AfterTalk is a collaborative new work of poetic theater featuring Adrienne Major and David Zucker, with a host of creative artistic contributors: cellist Eugene Friesen, artist Eric Aho (projected paintings), choreographer Alison Mott, lighting and sound designer Francesca Bourgault, production manager Jenny Holan, and director Eric Bass.

Written by award-winning poet and former Vermont Poet Laureate Chard deNiord (2015–2019), the play unfolds as a lyrical dialogue between the ancient Sumerian couple Inanna, Goddess of Fertility, and Dumuzi, God of Agriculture and date palms. Meeting one last time in the mysterious threshold between worlds, they revisit the dimensions of their love and the infinite question of whether their bond will soon sever for eternity.

Although nearly 7,000 years old, the antiphonal poem that inspired AfterTalk—a precursor to King Solomon’s Song of Songs—was not unearthed until 1947 in the ruins of the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur. DeNiord reimagines this timeless text in a contemporary theatrical setting, weaving music, movement, poetry, and visual art into a compelling exploration of love, power, and memory.

Join us to witness what happens when poetry, music, movement, and art converge on stage.