Remaking History and Disney! On Stage in NYC
Begochiddy: A Solo Show to See
We’ve all been to our share of solo shows detailing the performer’s coming out story and the pain and comedy of wanting to badly for others to accept us and for us to accept ourselves. It takes something special to catch the attention of New York theatergoers who have seen this story played out many, many times.
Charlotte Moroz found a way to make something truly unique. A former peace corps volunteer and UCB alum, she devised Begochiddy, a play about her coming out story using puppets, music and the Navajo/Dine creation story. To my knowledge, it’s the only one-woman puppet musical the played in NYC.
Lucky for us, Charlotte passed along some insight exclusively or Curve readers on her creation.
What inspired you to create this show?
I found the Navajo creation story by chance, flipping through a book in the public library, and I was moved by the main character, Begochiddy, a child who creates without question or doubt. Building mountains and carving rivers without whining about whether it’s good enough or in the right spot? This child had some things to teach me. Enthralled with the story, music started a flowin’ out of me. The puppets seemed like the next right step . I wanted to make with my hands and the puppets helped me to touch, feel and talk to the characters more tangibly. And the story has such beautiful and rich characters– it occurred to me once the puppets were in play that I couldn’t imagine any other way to give justice to such a fantastic, epic tale.
How does this show compare with other performance work you’ve created?
I was lucky to have parents who siphoned my creative outbursts into kids’ improv comedy classes and not an ADHD diagnosis, and I’ve been in comedy improv groups and classes ever since – most recently, training and performing at Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City.
I then had the opportunity to train at a full-time conservatory known as The Studio/New York with instructors from NYU and Yale, where I delved into clowning, devised theater, musical theater and puppeteering. Before coming to NYC, I spent two years in Mozambique as a community volunteer in the Peace Corps, working with youth groups to create dialogue and social change via theater, with Theater of the Oppressed as our guiding practice.
With this youth group, I had the chance to learn from, teach and play with some of the best comedic actors and clowns I’ve ever encountered. This one-woman musical brings together these experiences and loves: spontaneous creation and how theater transforms.
What are your future plans for the show?
We’ll be recording an album of the music from the show this summer! I’m excited to get into the studio and create something to offer those who were able to join us in the audience and for those who were not able to be there. I’ve been working with a wonderful producer and mentor, and we’ll be expanding to play with a string quartet from Minneapolis. In addition, Begochiddy is in the process of finding a second, larger home in New York City as well as setting up a way to tour around the country, bringing adult shows as well as kids’ shows paired with puppet-making and story-telling workshops. I really look forward to expanding upon these exciting beginnings—it feels like I can really honor Begochiddy and its Navajo story-tellers by developing and sharing each piece of what I’ve created here.