“As a child, I was marked as a prophet. I quickly learned to read and write and turned my attention to God. The spirit told me to wait for a sign, and when it appeared, to slay my enemies with their own weapons. The time has come. JERUSALEM is coming!”

Nat Turner was a genius and mystic born into slavery 202 years ago in Virgina. Nat Turner was a remarkable man, a healer, a preacher, and a prophet. Hand2Mouth’s retelling of his heart-rending story won awards and moved audiences of all ages in their first incarnation of Jerusalem. That version took place indoors in May 2002, culminating in performances that were so crowded, people were turned away at the door.

Jerusalem then premiered in Oregon in a full production, staged outside in the summer night air.

Jerusalem explores the cruelties and excesses of slavery through a veil of mysticism. An outdoor pageant that simmers and roars in the night air, Jerusalem uniquely translates the mature, historically charged subject manner into an entertaining, immediate, accessible show for youth and adults. Inspired by European new-circus and outdoor spectacle, Jerusalem explores the uniquely American life of mystic, preacher, and slave revolt Nat Turner; hung in 1831 for obeying the violent prophesies of his God. Nat Turner’s story has been transformed into an unforgettable, visually breathtaking cirque of stilt-walkers, swirling fire, acrobatics, a cappella song, and the heartrending finale of a doomed slave uprising.

“It’s time that serious theater people abandon the commodity theater barns and seek out the work happening in rental spaces. Hand2Mouth’s new piece, a fusion of technology, physicality, and voice, is an often astonishing ensemble work exploring the world and life of Nat Turner, a slave who led an uprising against whites in Virginia in 1831. Creator Jonathan Walters has taken the lessons he’s learned from working with street theater troupes in Poland and has created a dark cirque out of American history. Stilt-walking angels war over the heads of men for the men’s souls, while torch-wielding slaves immolate white slavers made of wire and paper. Cream and revelation cross over into workfield drudgery, and Nat Turner(beautifully played by Gregory Donavan) rises up to become a visionary for his people. With an original score by Seth Nehil, set design by Sara Thompson and Richard Herman’s puppets, Walters has fashioned an exciting and thought-provoking evening of drama.”

-Stefen Silvis, Willamette Week