Photo by David Andrews
Composer and percussionist Sarah Hennies is bringing a deeply personal and immersive musical experience to CAC’s Black Box Theater on March 18. Memory Box: Featuring Sarah Hennies, presented by concertnova, is more than just a concert—it’s a multisensory installation that intertwines sound, identity, and visual art. The show features compositions by Hennies and her former student, OGA, as well as Hennies’ new arrangement of a 1970s experimental piece by Juan Hidalgo, and aims to provide audiences with a new way to experience music and memory.
At the heart of Memory Box is Hennies’s own composition, in which she invites performers to pull from their own personal experiences in their performance. “The performers are asked to choose five memories related to sound and write short texts about them,” Hennies explains. “These memories are spoken throughout the piece, creating a sound collage that blends noise, musical tones, and personal narratives. It’s like a forest of identities happening all at once.”
The musical program, however, is just one layer of Memory Box. Local LGBTQIA+ artist Lizzy DuQuette is creating a site-specific art installation that will turn the Black Box Theater into an immersive experience, inviting the audience to engage with deeper conversations about representation and identity.
The installation will feature glowing sculptures and shifting shadows, evoking a playful exploration of dualities through a blend of found materials and handmade objects. “The evolving constellation of overhead projectors and contraptions are little islands of glowing sculptures that cast shadows on the walls like out-of-focus memories,” says DuQuette. “We try on different versions of ourselves and project these temporal selves as cast shadows on the walls.”
Photo by Claire Harvie
Hennies’s arrangement of Hidalgo’s work is another key part of the performance. The piece, originally recorded as a multitrack composition by Hidalgo himself, fascinated Hennies due to its unexpected connection to queer identity.
“On the cover of the original record, there’s a picture of Marcel Duchamp dressed as a woman,” she says. “I didn’t know at the time, but ‘Rrose Sélavy’ was a name Duchamp used for his female alter ego. As a trans person, I heard this music and thought, ‘Wow, what is this?’ I’ve been intrigued by its connection to trans identity ever since.”
As an openly transgender artist, Hennies acknowledges that her identity shapes her work, though she resists being confined to a single narrative. “I’ve done a lot of representing the broader community in the past,” she says. “Now, I’m interested in a lot of things beyond gender. But especially in this political moment, it feels important to take up space and assert ourselves in any way we can.”
Photo by Mara Baldwin
Ultimately, Hennies hopes Memory Box will offer audiences a unique and unexpected experience. “I want people to encounter something they’ve never seen before,” she says. “That feels important to me.”
Before the performance, audiences will have a chance to meet Hennies—alongside OGA and performing musicians from concertnova—at the free pre-show “Meet the Composers” event on March 16 at Homemakers Bar. This will be a conversation where attendees can ask questions and gain deeper insights into their creative processes.
Following the Cincinnati performance, Hennies will embark on a short tour with bassist and fellow composer Tristan Kasten- Krause, performing in Ithaca, Cleveland, and Toronto. “We have an LP coming out next month,” she shares. “It’s an exciting time.”
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