Performing Arts

BOMB Magazine has posted a web-preview of Meg Stuart and Catharine Sullivan’s conversation which will be printed in full in their Summer ‘08 edition. I can’t wait to read it in its entirety - such a smart pairing of artists investigating cross-disciplinary art practices.

I love when Meg says “What about bodies in crisis? Bodies that are not in control? What about complex physical and emotional states? Is it possible to give these irrational bodies a platform to address contemporary issues while embracing a theatrical context?” It was clear that she was investigating these questions in her brown shag-carpet fantasy world of Forgeries, Love, and Other Matters (possibly my favorite show from the 05-06 season)

If you’re having a hard time remembering Forgeries, check out the Performing Arts department’s submission to the annual pumpkin carving contest.

Excerpt from Catherine Sullivan on Art21

To launch 2008’s National Dance Week, an email to many in Minnesota’s dance community went out to invite all members to participate in a group photo shoot. The turn out was great! We luckily had a beautiful sunshine-filled afternoon as 24 people made it out to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

First annual Twin Cities National Dance Week photo includes:
Patrick Scully (artist), Judith Brin Ingber (dancer), Alanna Morris (dancer), Sarah LaRose-Holland (dancer), Bryan Gerber (dancer, teacher, choreographer), Chris Holman (dance enthusiast), Laurie Van Wieren (dance maker), Sher Demeter (dancer, acupuncturist), Paula Mann (choreographer), Matthew S. Smith (composer), Karen Sherman (dance artist), Sarah Petersen (artist), Chris Schlichting (dance artist), Morgan Thorson (choreographer), April Sellers (choreographer), John Munger (choreographer, teacher, researcher), Lisa Conlin (choreographer, dancer), Cathy Wright (choreographer), Christopher Watson (choreographer), Dylan Skybrook (choreographer), Jennifer Johanneson (dance enthusiast), Rebecca Frost (artist), Michèle Steinwald (arts manager), Philip Bither (curator), and behind the camera, Cameron Wittig (photographer). Also present in paper form on the grass: Megan Mayer (dance artist), and Anna Marie Shogren (dance maker).

Next year, we hope to double the turn out and for even more the following years until EVERYONE is represented! Stay in touch with next year’s schedule and photo shoot date online at mnartists.org/danceweek.

As the 2008 NDW wraps up and after participating in a full week plus of activities, I find myself still running around the cities and seeing local dance performances almost every night. It is proof that we have a vibrant, lively, and rich dance community in Minnesota!

See you at the shows!

“The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)” at New York Theater Workshop features, in foreground, Susie Sokol and Vin Knight. Photo by: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

I was so pleased to wake up this morning and read Chief New York Times Theater Critic Ben Brantley's rave review of our friends Elevator Repair Service's production of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury (April 7, 1928). The Walker has long been in ERS's corner, ever since I first saw their deliciously ridiculous Cab Legs at PS122 in 1998. On their first Minneapolis visit, we presented their odd-ball, ecstatic Total Fictional Lie as part of Walker’s 2000 Out There series. They returned with Room Tone (2003 Out There) and, most recently, we co-commissioned their audacious, every-word-of-the-novel marathon production of The Great Gatsby (GATZ) ,which received its U.S. debut here in September 2006.

Rights issues with the Fitzgerald estate have tragically not allowed the brilliant GATZ to yet be seen in New York City, but a year after the Walker introduced the work to the U.S., it did successfully tour to cities like Portland OR (at PICA's TBA Festival), Philadelphia (at the Philly Live Art Fest.) and Seattle (On The Boards). So, it's a bit irritating that both Brantley and Justin Bergman (who wrote an ERS preview last Sunday in the Times) seem oblivious to the fact that GATZ ever came to the U.S. at all ("the famously venturesome Elevator Repair Service" wrote Brantley "...toured Europe with a seven-hour rendering of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" ...).

While Brantley and Bergman maintained the Times' long-standing New York parochialism (assuming nothing of cultural interest takes place West of the Hudson), Brantley did do a nice job of articulating the steep challenge that director John Collins and ERS set up for themselves in taking on the notoriously dense and, at first read, confusing, first section of The Sound and Fury, which is told from the point of view Benjy Compson, a 33-year old mentally disabled man. "Trying to translate this perspective from the page to the stage would seem to be an act of folly and hubris," wrote Brantley... "Benjy's nonlinear, noninterpretive point of view has been the bane of uninitiated English students for decades. But reading this account of a Mississippi family's decline is like looking at an impressionistic painting that at first seems to lack discernible forms, but stare long enough, and details emerge so precisely that it's finally sharper than any photograph....". In the end, the company's rigor and ingenuity wins over Brantley completely - "(ERS) brings a sanity, humility and theatrical ingenuity to their interpretation that, like the novel, illuminates the clarity within apparent chaos."

