Under the Radar Festival: Jump January 15, 2011

In 1905, while performing in Victorien Sardou's melodrama 'La Tosca', the renowned French actress Sarah Bernhardt jumped from a balcony in the final scene, sustaining an injury that some believe contributed to the loss of her right leg. In this kaleidoscopic music-theatre exploration of the life of Sarah Bernhardt and the story of 'Tosca', acclaimed stage director JoAnne Akalaitis joins forces with musician Nora York and playwright David Greenspan to examine the making of art and the passion that inspires it. 'Jump' interweaves Bernhardt's autobiographical writings, scenes from Sardou's play, and arias from Puccini's 'Tosca' with York's original song inventions.