LIVE CULTURES 013
SUPPORT ARTISTS. STEWARD THEIR STORIES.
This past weekend, the National Endowment for the Arts began cancelling grants to arts organizations, including many of the theaters that I have come to love for their championing of those voices that challenge and re-define what theater can be. One such theater is The Public Theater, established over 60 years ago as one of the first non-profit theaters in the US. The Public has been fiercely dedicated to civic engagement through art, nurturing diverse and provocative artists as well as a new generation theater critics through the BIPOC Critics Lab, while also bringing the stage to the people across all five boroughs (including programs such Shakespeare in the Park). Another organization impacted, Molière in the Park, similarly stages free performances in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and champions equal access to the arts (61% of their audience come from low-income zipcodes). I will not mince words when I say: this is censorship.
Despite losing their grants, these theaters are still committed to telling the stories (and truths) that need to be heard. They need us to pay attention and listen (see Seeking Attention).
As audience members we play an important role in witnessing, holding and sharing the stories offered on the stage. Support local and independent theater!
LIVE CULTURES: MAY RECOMMENDATIONS
*FIELD TRIP* Bowl EP Vineyard Theater
May 1 - June 8
To celebrate 1 year of Live Cultures, we’ll be taking Field Trip 007 to Bowl EP on May 9. Co-produced by National Black Theater and Vineyard Theater, Bowl EP intertwines live skate boarding, original music and theater, re-architecting the black box theater to house a skate bowl from which the story unfolds.
a skate park
in the middle of a wasteland
at the edge of the galaxy
If you didn’t manage to grab tickets for the Field Trip, there are still tickets available for later dates, including $38 affinity night tickets on May 14 and May 20.
Seagull: The True Story @ Ellen Stewart Theater (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club)
May 16 – June 1
Kon, a director at the Moscow Art Theatre, stages a bold, free-spirited production of Chekhov’s The Seagull—until Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine casts a shadow of censorship. His once vibrant reimagining, rooted in freedom, is reduced to an empty shell of his vision. Determined to save his play, Kon flees to New York, hoping to bring his true vision to life. But the American dream proves cold. Notably, the play’s director Alexander Molochnikov spoke against Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and moved to NYC.
Yinka Esi Graves Performance with Buddy and Niño de Elcheat Center for Art, Reasearch and Alliances
May 17
As part of the exhibition continents like seeds, dancer and flamenco artist Yinka Esi Graves will perform alongisde ex-flamenco cantaor Niño de Elche and DJ Buddy. Graves, Buddy, and Niño de Elche will animate the histories explored in Sadopítna, o sea, antípodas, puesto del revés y boca abajo (Sedopitna, or antipodes, turned inside out and upside down), 2023–ongoing, a sonic and sculptural work by Pedro G. Romero and Niño de Elche. The performance is free but RSVP is encouraged.
Salome @ Metropolitan Opera
Until May 24
In this white-hot, one-act opera, unfolds a brief biblical account: A young princess of Judea dances for her stepfather Herod and chooses as her reward the head of the prophet John the Baptist. This subject has captured the imaginations of generations of visual artists, but its full possibilities were perhaps best realized in Oscar Wilde’s 1891 tragedy (which was banned from performance in several countries). Strauss’s opera builds off of Wilde’s play, adding a psychologically perceptive Victorian-era setting rich in symbolism and subtle shades of darkness and light.
The Imaginary Invalid @ LeFrak Center, Prospect Park
May 8 - 25
The Imaginary Invalid is the last play that legendary French playwright Molière wrote and was originally conceived as a Comedy-Ballet where theater, dance, and music are intertwined. Gravely ill while writing and performing this play, Molière explores the fear of disease and the exploitation it breeds through his infinitely humorous dialogue and in-your-face satire. Molière in the Park’s production will feature original choreography by FlexN dancer Cal Hunt and original music by cellist Johnathan Moore. Tickets are free with RSVP.
To support the work and mission of Molière in the Park, you can donate here or purchase a ticket for their paid benefit performance and buffet reception on opening night, May 8.
GLASS. KILL. WHAT IF IF ONLY. IMP. @ Public Theater
Until May 25
GLASS. KILL. WHAT IF IF ONLY. IMP. brings a quadruple bill of short plays. A girl made of glass. Gods and murders. A pack of ghosts. And a secret in a bottle. A kaleidoscope of stories, each short play is a testament to how playwright Caryl Churchill has “remade the landscape of contemporary drama—and earned herself a place among the greats”. $45 tickets available with the code “CARYL45”.
If you would like to support Public Theater, you can donate here. For a limited time, all donations will be matched by the Howard Gilman Foundation.
CARMEN.maquia @ New York City Center
May 29 - June 1
Ballet Hispanico’s take on Bizet's passionately crafted tragedy, CARMEN.maquia, offers a contemporary look at a beloved classic that is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's quintessential work revitalizes Bizet's timeless tale as bold and electrifying. Of the title, the choreographer explains, “Picasso used to say that Carmen was like the bull that nobody could domesticate or control, no? So, we found that similarity where Carmen is like the bull, we just took “tauromaquia,” and took “tauro” out and put “Carmen” in.”
For those joining our 1-year anniversary field trip to see Bowl EP, I will see you Friday! Until then, stay cultured.