A note from the creator of Tesla's Mistress

"I am a composer, lyricist, playwright, and performer who is moved by the concept of shifting realities in time and space, losing oneself to find oneself, and exposing and valuing the quirkiness and differentness of others. I hit the inspirational motherlode when Tesla's Mistress chose me.

In creating a musical, there has to be something so resonant that I allow myself to say to this little glimmering feeling, "Okay, I'll take you on. I don't know how we're going to do this, or how long it will take, but, okay!" At this point I have a bit of a track record, and so, giddily or reluctantly, I begin my creative journey.

A few years ago, I watched a documentary on Nikola Tesla. I won't reveal what really grabbed me, because that's the seed of what will come to life onstage. I clearly heard the title Tesla's Mistress in my head. So, someone who doesn't easily understand science and math (me) is now going to write a musical about Mr. Tesla? I read and researched and called on friends to assist me with the scientific understanding I lacked. I penned script and songs, workshopped scenes, and found a musician who transformed my piano-vocal scores into inventive and transcendent orchestral arrangements while always honoring my intentions.

Thank you for helping bring the astonishing and endearing Nikola Tesla to life in a way not yet experienced." - Mariénne

Website: mariénne.com Email: marienne at marienne.com

Orchestral Arranger

"I was drawn to this magical and a little bit kooky musical because of the way Mariénne uses beautiful imagery, extended metaphors, and a diverse array of music to form a unique approach, revealing the lesser known personal side of Tesla." - Eric Heltemes

Eric Heltemes is a software engineer/music composer who has been involved in a number of musical theatre projects around the Twin Cities, with a special interest in orchestration. For this musical, Eric's arrangements hint at a Serbian folk influence while building the cinematic quality inherent in the songs.

Director of Tesla's Mistress

“Tesla’s Mistress brings to light the idiosyncratic qualities that made the bearer of this famous name the troubled genius that he was." - Janet Preus

Janet Preus is a Minnesota writer, playwright, lyricist/songwriter who has taught theater and directed dozens of plays, musicals and light opera pieces. She has published essays, musicals, and a series of children's books, while winning numerous awards as a journalist and writer of nonfiction, songs and plays.