Congratulations again to director John Collins all our friends at ERS. I can't wait to catch up with the production (and all of our ERS pals) on my next trip to New York in mid-May.

Click here for the NY Times article on ERS Faulkner's Haunted Family, Moving in and Out of Time April 30, 2008.

Howdy y’all,

It’s little old me, Jeff Hnilicka. You may remember me from such favorites as “Press 4 to be connected to the box office”, “You are caller number 5″, or my personal favorite, “Tickets to the British Television Advertising Awards are SOLD OUT”. That’s right, I’ve dutifully served as the Voice of the Walker on the phone recording and worked in Visitor Services for the past five years, but have since re-located to New York. Miss my cheery disposition and boyish charm at the front desk since my departure (see below)? No worries. With my virtual voice, I’ll be blogging with updates on new projects from performing artists featured at the Walker and other exciting work I see in New York.

A bit of the biographical info: Born ‘n’ raised in Milwaukee, before coming to the U of M where I earned my BA in Theater Arts. I worked in Visitor Services at Walker for 5 wonderful years, with a brief stint at MASS MoCA. Helped start the radical political action/art collective/party planner organization The Revolting Queers. I have also worked with Minnesota Public Radio, Soo Visual Arts Center, and mnartists.org I currently work as Company Manager for J Mandle Performance and reside in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Miss you much.

jeffy

This Wednesday, April 23rd Trisha Brown an icon of contemporary dance will be on Midmorning with Kerri Miller.
Tune in to 91.1 at 9 AM or Click here to listen.

This Friday’s Dance Performance by Trisha Brown’s Dance Company will include music/score by John Cage and Laurie Anderson.
click here for tickets

Pitchfork Media, the groundbreaking, national on-line bible for all things indie-rock gives a shout out to the Rock the Garden line up, the Sculpture Garden, and Walker’s upcoming Dosh engagement to boot.

“The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden– adjacent to the Twin Cities’ Walker Art Center– is one of the more beautiful spots in the Midwest (that picture doesn’t really do it justice). Featuring ornate landscaping and gargantuan sculptures from the likes of Alexander Calder, Claes Oldenburg, and others, it’s a surreal, almost magisterial spot, and sounds just about perfect for a concert.

What luck, then, that in celebration of its 20th birthday, the Sculpture Garden is hosting a pretty great one. On June 21, the New Pornographers, Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, and hometown heroes Cloud Cult will, rain or shine, hit the outdoor stage for the Rock the Garden celebration. Happy birthday, place with the big cherry spoon!

Oh, and if you happen to call the Twin Cities home or happen to be in town for a Twins game or something, you’ll have a chance to see local boy Dosh– along with Andrew Bird, Jel, Fog, and others– at the Garden’s World of Dosh concert May 3.”
Posted by Paul Thompson See the complete article here.

Click here for tickets to Rock the Garden and World of Dosh.

This is not necessarily new news, but I have been so excited about this (as in, “where can I find a really cheap plane ticket today?” excited), that I had to share:

Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, frequent Walker performers and artistic directors of the Improbable Theatre company, debut their remount of Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha today at the Met in New York (the original production opened last year at the English National Opera).

Improbable Theatre brought their low-tech, improvisational exploration Animo to the Walker last season (other Walker performances include The Hanging Man and Shockheaded Peter). There is an article in the New York Times today about Satyagraha that includes a video with footage from the production and interview excerpts with McDermott and Crouch. Having seen Animo, I was particularly taken with how they have expanded their imaginative work with newspaper and other found mediums into the large and formal scale of opera.

Since I once broke my wrist falling whilst on 5′ tall stilts, my mind was blown by the gigantic and gorgeous backpack puppets in the image above and in the NYT video. Many of the performers are on stilts while operating these puppets and -this is important- the Met stage slopes downward toward the orchestra pit. I’ve seen this stage up close and in person and I am terrified just thinking about the performers’ feat.

