‘In the Cypher’

Presented by LXP, Fractured Atlas, & the Drilling Company

Part poetry slam, part theater, ‘In The Cypher’ goes back to the roots of hip-hop where words, music, sound, and fury work towards social change. Five poets, an MC and a DJ keep the audience jamming to poetic riffs of living in one’s own skin. Using slam poetry, candid interactions and researched material, ‘In the Cypher’ questions whether truth and identity are more than skin deep. No one is safe…in the cypher.

LXP, a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, is a collective of independent artistic producers specializing in theatre, dance, and other live performance events. They are dedicated to launching the work of emerging artists by providing professional guidance, extended artistic networks, dramaturgical support and managerial expertise. LXP’s vision is to create holistic experiences for audiences, artists and technicians by creating positive, well-resourced environments for the work to reach its full potential.

‘Kings: Siege of Troy’

Presented by The Workshop Theater Company

“Less a translation than a vivid re-imagining, KINGS moves with cinematic speed to create full-blooded and haunting portraits of the great figures of Trojan War. The mythic clashes of heroes and gods evoke the battles of Stalingrad and Normandy through Christopher Logue’s stark contemporary verse, which has been hailed as “beautifully rhythmic, controlled and urgent” (The Independent) and which has earned him the Whitbread Prize.

THE WORKSHOP THEATER COMPANY’s mission is to provide a creative home for our diverse group of playwrights, directors and actors, to hone their talents and cultivate projects, from inspiration through finished production, while encouraging our audience to partner with us in developing new works.

‘The Cat Who Went to Heaven’

Presented by Culture Project

Inspired by Bunraku, Japanese traditional puppet theater 

Based on the 1931 Newbery Award-winning children’s book by Elizabeth Coatsworth, this delightful tale is about the intertwined fates of a struggling Japanese artist, his housekeeper, a Buddhist priest from the local temple and an inspirational cat named Good Fortune. The story’s timeless message of compassion for all beings resonates with people of all ages.

“Culture Project is dedicated to addressing critical human rights issues by creating and supporting artistic work that amplifies marginalized voices. By fostering innovative collaboration between human rights organizations and theatre, music and film artists, we aim to inspire and impact public dialogue and policy, encouraging democratic participation in the most urgent matters of our time.”

Bread and Puppet Theater – ‘The Decapitalization Circus’

Man of Flesh and Cardboard

 

Man = Carrot

 

Ulysses

 

Attica

 

The Decapitalization Circus

 

Presented by The Bread and Puppet Theater Company and The Theater for the New City

“THE DECAPITALIZATION CIRCUS demonstrates in numerous death-defying stunts the phantastic effects of the capitalization of life in the U.S. and citizens’ courageous efforts of decapitalization. The performers represent the whole scale of the social spectrum from benign billionairism to despicable homeless anti-social-elementarianism. All the acts are FDA and FBI certified displays of patriotic correctness and defy all imaginable forms of terrorism. The Possibilitarians, a multi-instrumental variety ensemble, provide the appropriate-inappropriate sounds for the circus.” (Theatermania.com)

THE BREAD AND PUPPET THEATRE

The organization – which dates back to 1963 – is one of the oldest, nonprofit, self-supporting theatrical companies in this country. It was founded in by the still-active Peter Schumann on New York City’s Lower East Side, and took an active role protesting the Vietnam War.

Bread and Puppet is a theater company that uses creativity to draw attention to pertinent social issues. Their shows incorporate live music, homemade art, puppets and original skits The name Bread & Puppet derives from the theater’s practice of sharing its own fresh bread, served for free with aioli, with the audience of each performance as a means of creating community, and from its central principle that art should be as basic to life as bread. Although all Bread and Puppet events have a seriousness of purpose – “a few laughs are always thrown in!”

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY

“TNC is a Pulitzer Prize winning community cultural center that is known for its high artistic standards and widespread community service. One of New York’s most prolific theatrical organizations, TNC produces 30-40 premieres of new American plays per year, at least 10 of which are by emerging and young playwrights. TNC seeks to develop theater audiences and inspire future theater artists from the often-overlooked low-income minority communities of New York City by producing minority writers from around the world and by bringing the community into theater and theater into the community through its many free festivals.”

‘Kolinda: Twelve Dishes’

– Sviat Vechir (Christmas Eve)

Presented by the Ukrainian Institute of America & Yara Arts Group

TWELVE DISHES / SVIAT VECHIR and KOLIADA KOLIADNYKY (traditional carolers) sing the songs of the Kokiada, a cycle of Ukrainian winter rituals. The koliadnyky are from the village of Kryvorivnia, high in the Carpathian Mountains which has preserved an ancient winter ritual that now coincides with Christmas, but is much older in its origin, traditions and symbolism. It is considered to be the most important event of the year in the area, since people believed that the spring and harvest will not come to the village unless these songs are sung in every household. The Koliada begins with a ritual dinner of twelve dishes.

