Samuel D. Hunter’s I WAS JUST THINKING… is inaugural production of THE WINDOW at Romanian Cultural Institute (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Romanian Cultural Institute
573-577 Third Ave. at 38th St.
April 2-8, free, 7:30-10:00 pm
www.icrny.org
i was just thinking . . . slideshow
As people walked down Third Ave. last night in Murray Hill, they came upon a curious scene: a group of people looking inside the storefront windows of the Romanian Cultural Institute, where there was movement inside a sparkling white hospital room and a darker, more mysterious space where a bizarre birthday party was going on. No mere oddball gathering, it’s actually the brainchild of Romanian theater and television director Ana Mărgineanu (The Blind Trip), who has conceived and created The Window, a series of site-specific living-installation performances taking place in the RCINY bookstore and gallery. First up is the twenty-minute “I was just thinking . . . ,” written by Obie-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter (A Bright New Boise). Performed numerous times from 7:30 to 10:00, the silent, multimedia play stars Jake Roa, Calaine Schafer, Jessie Komitor, and James “Face” Yu, with choreography by Melanie S. Armer, lighting by Christopher Weston, and video by Igor Molochevski and Masha Pekurovsky. The very cool sets were designed by Obie winner Nic Ularu (Painted Snake in a Painted Chair). It’s a unique theatrical experience, as the audience can’t hear anything (except the traffic passing by) and there’s no character list or synopsis, making it all the more fun as the actors move from room to room, sometimes pausing in front of the glass door or window like a mannequin, other times rushing around like in a madcap comedy. And wait till you see what’s in the box. The show runs through April 8; next up will be a collaboration between playwright Saviana Stănescu and designer Daniela Codarcea Kamiliotis in May.