Inheritance: A Litany by Janis Brenner

About the performance:

"Inheritance: A Litany" is a deeply intimate, yet universal, personal narrative, dance-opera-play, and comic drama created and performed by Janis Brenner. Inspired by Ms. Brenner's late parents, the 51-minute work is a journey into the myriad of ways Ms. Brenner “became” her parents—inheriting her father’s wavy hair and sarcasm, her mother's singing voice and fragile bones. The autobiographical one-woman show reveals aspects of a family’s story, as well as the nature of how we become who we are. The interdisciplinary tour-de-force also uncovers what make us each unique, complicated, and fragile human beings. This show is appropriate for ages 14 and up. Following the performance, you are invited to stay for a Q&A with Ms. Brenner.

The creation of "Inheritance: A Litany" was Brenner’s first full-length solo in a 40-year performance and choreographic career. Invited by United Solo Theater Festival directors in 2018 to present a work, the nine-month journey began after the passing of both parents and provided an unparalleled opportunity to meld dance, music and theater into a complex, yet heart-felt one-woman show. "Inheritance: A Litany" was the winner of the "Best Production” Award, United Solo Theatre Festival, NYC.

"We need artists like Ms. Brenner now in this world, as she crosses genres, asks hard questions, and brings a gentleness and tenderness to her rendering of parents who were equal parts loving and exasperating, protecting and needy, known and misunderstood. We emerge emboldened, ready to create our own litanies, ready for family voices to speak.”
Cynthia Darling, All About Solo, 2019

About the artist:

Janis Brenner is a renowned, multi-award-winning dancer/choreographer/singer/teacher, and Artistic Director of Janis Brenner & Dancers in NYC. Known for her “meticulous artistry” (The Village Voice), she has toured in 36 countries and is acclaimed as a “singular performer” with a multifaceted artistic range. Honors include: “Bessie” Award in Meredith Monk’s "The Politics of Quiet", Lester Horton Award in L.A., Fund for US Artists at International Festivals, U.S. State Department, Asian Cultural Council, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, US Embassies in Moscow, Bosnia, Jakarta and Dakar, O’Donnell Green Music and Dance Foundation (multiple grants) and a commission from the Whitney Museum of American Art for "The Memory Project."

Her work has been commissioned/re-staged on more than 55 companies and colleges worldwide. Brenner worked closely for years with Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble (recording on ECM Records), Michael Moschen (including PBS’ Great Performances), Annabelle Gamson, and with Murray Louis Dance Company working with Rudolf Nureyev, Placido Domingo, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Joseph Papp, Bat Sheva Dance Company and Alwin Nikolais.

She was an esteemed faculty member of The Juilliard School, serving as Choreographic Mentor for the Choreographers & Composers course, who also teaches at Steps Conservatory and Marymount/Northeastern Univ-NY. Ms. Brenner’s "Inheritance: A Litany" won the “Best Production,” “Best Composer,” and “Best Lighting Design” awards at the 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival as well as the 2019 Critic's Choice Award from All About Solo-Off Broadway. Quote: “Inheritance: A Litany" reiterates that Janis Brenner is one of our most brilliant and engaging storytellers--blending the evocative and the provocative. She transfixes and transports us with a sublime fusion of musical, physical, and textual poetry." American Dance Festival - D.K. Britt, Chatham Life & Style, 2022