The Ukrainian Institute of America is dedicated to the promotion of Ukrainian culture, history and arts to the general public.

Yara Arts Group brings together drama, poetry, song, historical materials and movement to create original performance pieces that explore timely issues rooted in the East. They began its collaboration with traditional artists from the Carpathians in 1995 and have recorded the winter song ritual in Kryvorivnia and the surrounding villages.

‘This Side of Paradise’

Presented by Culture Project & Theatre at St. Clements

“The first-ever ‘It’ couple, Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald came to embody the success, glamor and excess of 1920s America. Their meteoric rise came at a cost, and later in life Zelda was confined to a mental hospital. This Side of Paradise explores the lives and loves of the Fitzgeralds, from their first meeting in 1918 in Montgomery, Alabama, until Scott’s death in Hollywood in 1940. The musical puts the primary emphasis on Zelda as she delves into her past during sessions with a young doctor, searching to find the true meaning of her life with Scott, one of America’s most celebrated writers.” (Theatermania.com).

“CULTURE PROJECT is dedicated to addressing critical human rights issues by creating and supporting artistic work that amplifies marginalized voices. By fostering innovative collaboration between human rights organizations and theatre, music and film artists, we aim to inspire and impact public dialogue and policy, encouraging democratic participation in the most urgent matters of our time.” (cultureproject.org)

THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENTS

“St. Clement’s was founded in 1830, and currently serves Manhattan’s Theatre District. In 1962, St. Clement’s was reconfigured to include a theatre and embarked upon its theatre ministry, symbolized every Sunday by their famous Mass in the Theatre. They remain the second oldest, continually operating Off Broadway Theatre in New York City. A pioneering congregation in celebrating of the ministry of women, of gay and lesbian people, and those of all walks of life; a longtime center of service to the poor, celebrating social activism and creative liturgy, they are one of the most diverse Episcopal parishes in New York City.” (stclementnyc.org)

‘In Retrospect’

Presented by LOCO7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company & La MaMa E.T.C.

With the production of “In Retrospect,” LOCO7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company investigates how we each construct our personal memory box: how we keep our memories fresh and preserve the things that made us who we are. These include our mothers’ embraces, lost loves, childhood dreams, ideals of youth and struggles of age, loss and birth.

LOCO 7 DANCE PUPPET THEATRE COMPANY

Under the direction and vision of Federico Restrepo, Loco7′s mission has been to develop the use of puppetry as an instrument for the dancer, a style which incorporates dance and design. Utilizing rhythmic music, dancers, body puppets and larger then life marionettes, Restrepo weaves a choreography which extends beyond the body of the dancer. Dealing with themes such as South American Culture & History, the immigrants’ experience and urban life, Restrepo creates an animated movement, in an ever-changing and surreal environment, bringing the stage to life.

“LA MAMA is dedicated to the artist. Our interest has been in the people who make art, and it is to them that we give our support with free theater and rehearsal space, lights, sound, props, platforms, and whatever else we have that they can use to create their work. We want them to feel free to explore their ideas, and translate them into a theatrical language that can communicate to any person in any part of the world. La MaMa is the place where emerging artists learn from established artists and where artists from around the globe share work and ideas.”

‘Unexpected Outcomes’

Presented by Theater for Social Change, College & Community Fellowship

UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES is a play about the trials, tribulations, and sometimes joy that formally incarcerated women face when they return to the community. Entirely written and performed by graduates of College and Community Fellowship.

MISSION STATEMENT FOR CFF

“The College and Community Fellowship (CCF) strives to eliminate the individual and social barriers to education and civic participation of formerly incarcerated women and their families. CCF is unique among organizations aimed at helping people reclaim their lives after prison. Many programs try to address the basic needs of people returning to the community from prison, but only CCF guides them through te stages of higher education while promoting leadership, self-advocacy, artistic expression, civic participation, and long-term economic security. We see beyond re-entry.”

‘De Novo’

Presented by ‘Houses on the Moon Theater Company’ and the ‘Society for Immigrant & Refugee Rights’

DE NOVO is the gripping true story of fourteen-year-old Edgar, who fled Guatemala’s deadly gangs and his legal struggle to be allowed to stay in the United States. This documentary play crafted entirely from immigration court transcripts as well as interviews and letters, provides a rare glimpse into the lives of undocumented youth, many thousands of whom make the harrowing journey across the border and through the U.S. system of justice every year.

HOUSES ON THE MOON THEATER COMPANY exists to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices. They help communities come together and make meaningful connections through the public sharing of their untold stories. Through original performances, post-show discussions and pre-and post- performance issue-based creative workshops, Houses on the Moon is able to offer communities a powerful tool to educate and offer support around the complex issues of our time.

THE SOCIETY FOR IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS is a student run organization at the Columbia University School of Law. SIRR is dedicated to promoting a dialogue about the rights of refugees and immigrants in the Unites States and globally.