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| THIS WEEKEND: Overnight cabaret-style performance of Satie's Vexations in Chelsea Erik Satie's mysteriously repetitive Vexations serves as the background for this semi-improvised, interdisciplinary performance art piece, "Vexations in Time, " co-produced by local classical musicians, Sydney Anderson, Slavina Zhelezova, and Heather Jones, featuring singer-songwriter, Julian Wild.The durational piece premiered October 22, 2021 at Time Square's open-air performance space, Anita's Way, and will be remounted in an overnight performance at Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre, beginning April 1st at 8pm and concluding around 12pm Saturday, April 2nd. Through this interactive reimagining of Satie's Vexations, the artistic team reflects on the collective uncertainty felt during the "re-opening" of the world and the reemergence of the heartbeat of New York City: Live performance. Zhelezova will serve as the lead pianist, performing the one-minute piece repeatedly for between 14-18 hours. Sprinkled above the piano, vocalists and speakers will filter in and out, adding texture to the shifting soundscape with layers of poetry, responses to discussion prompts, musical improvisations, and melodies commissioned for the performance and composed by Timothy Peterson. Additionally, dancers will punctuate the otherwise meditative atmosphere through movement. A notable inclusion for this remount is an ever-emerging, interactive visual art installation, in the form of a "Community Canvas, " conceived and led by artist, Peter ver Brugge. "I want people to grab a brush, make mistakes, push their boundaries a bit and engage in the visual arts, " says ver Brugge, "I don't want anything to be off limits, if someone comes in half an hour before the show is over and paints the canvas completely black, great!" Amidst the whirl of creation, the audience will be invited to take an active role in shaping the atmosphere. As guests explore the space (perhaps while sipping on a themed cocktail) they will have the opportunity to respond to the piece by making sounds, moving their bodies, meditating, creating visual art, and responding to prompts and questions curated by interactive designer, Christy Casey, of Ruse, who states that, "The audience's contribution is an essential element in the energy of this piece." Co-producer, Sydney Anderson, echoes that, "spontaneous creation is the true magic here. Simply by offering a space for people to experience and respond to an unfamiliar set of stimuli together, we witnessed beauty beyond even our initial design." Together, audience members and artists will explore extremes of chaos and order, of isolation and collaboration, and the transience and flexibility of time. Vexations in Time is presented by The Why Collective, a newly formed performing arts collective whose mission is to encourage its artists and audiences to seek deeper truths through the art of questioning. This project features an inaugural roster of emerging and established artists, whose work has been featured by local contemporary arts organizations including, Beth Morrison Projects, HERE Arts, National Sawdust, The Tank, New York City Opera, and American Lyric Theater, and have performed at Carnegie Hall, The Tonight Show, New York Fashion Week, Lincoln Center, and more. WHEN April 1st 8pm - April 2 12pm WHERE Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre 338 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011 in Chelsea on 23rd St. between 9th Ave. & 8th Ave. The venue is accessible via the C and E trains at 23rd St. and 8th Ave. as well as the 1 train at 23rd St. and 7th Ave. write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |