The Eagle & the Tortoise

Sister Sylvester is the author and storyteller of The Eagle and the Tortoise, a book she made for collective reading. This performance with live music and film traces the history of the aerial view, in documentary, journalism and art.

The narrative follows the story of  a young woman from Turkey, a militant activist, an icon of Leftist resistance, and a proxy fighter in the US war against ISIS. Audience members read parts of the book themselves while following stage directions that result in changes to the lighting and sound. This extraordinary approach to storytelling sheds light—literally and figuratively—on a little-known story.