So watch the video and if you happen to have an extra plane ticket to NYC in your back pocket, let me know.

Image via Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the entire US tour by Lenine, including the May 1 performance at Cedar Cultural Center, has been canceled. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused. For a refund, please call 612.253.3556.

William Yang’s US tour is well under way and with the recent news coming from Australia, Shadows is now even more relevant. Here are some articles to add to your experience of William’s performance at the Walker:

From May 2000 after the march in Sydney which William refers to in Shadows, Australians March in Support of Aborigines
And from the front page of the Times on February 13, 2008, Australia Says 'Sorry' to Aborigines for Mistreatment .

For more insight into William’s relationship to Shadows please see his photo essay from MCA in Chicago.

And finally in closing, a note from our former Performing Arts curator, John Killacky, who originally brought William Yang to the Walker:

“I loved William and his tender fierce intensity, his work resonated in my psyche for years afterward. I am thrilled the Walker Art Center community will once again have a chance to encounter this very special artist.”

I will see you at the show,
Michele

The New York Times reports that, starting next month, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company will show Mondays With Merce, an online video program featuring weekly episodes of the choreographer’s Monday class, on its Web site. As theTimes reports:

The program has three major components. First, there will be 26 episodes online beginning in September. Each will include 30 to 40 minutes of technique class, edited and supplemented with interviews with Mr. Cunningham, collaborators like the artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg and some of the original dancers from the pieces, and archival material. The episodes will show the inspiration for dances and reveal the threads that link one work to another.

"If the company is performing 'Ocean,' which is based on the circle," said Nancy Dalva, a dance historian who will be directing these edited episodes, "we can go get archival footage of 'Beach Birds,' which has the same circle in it, and show the same Matisse poster, which Merce saw in his dentist's office before he made the dance."

Cunningham and his entire troupe are performing Ocean Sept. 11-13 inside a granite quarry just outside of St. Cloud, Minn.

When Sekou Sundiata passed away in July 2007 he was in the midst of touring his acclaimed music/theater production and Walker commission, the 51st (dream) state - a work he considered his personal and poetic "State of the American Soul Address." Sekou's family, the entire cast of the 51st (dream) state, his artistic collaborators and his producers are committed to carrying on Sekou's voice and vision by continuing to bring this important and timely work to stages around the country.

The premiere of the re-mounted 51st (dream) state is coming up this month and we invite you to show your support, help us fill the house, spread the word and join us in Miami as long-time performer & collaborator LaTanya Hall steps into Sekou's role as “the voice of the poet” backed by an all-star ensemble of singers and musicians. Performances are being presented by Miami Dade College at The Colony Theater in Miami Beach on Friday & Saturday November 16 and 17 at 8pm. We hope you can make it for this premiere of the re-mounted show!

the 51st dream state producers will continue to offer this work on tour through the Fall 2008. The show is a loving and demanding look at some cherished mythologies and difficult truths about citizenship in the U.S.A. As the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections approach, questions of civic responsibility and citizenship become immediately relevant. the 51st (dream) state exposes the questions, provokes critical reflection and spurs meaningful dialogue. Shepherded through a universe of poems, monologues, songs and images, diverse audiences come together to imagine a more perfect Union. the 51st (dream) state offers viewers a profound place from which to continue this conversation outside of the theater.

In December 2007 Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula will be presented with the 2007 Principal Prince Claus Award. The Prince Claus Fund has selected Culture and Conflict as an area of special interest and as the theme for their 2007 awards.

Culture, for the Prince Claus Fund, is a basic human need. Culture has the power either to provoke or diminish conflict. This year the Prince Claus Awards honour artists and organisations that have worked to counteract the destructive power of conflict by opposing beauty to devastation, opening spaces and forms of dialogue, restoring respect for others and enhancing dignity and self-esteem.

Faustin Linyekula and Studios Kabako / Photo by Joachim Montessuis

Faustin Linyekula (1974, Democratic Republic of Congo) Describing himself as a storyteller, Faustin Linyekula uses movements, text, sound and images to communicate the complex experience of living in the violent conflict that has gripped his country for decades, and to help people examine and reconstruct their lives. The Prince Claus Fund honours Faustin Linyekula for his outstanding choreography, his bold return to Congo, his innovative stimulation of culture despite instability and turbulence, and his commitment to the development of his country. Read more

Join celebrated Congo-based choreographer Faustin Linyekula as he turns the Cedar Cultural Center into a Kinshasa social club and combines a spirited soukous party with an intensive performance installation.

