Semiotics
The storage of nuclear waste is an easy fix. Dig a hole deep in the ground, place the decaying waste within, and cover it up.
It truly is that easy.
But communicating that we’ve done that… that’s a whole other story. We don’t need to leave a warning for the next generation or the next, no, by some estimates we may need to communicate tens of thousands of years into the future. These will be people that don’t speak our languages, don’t understand our cultural concepts, and maybe don’t even know who we are. The timescale to communicate these ideas is so vast that it will take all of us to carry these messages forward. Many disciplines across many generations working together to tell people we were here and we’ve done something dangerous.
This is Nuclear Semiotics.
Semiotics is a mixed-media composition dealing with the long-term complications of nuclear waste. It has been presented in concert and film.
Niagara
Niagara is an anthology musical about the stories of 13 real-life daredevils who took the plunge and went over Niagara Falls. Jesse Sharp, fellow daredevil and the show’s narrator coaxes the spirits of the daredevils into telling their life stories- the process being both painful and enchanting. The spirits of the Niagara enjoyed successful runs in Washington DC, Maryland, and Connecticut.
“Thomas Folderauer has gorgeous compositions…all of which come together in this eclectic hodgepodge not unlike the array of quirks found in the featured characters” - Amanda N. Gunther, TheatreBloom
“The first thing to be said about Niagara is that the music Folderauer has composed is fabulous. I loved it. When the ensemble sings its harmonies as if a chorale, the effect is glorious.“ - John Stoltenberg, DC Theatre Arts
Roanoke
Roanoke is a split narrative, minimalist, comedy that follows the story of four stranded college-age hikers speculating on the lost colony as they attempt to find their way back home. The other side of the stage features five Roanoke colonists who play out the crazy theories developed by the main cast. Along the way, they discover artifacts based on the real Dare Stones that grant them divine egos, clues to a mystery, and plenty of reasons to argue.
Flutter
Flutter is a new, personal musical venture of Thomas Folderauer. Whereas most of Folderauer’s compositions are large, dramatic works, Flutter is the alias in which he will record, produce, and perform music of a different kind.
