mass \ˈmas\
noun (massive)
1. a quantity or aggregate of matter usually of considerable size (a cancerous mass)
2. a large body of persons in a group (a mass of actors, musicians, or audience members)
3. capitalized: a church service or religious ceremony with fixed words (see: liturgy), especially as a sacrament of the Holy Communion; also: a musical setting for the text of the Mass

cy·cle \ˈsī-kəl\
noun (cyclical)
1. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order; also: a set of regular and repeated actions that are done by a machine as part of a longer process
2. an interval of time during which a sequence of events or phenomena is completed (a 4-year cycle of growth and development; a life cycle)
3. a group of creative works (as poems, plays, or songs) centered on the same theme

Cancer, the aptly dubbed “emperor of all maladies,” impacts the lives of people both around the world and close to home. Inspired by a current Vanderbilt student’s battle with stage IV ovarian cancer and the stories of many others, Vanderbilt Theater Lab created Mass Cycle: A Meditation on Cancer, an original, collaborative theater piece.

In Mass Cycle, scenes of hope, fear, triumph, loss, love, and absurdity are presented through a wide variety of narrative lenses. We seek to examine some of the numerous, multifaceted, emotional and physical complications presented by this age-old condition we are collectively just beginning to understand.

company (April 30)

Kayla Behforouz (Piano), Hadar Busia-Singleton, James Cockrell, Hannah Eisendrath, Miquel Fuentes (Cello), Jeremy Gill, Emera Gurath (Violin I), Ethan Jones, Mark Mazzarella, Kailee McGillis (Violin II), Christiana Moyle, Will Price, Juanito Riveros (Harp), Claire Satchwell (Viola), Elizabeth M. Stater, Julia Steenstra.

Company (May 25)

Kayla Behforouz (Piano), Hadar Busia-Singleton, James Cockrell, Hannah Eisendrath, Miquel Fuentes (Cello), Emera Gurath (Violin I), Mark Mazzarella, Kailee McGillis (Violin II), Christiana Moyle, Will Price, Juanito Riveros (Harp), Claire Satchwell (Viola), Elizabeth M. Stater, Julia Steenstra, Nick Trivisonno, Jonathon Qualls.