[note: many, if not most, of these links may no longer be working, but such is the nature of the digital. hopefully, the url and context are enough to help you find any further information you want. if not, feel free to contact me, and i’ll try to help.]
octubre 2017
¡hola, difus@s!
a bit telegraphically, as i’m getting this out late (apologies in advance for the worse-than-usual copyediting) and (as you’ll see below) we’ve got so much to see… september was a wonderful start to the season, with strong work by some long-time favorites. pina bausch’s cafe mueller and rite of spring were such a joy. the former was more muted than i’d expected (and the casting choices gave it an interestingly gendered generational contrast) but still deeply affecting (despite the audience’s oddly nervous reactions); the latter is an indisputable masterpiece (and the stage set-up during intermission was fascinating). anne teresa de keersmaeker and salva sanchís’ a love supreme was on par with all the work of hers i’ve seen; her rigor and consistency are awe-inspiring, as is her sense of music and composition. the dardenne brothers are, as evidenced by unflinching moral exploration of the unknown girl, equally rigorous and consistent (belgium clearly did something right for this generation of artists). seeing wendy whelan dance for such an intimate audience and then discuss the work (and her movement from ballet to modern dance) with the choreographer (and her friend) kathy westwater was a terrific glimpse into the artists’ practice and evolution.
if for peter pan on her 70th birthday is representative of sarah ruhl’s work, then i must see more of it. the first half’s story of siblings dealing with a parent’s death is sharply observed and politically resonant; the second half is a a fantastically imaginative exploration of their individual relationships to adulthood. also on stage, inanimate was a delightful surprise for its very straight-forward treatment of sexual diversity. distant star was also quite direct (to the extent that one could be) in its adaptation of the bolaño novel, and, while enjoyable, it tended to underscore—rather than transcend—the resolute literariness of his work. blank out was quite good as an opera but even better, with its exceptional use of technology, as a proposition for what new opera might be. oh, my sweet land would have been brilliant without the hackneyed (and retrograde, anti-feminist) love story, but the acting and staging still made it worth seeing. olivier py was a completely charming performer, but much of the show (which depended heavily on its lyrics) was lost on us non-francophones due to the lack of supertitles. the lack of translation wasn’t a problem with almodóvar dystopia, as the text (i’m, clearly, an ardent hispanophile) didn’t add much to the work. fun as it was, it tended towards desperation in its attempt to re-create the shock and frenzy of, say, laberinto de pasiones—even pedrito himself seems to understand what a sisyphean task that is. in its way, beach rats had a much closer connection to almodóvar’s work, both early (with its class setting) and late (with its elegant styling).
there’s so much to see this month, so even my short lists feel overly ambitious:
performance + theater: in the solitude of cotton fields, presented by fiaf and skirball, and richard iii at bam are definitely on my to-see list this month. after having to cancel last year due to travel problems, dickie beau finally premieres at abrons arts center. i’m quite interested in seeing more of niegel smith’s work, so syncing ink at the flea is also a priority, especially since i’ll be seeing the wooster group’s the b-side: “negro folklore from texas state prisons”—which also deals with music, masculinity, and race—again, after seeing it as a work-in-progress last year. another show i’m looking forward to repeating is dave malloy’s ghost quartet, originally at bushwick starr and now at new york theatre workshop. (i know it’s sold out, but it’s well worth trying to get tickets via the cancellation line or via re-sale.) if i can carve out the time, belarus free theatre’s burning doors (with maria alyokhina from pussy riot!), weimar new york, outside paducah: the wars at home, point pleasant, the legend of the moth man, and i want to be your friend, please: why no one likes you and the easy method to making real human friends! (because “social media” is an oxymoron) are all shows i’d love to see.
music: at the start of the month, pierre boulez’ repons is at the park avenue armory, trumpet genius peter evans is in residency at the stone, and john zorn’s bagatelles get a marathon performance at skirball. other new music performances of note include brooklyn rider’s spontaneous symbols at roulette, jack quartet’s soundscape america (1 and 2), and thomas adès’ the exterminating angel (the most exciting offering from the met this season, i’m thinking). at the other end of the historical spectrum, lincoln center presents “monteverdi: the birth of opera” as part of the annual white light festival, camerata trajectina brings “music from the age of vermeer” to the morgan library and museum, and the orlando consort performs “loire valley in song” at the church of st. mary the virgin (part of the miller theatre’s early music series). two concerts at the end of the month that have me particularly excited are bang on a can all stars’ road trip and diamanda galas’ return to the city.
