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.