Theater
Woman on a Ledge
By Hershey Felder, based on the writings of Rita Costanzi
Rita Costanzi’s life story explores the vulnerabilities experienced as a female musician torn between the needs of her artist’s soul and those of her husband and children. Integrating solo harp music and theatrical performance, Woman on a Ledge explores what it is to be a WOMAN, the sacrifices and choices she makes, and the devastating outcome – years later.
…easily one of the best theatrical performances I have ever seen.
Matthew Nyquist, filmaker
World Premiere
November 7-24 2024
Theater for the New City, NYC
Directed by Lisa Moira
What happens when a sensitive artist, a woman destined to become an acclaimed world-class musician, has her journey of self-discovery and liberation cruelly interrupted by old-world Italian Catholic patriarchal ideas of female place and obligation, and by her own obsessive, all-consuming love for a man she meets on his one-way street? You get “Woman on a Ledge,” a story of Life, Art, Love, Beauty, Devotion, Betrayal, Conflict, and Loss— all told and acted through spoken word and the glorious strains of her heart and soul— her harp. Will she jump, or will she break free and fly? Come see “Woman on a Ledge” and find out.
The play includes musical excerpts by Debussy, Tournier, Bach-Gounod, Puccini, Albinoni, Liszt, Paganini/Mchedelov, and Traditional Irish and Scottish Folk Songs.
Press
Reviews
Fame is a path filled with exhilarating joys and deep sorrows, and few understand this journey better than award-winning harp soloist, actor, and writer Rita Costanzi. In her heartfelt one-woman show, Woman on a Ledge, Costanzi takes audiences through an emotional journey filled with music, love, heartbreak, and personal triumphs. With her harp in hand, she bares her soul, sharing a story that is both inspiring and deeply relatable.
Directed by Lissa Moira, Woman on a Ledge gives a rare, intimate glimpse into Rita Costanzi’s journey. … The show testifies to her courage and vulnerability, and offers a profound experience that resonates long after the final note fades.
Video
Highlight Reel
Scenes from the world premiere performance
2021
Performance
The Sunflower Music Festival, Topeka KS
“The Sunflower Music Festival, 2021, hosted Woman On A Ledge – in its Tribute to Women. The breadth and depth of Rita Costanzi’s passion, the power of her emotional presence as a musician and actor and the sound control of the musical line through the harp are all breathtaking. The sheer beauty she develops through the harp seems to exceed the instrument’s normal abilities. She is a uniquely powerful performer worthy of the international stages she inhabits.”