art: the art world is really at its best this month, with tons of museum and gallery shows to see. “trigger: gender as a tool and a weapon” at the new museum feels particularly appropriate as we near the anniversary of the us presidential election (which is also a good occasion to read “can democracy survive the internet?”); so does sable elyse smith’s ordinary violence at the queens museum (where never built new york also looks great). lauren greenfield’s generation wealth at icp promises an incisive critique of our neoliberal economy and celebrity culture (both of which begat the current administration). war and pieced: the annette gero collection of quilts from military fabrics at the american folk art museum not only showcases some gorgeous craftsmanship but also, i hope, will invite reflection on and dialogue about the contemporary status of veterans. modigliani unmasked at the jewish museum and drawn to greatness: master drawings from the thaw collection at the morgan museum and library (which, to my bibliophile delight, also has magnificent gems: medieval treasure bindings) are also on my list. outside of town, because autumn’s great for a train trip, walter de maria: truck trilogy at dia:beacon and nathalie du pasquier: big objects not always silent at the ica in philadelphia look fantastic. among the gallery shows i’m hoping to catch are mira schendal and arte povera at hauser and wirth, “deadeye dick: richard bellamy and his circle” at peter freeman, ruth asawa and chris ofili at david zwirner, colette at mitchell algus, meriem bennani at the kitchen, and amy yao at 47 canal. closing out the month is another new york edition of the world’s most civilized art far, tefaf.
film: many of the films featured in the new york film festival (nyff) are arriving on regular screens this month (one of many reasons i don’t cover the festival here); wonderstruck, bpm, faces places, and félicité are all ones i want to see. other series and festivals that feel more worthwhile than nyff are “black intimacy” at moma, “black skins, white masks: cinema inspired by frantz fanon” at bam, “spotlight on estonian cinema” at anthology, and “philippe garrel: part 1” and “nanni moretti” at metrograph. for more light-hearted fun, “comin’ at ya! 35mm 3-d” at the quad and “mothra & h-man: homage to ishirô honda” at film forum should be great while “holy blood: mexican horror cinema” at bam provides some seasonal chills (including guillermo del toro’s phenomenal debut feature, cronos). other films i really want to see include i am or how jack became black, chavela (if you don’t know her, you need to watch her now), daughter of the nile (vintage hou hsiao-hsien!), the sacrifice (more tarkovsky on the big screen!), and tom of finland (this autumn has a lot of great queer film).
dance: last month’s bausch-de keersmaeker combination may well be unsurpassable, but there’s still a lot of good dance to see this month. “fall for dance” at city center has a number of interesting performances (though the ticketing frenzy and crowds keep me away from it). tea for three at the end of the month brings together three legends, so see it if you can. other shows of interest are headless wolf at roulette; a letter to my nephew, /peh-lo-tah/, and saudade at bam; six years later and the hill at baryshnikov arts center; and layla and majnun at lincoln center.
as always, the full calendar is below, and you're welcome to share all this with anyone you'd like by subscribing them here.
abrazos,
p
october / octubre
1: pandora’s box (film)
1-5: autumn, autumn (film)
1-5: bobbi jene (film)
1-5: warner bros. tough guys, tough dames… tough pictures (film)
1-10: i am another you (film)
1-15: mary jane (theater)
1-15: no wake (theater)
1-15: outside paducah: the wars at home (theater)
1-16: inanimate (theater)
1-21: kpop (theater)
1-22: oh my sweet land (theater)
1-28: {my lingerie play} 2017: the concert and call to arms!!!!!!!!! the final installation (performance)
1-28: whiskey pants: the mayor of williamsburg (theater)
1-29: syncing ink (theater)
1-31: midnight moment: voir la mer (art)
1-: torch song (theater)
2: flaherty nyc: program 1: a litany for survival (film)
2: the triumph of love (theater)
2-14: fall for dance (dance)
3: anathema: the turing opera (music, performance)
3-5: hong kong triology (film)
3-7: a letter to my nephew (dance)
3-8: crossing (music)
3-8: peter evans residency (music)
3-12: here / now (dance)
3-16: black intimacy (film)
4: adam pendleton: black dada reader (art)
4: watched (film)
4-7: mon élue noire (my black chosen one): sacre #2 (dance)
4-14: 21st century choreographers (dance)
4-17: chavela (film)
5: 78/52 (film)
5: oulaya’s wedding (film)
5: steffani: duets of love and passion (music)
5: steve swell // eva zöllner (music)
5-6: telemann, farrin, wolfe + prokofiev (music)
5-7: your healing is killing me: a performance manifesto (performance)
5-8: blackouts (performance)
5-8: in the solitude of the cotton fields (theater)
5-18: the florida project (film)
5-21: point pleasant, the legend of the mothman (performance, theater)
5-31: ghost quartet (music, performance)
5-: faces places (film)