Date: November 1 - 2
Time: 8:00 pm
Place: Cedar Cultural Center

and

Date: Saturday, November 3
Time: 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
Place: Cedar Cultural Center
Click here for tickets and more show information

Alicia Anstead(for Inside Arts magazine): Let’s say you can’t use the word dance, how would you describe what you do for a living?
Bill T. Jones: I am a scientist in the area of that place where feeling, thought and action meet. My primary computer, my primary instrument is the body, mine and other people’s.
(in interview after accepting a Tony award for his choreography in Spring Awakening)

There has been so much activity in the local dance community lately so here are some quick highlights and upcoming events:

- Congratulations to Bessie Award Recipients: On September 17, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project, and The Joyce Theater with the 2007 Bessies Committee, presented the Twenty-Third Annual New York Dance and Performance Awards (a.k.a. THE BESSIES) for exceptional achievements of the 2006-2007 season. Award were given to two Walker-commissioned and premiered productions for:
- Minneapolis dancer, Karen Sherman, for her performance in Morgan Thorson’s Faker at P.S. 122
- Designers, Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg, for Cynthia Hopkins’ Must Don’t Whip ‘Um at St. Ann’s Warehouse
Awards were also given to artists previously commissioned by the Walker such as Bill T. Jones and Sarah Michelson for their latest works.

- Most Ambitious Work to Date: Two years ago local choreographer, Mathew Janczewski embarked on a great and ambitious project commissioned by the Walker Art Center. An amazing round-table of artists came together to help him conceive and develop his new work, UGLY. As a dancer, Mathew has long been obsessed with the notion of body image and as a choreographer he has looked at society and the various façades we put on. You are invited to come and peek behind-the-scenes at how he breaks down those façades, strips down the ego and gets to the essence of who we are as individuals and who we are as a people.

- Choreographers’ Evening All Lined Up: This year’s CE showcase curated by Emily Johnson, runs November 24 at 7 and 9:30 pm and features short works by Olive Bieringa, Jaime Carrera, Joanna Furnans, Cara Krippner, Mad King Thomas, Kaleena Miller and Ricci Milan, Pam Plagge, Sally Rousse, Kenna Sarge, Susan Scalf and Dylan Skybrook, Chris Schlichting, Anna Marie Shogren, Terri Yellowhammer, and The Greater Twin Cities Tableau Society.

- Momentum 08: New Dance Works: Just announced!
Four new commissions, by local promising artists Eddie Oroyan, Chris Schlichting, Maia Maiden with Ellena Schoop, and Anna Marie Shogren, are germinating and will be co-presented by the Walker Art Center and the Southern Theater, with generous support from the Jerome Foundation, July 17-19 & 24-26, 2008. Save the dates!

click to see the slideshow! Excellent photos by Daniel Corrigan.

Read the City Pages review and comments

A piece in the New York Times this morning highlighted a New York spectacle that is being deemed an “installation/street art hybrid”. Melena Ryzik’s article; Taking it to the Streets, is about a work by Yehuda Duenyas entitled "One Million Forgotten Moments” which seats an audience in a street front window that has been refitted to look like a jewel-box theater. Not only is the performance laden with actors, dancers, chorus girls, a skateboarding team and a magician, but it also turns its eye out on the public. So the random pedestrian flicking his cigarette to the curb and the cab driver picking his nose in his taxi, when framed by the proscenium of the storefront window, become monumental performances.

In reading the article I couldn’t help but think that this is an performance theme that I’m hearing about with more and more frequency. Actors and dancers are taking our notion of what a theater space is and stretching those assumptions– or in some cases completely blowing them apart.

When Philip Bither gave his introductory talk about the Walker’s Performing Arts season, he talked about this being one of the curatorial threads he used in putting together this year’s season. What he’s calling the In:Site/Out series (Gob Squad, Miguel Gutierrez’s Powerful People, Claude Wampler, Faustin Linyekula, and Back to Back Theatre) will all be doing what Duenyas has done in New York by redefining audience/performer relationships and restructuring the way we think about theatrical space.

I think that there’s a certain sense of pride in knowing that the things that are turning heads in the Big Apple, the theater capital of America, are also turning heads here in…. well… the Minniapple.