Work
The Judas Cradle (2004—2008)
The Judas Cradle, one of the most provocative pieces of live art ever staged, was conceived, directed and performed by Juliana Snapper and Ron Athey.
The experience began in 2004 (Cetrone Studio, Los Angeles, CA, USA; REDCAT/Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA; PERFORMA 05 at Participant Inc., New York City, NY, USA, etc.).
Audio excerpts from The Judas Cradle
Listen to excerpts from The Judas Cradle performances by Juliana Snapper and Ron Athey:
Among other places (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, CA, Aksioma Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia …), the work was notably performed in Birmingham, England, as part of the international 2005 Fierce! Festival.
Video excerpts from The Judas Cradle
◼ Behind the scenes
The Judas Cradle, an interactive DVD film directed by Lisa Cazzato-Vieyra and Manuel Vason (2006), goes behind the scenes of The Judas Cradle 2005 Fierce! Festival performance. Watch excerpts from this documentary:
◼ Singing upside down
“ We had a hell of a time trying to get my voice to break down under stress. We had me folding over jungle gym bars and contorting every which way before discovering that hanging upside down, with a slight arch to the back, will undo the vocal mechanism over the course of several minutes. ”
“ I like struggling with a mastery that is no longer fully relevant (bel canto) and having to transform it into something else again and again. (…) Singing upside down was emotionally taxing. Maybe because your heart and head fill with blood, or for the way that failure happens gradually. ” (Juliana's verbatim)
Read about The Judas Cradle’s experience and concept
- Judas Cradle: Invasive Resonance: a text by Juliana Snapper.
- Double Voiced: Ron Athey and Juliana Snapper give their definition of the term “Double Voiced” through reference to their operatic performance which Athey will also call a “genre-stretching theatrical work.”
- “Holy Body: Erotic Ethics in Ron Athey and Juliana Snapper’s Judas Cradle ” : a review by Jennifer Coates.
- “Music’s Material Dependency”: a chapter of Nina Sun Eidsheim’s book Sensing Sound - Singing and Listening as Vibrational Practice.
Photo snapshots of The Judas Cradle performances