6: brooklyn raga massive perform terry riley’s “in c” (cd release party) (music)
6: yarn/wire: enno poppe (music)
6-7: john zorn: the bagatelles (music)
6-7: repons (music)
6-8: escapes (film)
6-8: new york city greek film festival (film)
6-8: the force of things: an opera for objects (music)
6-12: the death and life of marsha p. johnson (film)
6-19: the islands and the whales (film)
6-: squeamish (theater)
7: greg fox: the gradual progression (music)
7: i am or how jack became black (film)
7: run! (theater)
7: the departure (film)
7-11: 20th century violin concertos (dance)
8: ustad nishat khan (music)
10-11: claire porter & sara juli : the lectern: rule by rule by rule (performance)
11: an evening with leif ove andsnes (music)
11: drawn to song: the glimmerglass festival (music)
11: the alehouse sessions: bjarte eike with barokksolistene (music)
11: the sounds of democracy (music)
11-14: richard iii (theater)
11-15: saudade (dance)
11-21: the final hands count beginning sounds (performance)
11-28: tomorrow in the battle (theater)
11-: animal wisdom (theater)
12: lisa mezzacappa: glorious ravage (music)
12: takács quartet (music)
12-13: six years later and the hill (dance)
12-15: betty buckley: story songs #2 (music)
12-15: no longer without you (theater)
12-18: diamond island (film)
12-21: why why always (theater)
12-22: the freedom theatre: the siege (theater)
12-26: philippe garrel: part 1 (film)
12-29: alaxsxa | alaska (theater)
13: herning boys choir (music)
13: i want to be your friend, please: why no one likes you and the easy method to making real human friends! (theater)
13-14: nicole bindler: the case for invagination (dance)
13-19: comin’ at ya! 35mm 3-d (film)
13-19: spotlight on estonian cinema (film)
13-19: the films of paul bartel (film)
13-22: burning doors (theater)
13-: for akheem (film)
13-: tom of finland (film)
14: diary of a lost girl (film)
14: im-migrations (film, music)
14: rooted, a performance by tim miller (performance)
15: new york philharmonic ensembles (music)
15: thomas adès and friends (music)
15-21: moving sounds festival (music, performance)
16: camille (music)
16: flaherty nyc: program 2: migration (film)
16: why not: a serenade on eschatological ecology (art, film)
16-17: nathaniel dorsky x 4 (film)
17: fast fprward (dance)
17: open rehearsal: steve reich and ensemble signal (music)
17: weimar new york (music, performance)
18: camerata trajectina: music from the age of vermeer (music)
18-21: /peh-lo-tah/ (dance)
18-21: mementos mori (performance)
18-21: monteverdi: the birth of opera (music)
18-21: nanni moretti (film)
18-22: tero saarinen company (dance)
18-26: black skin, white masks: cinema inspired by frantz fanon (film)
18-31: liberation day (film)
18-: the paris opera (film)
19: brooklyn rider: spontaneous symbols (music)
19: carousel (performance)
19: jack quartet: soundscape america (1) (music)
19: las cartas de frida ópera de toilette (music, performance)
19: new work for goldberg variations (dance)
19-28: nichi douglas: black girl magic show! (performance)
20: las cartas de frida ópera de toilette (music, performance)
20: thelonius monk at 100 (music)
20: whorticulture (performance)
20: works by éliane radigue: carol robinson & rhodri davies / laetitia sonami (music)
20-21: walter dundervill : skybox (dance)
20-26: tempestad (film)
20-: 120 bpm (film)
20-: dealt (film)
20-: wonderstruck (film)
21: aizuri quartet: music and mayhem (music)
21: jack quartet: soundscape america (2) (music)
21: rooted, a performance by tim miller (performance)
21-31: boxing on film: part 2 (film)
21-: tartuffe (theater)
22: fall further vi (dance)
22: sabrina schroeder and monte weber (music)
22: sukhishvili georgian national dance (dance)
22-23: ryan mcnamara and john zorn (music)
23: mothra & the h-man: homage to ishirô honda (film)
23-: félicité (film)
24: borodin quartet plays shostakovich (music)
24: nearing the end (music)
25: juilliard415: 'a world tour’ (music)
25-27: balletcollective (theater)
25-27: homme fatale (performance)
25-27: nami yamamoto: headless wolf (dance)
25-28: boulders and bones (dance)
25-28: virago-man dem (dance)
25-29: compagnie maguy marin (dance)
25-: the b-side: "negro folklore from texas state prisons” (theater)
26: goldberg variations (music)
26: night witches (theater)
26-28: ontological puppet show: the toy becomes a weapon (performance)
26-28: tea for three (dance)
26-29: layla and majnun (dance)
26-: the exterminating angel (music)
26-: the red shoes (dance)
27: either/or: tombeau for ana-maria avram (music)
27-: the sacrifice (film)
27-28: road trip (music)
27-: daughter of the nile (film)
27-: holy blood: mexican horror cinema (film)
27-: marcel + the art of laughter (theater)
28: andrea miller and gallim dance: stone skipping (dance)
28: léger & murphy / picabia & clair / man ray & duchamp (art, film)
28: nuevo sanjo: korean sanjo masters (music)
28: orlando consort: loire valley in song (music)
28: renaldo kuhler & rocaterrania (film)
29-31: diamanda galas (music)
30: dirty looks: kembra pfahler (art, film, performance)
30: flaherty nyc: program 3: 3,000 nights (film)
31: all the world's a drag (music, performance)
31-: gidon kremer (music)