NITA AND ZITA
Winner of a 2003 Village Voice OBIE Award.

In 1922, two sisters from the Jewish town of Baia Maire, Romania, stepped off a ship called "The Reliance" onto Ellis Island in the United States. For Flora and Piroska Gellert, this was the beginning of a long life of travel, performance and fierce commitment to art and personal style. For years, Flora and Piroska performed as "Nita and Zita, International Dancers" , traveling throughout this country and beyond.

Sewing their own costumes and choreographing their own routines, these two eccentric sisters concocted a life for themselves out of travel, performance and fine fabrics. Towards the end of their careers, the sisters settled into a Creole cottage in New Orleans' Fauberg Marigny neighborhood, performing in the French Quarter and in a nearby bar until their retirement in the early 1950's. The sister's reclusive habits quickly made them neighborhood legends: rumors spread about the "gypsy ladies" who walked to Schwegmann's grocery store wearing formal dresses, and who painted their entire house, inside and out, with wild polka dot patterns. After their death, their costumes, painted furniture, handmade dolls and publicity photos were sold out of their home during a makeshift estate sale. Local and national collectors snapped up the unique clothing and furniture.

Nita and Zita explores the history, mystery and mystique of these two women through text, movement and music. The performance documents the known facts about Nita and Zita's lives (few), the rumors which have circulated about their adventures (many), and the artists' circuitous search for Nita and Zita (through closets, graveyards, French Quarter alleys, libraries, Jewish archives and more). The performance features Nita and Zita costumes re-imagined by designer Olivia Wildz, video by Maria Cataldo, sets by New Orleans-based visual artist Shawn Hall and a live piano score by New Orleans stride pianist Tom McDermott.

Video from Nita and Zita is available here.

For more information on past performances of Nita and Zita, along with press information and History, visit www.nitaandzita.org.