Liturgy for Longing:
An intimate, interactive theatrical exploration of longing

What Audiences Say:

"It was personal, it was moving, and so so creative. As I walked home, I thought, it felt like I had been at a retreat."

"My favorite part was the fabric wrapping. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see other people wrapping their arm as I was, and we were all in it together. As I said, everyone knows about longing. And then you don’t feel all alone"

"This was perfect. Thank you for sharing the depths of your soul with us. I am forever changed."

"Warm, wonder-ful"

"Most relatable thing I've ever been to!"

"Beautifully imagined and realized"

"It was so wonderful to be immersed in your world (and our world) for a couple of hours--thank you!"

"The evening is an invitation to witness oneself and others in connection with the subject of longing. The sequence of events unfolds through the execution of simple, clear instructions that always allow for one to participate at one's own comfort level. You'll never feel obligated to do something uncomfortable. You may observe more than you participate, or you may find yourself drawn into spontaneous interactions. At times the guests will be asked to offer suggestions for shaping the course of the evening, ensuring that no two shows will be exactly alike. There will be stories and laughter, moments of silence, song and movement, and questions that may or may not be answered. I'm not sure what to call it, and that's a fabulous thing, a sure sign that this is on the cutting edge of something truly new. Part theater, part creative session, part healing art."

News:

Article in The Current!

Liturgy for Longing appeared in the Highlands Current. I’m so honored to be featured.

Read it here:
https://highlandscurrent.org/2025/05/02/a-liturgy-for-longing/

Performance Description:

What is the audience experience?

Who am I as an artist?

Quick version:
Liturgy for Longing is a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience created and performed by multidisciplinary performing artist Emily Clare Zempel. In Liturgy, audiences of 10 are invited to contemplate longing through collective experiences and solo performance.

More Details:
Liturgy: a set of prompts created to encourage communal interaction with deep questions. Longing: that endless tug towards the I-don’t-know.  

Why do we long? For what? In Liturgy for Longing, Emily has created a deeply personal, radically honest performance that aims to foster connection and engage audiences in unique and meaningful ways. Each audience member begins by entering a hallway to find a note written for them. After reading, Emily guides them into the theatre space to complete simple tasks (such a setting up a place to sit) to make that space their own. In the invitations that follow, each person is encouraged to engage in ways that feel right to them: there is always a choice, including the choice to only observe. These communal elements are woven seamlessly into Emily’s performance of her own story, which unfolds through movement, dance, sound, and music. The audience is an integral part of the experience, making each performance a unique, unrepeatable event.

For further information contact:
Emily Clare Zempel at LiturgyforLonging@gmail.com

I’m curious, but scared! What will this show be like?
As I developed Liturgy for Longing, it became clear that the audience would be a key part of the experience. I right away focused on how to involve the audience while maintaining their agency and right to participate as they wish, while offering moments of challenge and surprise.

What the experience is:
Liturgy for Longing isn’t sit-and-watch theater.
And no one’s going to pull you onstage.
It’s something else—something quieter, more personal.
You’ll enter a space shaped by story, ritual, and soft invitations.
You’ll sit in a circle, not in rows.
You might trace longing in sand, wrap a ribbon around your arm, pour water in a pool.
You’ll share small, gentle moments with others—no pressure, no spotlight.
You’re in charge of your own experience.
Come as you are.
The rest will meet you there.

It is very important to me that audience members are always in charge of their own bodies, minds, emotions, and souls. Interactive elements are always optional. Many of the invitations are centered on individual explorations done concurrently.

What is “immersive”:
This show is “immersive” in that the audience space and performance space are one and the same. Unlike something like Sleep No More, there are moments for free exploration, moments of guided exploration, and moments where I perform and you become the audience. The audience actively shapes parts of the production in many ways.

I don’t care about spoilers…I need more details!!!
Some of you may want to know more about what exactly you will do. If you would rather keep it a surprise—stop reading! If you need to know—read on.

When you arrive at the space, you enter without anyone guiding you. You follow the signs down the hall to a special letter waiting for you. After being welcomed, you will enter the theatre space, and follow instructions to set up the space in a way that feels right to you.

After music and a story, I will lead you on tactile and imaginative activities that will help you to explore longing in different and exciting ways. These can be completed while sitting in your own space. There are also moments in which I will invite you to stand and join in an activity. There are times when I will offer touch. You are always welcome to do what is best for you—and I will make that clear especially when I offer touch.

After these activities, I will take on the role of performer and tell the story of my own longing with movement, dance, and sound. At the end…well…you’ll have to come to find out.

Sponsored by: