be a unique sensory experience.
Charlotte Street Foundation’s Urban Culture Project presents the operettas Friday and Nov. 6 at La Esquina, 1000 W. 25th St. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
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