Margaret Morton, a photographer known for her ability to work in difficult places, spent most of last summer in Kyrgyszstan, Central Asia. The first six weeks were at the invitation of Virlana Tkacz, Director of the Yara Arts Group, an East Village theatrical company. Ms. Tkacz, who was collaborating with the Sakhna Theatre in Bishkek on a contemporary interpretation of a 17^th century epic song cycle entitled Janyl, invited Ms. Morton to document the project.

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The Yara and Sakhna artists researched actual locations in Kyrgyszstan where various events in Janyl occurred. They witnessed a traditional eagle hunt and met native singers who perform in the traditional style. On a trip to a high valley in the Celestial Mountains, which border on western China, they were guided by a direct descendant of one of the figures in the epic.

When the theater groups returned to Bishkek, Ms. Morton arranged to stay on for another month to photograph cemeteries she passed on the way to the valley. She says, "The ornate domes and minarets are so completely at odds with this desolate mountain region that at first they seem a mirage: miniature walled cities that appear unexpectedly on the edge of inaccessible cliffs, displaying an otherworldly grandeur out of context with their isolated surroundings. Peopled only by small metal portraits of the deceased, they serve as a reminder that the nomadic tribes who created these cemeteries built permanent homes only for their dead." Photographs, left, © Margaret Morton 2007, courtesy of the artist.

The result of this cultural expedition is the first-ever collaboration between American and Kyrgyz artists. Ms. Tkacz and her troupe, with input from the Sakhna Theatre group, created an unfiltered interpretation of Janyl. She restored deletions made by Soviet-era propagandists, and created a contemporary setting for the performance, which includes projections of Ms. Morton's photographs. Following its recent two-week run at New York's LaMaMa ETC, Yara Arts Group and Spring Street Gallery of Saratoga Springs are hosting a cluster of events celebrating the epic collaboration.

Celestial Cities. Ms. Morton's black-and-white photographs are on view at Spring Street Galley, 110 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs, NY from April 4 - 26. There will be a reception for the artist on Wednesday, April 4, from 6 - 8 pm. The gallery will also host a bazaar of traditional crafts. For information, please call 518-587-6433.

Sakhna: Kyrgyz Epic Songs. Skidmore College's Ethnomusicology Department present Sakhna musicians from Kyrgyszstan on Thursday, April 5, 8 pm at Filene Recital Hall. Projections of Ms. Morton's color photographs from the expedition will introduce the performances. For information, please contact mkoskine@skidmore.edu

The Making of Janyl. On Friday, April 6, 6 pm, Director Virlana Tkacz will present music and a discussion based on the epic story of Janyl at Spring Street Galley, 110 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs, NY. Ms. Morton will also participate in the discussion. For reservations (required), please call 518-587-6433.

For more about Margaret Morton, whose books include The Tunnel, Fragile Dwelling, and Glass House among others, please visit her website.

For more about Janyl and the Yara Arts Group, please visit their website.

For more about CECArtsLink, which sponsored the Janyl research expedition, please visit their website.