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Nine members of Carina Cortese’s mother’s family were killed by the Argentine military during what’s known as the Dirty War in that country, from 1976-83.

Nine members of Carina Cortese’s mother’s family were killed by the Argentine military during what’s known as the Dirty War in that country, from 1976-83.

The family’s fatal struggle against the Argentine military dictatorship will be profiled in “Afterimages of the Disappeared,” Cortese’s one-woman performance at 8 p.m. Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The show in Gerrard Hall will be the first in this year’s Process Series from the UNC Office of the Executive Director of the Arts – in collaboration with University units including the departments of dramatic art and communication studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

In the series, which began last year, artistic works in progress are performed free to the public and discussed afterward by their authors and the audience. The series gives audiences a sense of what goes into the creative process, and authors get feedback they can incorporate into completion of the works.

“We’re following an amazing first year, and our goal remains to illuminate the many ways in which artistic ideas take form and adapt throughout the creative process, which is unique for every artist,” said UNC artist-in-residence Joseph Megel, director of The Process Series. “Each piece from last season was worked, reworked and rewritten, and each piece experienced incredible growth during the series – it was invaluable for artist and audience alike.”

Several works from the 2008-09 Process Series have had or are scheduled to have full premieres elsewhere, including “Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders” at Manbites Dog Theater Company in Durham, “Trojan Barbie” at Boston’s American Repertory Theater and Oliver Mayer’s “Días y Flores” in New York and Los Angeles.

“The Process Series was great for me and for my play,” Mayer said. “The combination of MFA (master’s in fine arts-degree) actors and local talent gave me a fresh new take on my scenes and inspired new writing.”

“Afterimages of the Disappeared,” is sponsored by the dramatic art department and based on interviews with Cortese’s mother and aunt. It seeks to honor events of the Dirty War as well as the act of remembering. The war concerned state-sponsored violence against the citizenry, primarily by Jorge Rafael Videla’s military government.

A recent UNC graduate with a bachelor’s degree in dramatic art, Cortese wrote “Afterimages” in conjunction with her honors thesis, for which she received highest honors.

“While studying abroad in Argentina, Carina was asked to read a popular history book that revealed stories about her own family she had never heard,” Megel said. “What followed was her odyssey of discovery and rediscovery. Carina’s relentless pursuit of the truth is a testament to the overwhelming power and grace of memory.”  

All Process Series performances will be general admission and free to the public in Gerrard Hall on Cameron Avenue. This year’s performances will be co-presented by the StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance of Chapel Hill. The rest of the 2009-10 series will be as follows:

Nov. 6-7, 8 p.m. “Photographs with an Audience” by visiting artist Clifford Owens.
An inventive performance that uses the audience and performance as subject matter for the creation of photographic works.

Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m. “When We Danced,” written and performed by visiting artist Gregory Ramos. A one-man play that explores homosexual life through numerous characters’ love, loss, history and personal triumphs.

Nov. 20-21, 8 p.m. “Downriver,” a screenplay by Dana Coen. A story about 88-year-old bluesman Lemonhead Harris and his ride down the swollen Mississippi River on his inflatable mattress, a trip to his inglorious past.

Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 19, 8 p.m. “The Art and Culture of the DJ,” featuring DJ Radar, composer Raúl Yañez and UNC’s Charanga Ensemble led by assistant professor of music David Garcia. This work for turntables and Latin ensemble will be part of the Digital Arts and Humanities Festival at UNC focused on the theme of Collaborations: Humanities, Arts and Technology (CHAT).

April 16-17, 8 p.m. “Phedre’s Blues,” book and lyrics by Elisabeth Corley and music by Lightnin’ Wells. A French version of a Greek tragedy about the unfathomable power of love, with a North Carolina twist.

Process series contact: Joseph Megel, (919) 843-7067, megel@email.unc.edu
Office of the Executive Director for the Arts contact: Reed Colver, (919) 843-1833, rcolver@unc.edu
News Services contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589

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