this week in music

SigSpace: EMANCIPATED STORIES

Who: Quiara Alegría Hudes, Sean Ortiz, Sean Carvajal, Dominic Colón, Kenyatta Emmanuel, Suave Gonzales, Renee Goust, David Zayas, Kenyatta Emmanuel, Renee Goust, Jamie Maleszka, more
What: Installation and pop-up events
Where: Signature Theatre, the Pershing Square Signature Center Lobby, 480 West Forty-Second St. at Tenth Ave.
When: June 29 – July 24, Tuesday – Sunday, noon – 5:00, free
Why: Last summer, the Signature Theatre reopened with the immersive installation The Watering Hole, which included Vanessa German and Haruna Lee’s “This Room Is a Broken Heart,” part of which involved choosing a postcard designed by an incarcerated individual and sending a note to someone living behind bars. This summer the Signature has taken that a step further by teaming with the Fortune Society and Emancipated Stories to present an installation focusing on words and art by incarcerated people. Founded in 1967, the Fortune Society’s mission is “to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities . . . through believing, building lives, and changing minds.” Emancipated Stories was started by prison reform activist and playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes and her cousin Sean Ortiz, who spent ten years behind bars, as a way for incarcerated people to have their voices heard through handwritten letters that are shared on Instagram and in special installations.

Hudes, the Signature’s premiere writer-in-residence and author of such works as In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful, Daphne’s Dive, and Miss You Like Hell, explained in a statement, “The thing that’s fun and safe about theater is that the basic rule of engagement is one of listening. The fundamental contract is: I’m going to listen, I’m going to pay attention. Similarly, what we’re seeking to create is a communal space of sharing and openness. Within this installation and the events we’ve planned, the lines between audience and performer are more porous; it’s more of a gathering, and there’s no fourth wall, and we put the original letters in people’s hands. When you hold someone’s piece of paper and it’s handwritten — and you feel the grooves — it’s like holding someone’s hand. It’s an instant connection that’s part of the liveness of it. Surprising heart doors come open in these moments.”

“The Fortune Society is thrilled to be in community and collaboration with Signature Theatre and Quiara Alegría Hudes to help bring this insightful and moving project to life,” Fortune Society director of creative arts Jamie Maleszka added. “The goal of Emancipated Stories is to center and celebrate the full humanity of community members who are currently and formerly incarcerated and to grow meaningful connections through storytelling. The project perfectly aligns with our mission to build people, not prisons, and invest in more just collective futures.”

“SigSpace: Emancipated Stories” will be open in the theater lobby Tuesday through Sunday from June 29 through July 24, from noon to 5:00; admission is free. In addition, there will be four pop-up events, free with advance RSVP, featuring actors, artists, activists, musicians, writers, and members of the Fortune Society activating the installation, which was designed by Yazmany Arboleda with Emmanuel Oni, through music, discussions, readings, and writing letters in response to those from incarcerated individuals.

Wednesday, June 29
Kick-off, with actors David Zayas and Sean Carvajal, artist and activist Suave Gonzales, and Felix Guzman and Daniel Kelly of the Fortune Society, hosted by playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, free with RSVP, 5:00 – 7:00

Wednesday, July 13
Music Night, with composer Kenyatta Emmanuel, singer-songwriter Renee Goust, writer and actor Dominic Colón, and others, hosted by Quiara Alegría Hudes, free with RSVP, 5:00 – 7:00

Sunday, July 17
Family Day, with Fortune Society community members and actor Sean Carvajal, moderated by Fortune Society director of creative arts Jamie Maleszka and Quiara Alegría Hudes, free with RSVP, noon – 2:00

Wednesday, July 20
Quiet Writing Time, free with RSVP, 5:00 – 7:00

PAUL MAHEKE: A FIRE CIRCLE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING

Paul Maheke rehearses A fire circle for a public hearing before US debut on the High Line this week (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Who: Paul Maheke, Morgan “Emme” Bryant, Lucy Hollier, Rafaelle Kennibol-Cox
What: High Line Art live performance
Where: The High Line at Fourteenth St.
When: June 28-30, free (advance RSVP recommended), 7:00
Why: “My work is always in reaction or in response to a certain space, a certain context,” multidisciplinary French artist Paul Maheke said in a 2018 discussion about his installation A fire circle for a public hearing at Chisenhale Gallery in London. “Often in my exhibitions, there is this notion of welcoming people in the space, whether they are collaborators or members of the audience.” Maheke is reimagining A fire circle for a public hearing for its US debut, taking place in the Fourteenth St. tunnel passage on the High Line June 28-30 at 7:00. He will be joined by dancers Morgan “Emme” Bryant and Rafaelle Kennibol-Cox and trombonist Lucy Hollier. The piece combines music, movement, and spoken word as Maheke explores marginalization, hypervisibility, erasure, and identity.

Paul Maheke’s A fire circle for a public hearing premiered at Chisenhale Gallery in London in 2018 (photo by Mark Blower)

“Paul’s work asks important questions about what it means to be a body onstage, and how a single person is able to hold many shared and overlapping histories in a single gesture. He encourages us to think about what is seen and what is not seen, both in the performance of a single person, but also in our wider cultures and histories at large,” High Line Art associate curator Melanie Kress said in a statement. Judging from a rehearsal I saw a few days ago, this is a powerful work with a lot to say about where we are at this moment in history.

¡VIVA MÉXICO!

Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York will perform with Mariachi Real de Mexico at cultural festival at National Arts Club

Who: Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, Mariachi Real de Mexico
What: Celebration of Mexican culture
Where: The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South
When: Saturday, June 18, free with advance RSVP, 1:00
Why: The National Arts Club and the Mexican Cultural Institute are teaming up for “¡Viva México!,” a celebration of Mexican culture, with a special free program on June 18 at 1:00. Part of Festival New York, it begins with Mariachi Real de Mexico playing on the stoop of the club on Gramercy Park South, then heading indoors with dancers from Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, where they will perform traditional works from Veracruz, Jalisco, and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In addition, costumes from the eight regions of Oaxaca will be on view. Admission is free with advance registration.

RIVER TO RIVER 2022

Beth Gill’s Nail Biter is part of twenty-first annual River to River Festival

RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL
Multiple locations
June 12-26, free (advance RSVP recommended for some events)
lmcc.net/river-to-river-festival

One of New York City’s best and most wide-ranging summer festivals is underway. Sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), River to River offers free theater, music, art, dance, and more, from the East River to the Hudson. The twenty-first consecutive iteration begins with Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born’s repose without rest without end, a video installation in which the real-life partners (on the way, undone; Poor People’s TV Room) adapt their 2019 interdisciplinary performance piece, Adaku’s Revolt, which investigates ideas of beauty through nature and slavery. The installation is on view at Fosun Concourse Amphitheater at 28 Liberty St. daily through June 26 from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm; in addition, the space will be activated by live performances on June 13 and 20 at 8:00.

On June 17 at 7:00, Jonathan González will be at La Plaza at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center at 114 Norfolk St. for the world premiere of Practice, an immersive event focusing on Afro-diasporic idioms featuring Ali Rosa-Salas, Marguerite Angelica Monique Hemmings, Dani Criss, Jordan Lloyd, and Fana Fraser, with music by William “DJ Embe” Catanzaro. On June 18 at 3:00, Amy Khoshbin and Jennifer Khoshbin team up for The Sun Seekers on Governors Island, a participatory induction ceremony in which everyone is encouraged to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the natural world, involving sight, smell, touch, and hearing. On June 18 at 7:00, the opening will be held for Rose DeSiano’s Lenticular Histories: South Street Seaport, an immersive installation on Front St. of large-scale lenticular photographs on sculptural mirrored prisms that will remain on view through June 30.

Skave by keyon gaskin promises to be one of the hottest shows at River to River

Dancer and choreographer Beth Gill delves into psychodrama and sci-fi in the site-responsive Nail Biter, taking place in Federal Hall on June 22 and 23 at 5:30, with Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Walter Dundervill, Jennifer Lafferty, Jennifer Nugent, and Marilyn Maywald Yahel moving to a score by Jon Moniaci. On June 23 and 25 at 7:30 at La Plaza, keyon gaskin will present Skave, continuing his journey into oppression, imperialism, colonization, communication, and escape. On June 25 at 4:00, trombonist Craig Harris will lead a large ensemble in Rockefeller Park for Breathe, helping the community fight racial injustice.

Downtown favorite Heather Kravas returns June 25-26 at 8:00 with duet/duet, a piece set at dusk on Governors Island — inside and outside — for opal ingle, Joey Kipp, and Jennifer Kjos, whose movement, to an electroacoustic score by Zeena Parkins, references line drawings and the shapes our bodies can make. The festival was actually supposed to open on June 12 in Teardrop and Rockefeller Parks with Gregory Corbino’s participatory puppet performance Murmurations, but it was canceled because of the weather; watch this space for a rescheduled date. And just a reminder that all events are free, and walk-ups are accepted for sold-out events, as at least a few tickets usually become available around showtime.

LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: ARTISTS EMBRACE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

Who: Nearly two hundred performers
What: Lower East Side Festival of the Arts
Where: Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at Tenth St.
When: May 27-29, free (donations accepted)
Why: The twenty-seventh annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts, a wide-ranging, indoor and outdoor celebration of the vast creativity of the neighborhood over the decades, will feature nearly two hundred performers, at Theater for the New City and on Tenth St. Taking place May 27-29, the festival, with the theme “Artists Embrace Liberty and Justice for All,” includes dance, spoken word, theater, music, visual art, and more from such familiar faves as David Amram, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, James Rado, La MaMa, Akiko, Folksbiene National Yiddish Theater, Malachy McCourt, KT Sullivan, Eduardo Machado, Austin Pendleton, the Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Melanie Maria Goodreaux, Chinese Theater Works, New Yiddish Rep, Eve Packer, 13th Street Rep, and Metropolitan Playhouse.

The event will be emceed at the various locations by Crystal Field, Robert Gonzales Jr., Danielle Aziza, Sabura Rashid, David F. Slone Esq., and Joe John Battista. There will also be vendors and food booths and special programs for children curated by Donna Mejia and hosted by John Grimaldi, film screenings curated by Eva Dorrepaal, a “poetry jam with prose on the side” curated by Lissa Moira, and an art show curated by Carolyn Ratcliffe. Select performances will be livestreamed here.

PIONEERS GO EAST COLLECTIVE: CROSSROADS

Paz Tanjuaquio will present Dead Stars Still Shine at Judson Church

Who: Pioneers Go East Collective
What: Multimedia cross-disciplinary performance series
Where: Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Sq. South between Thompson & Sullivan Sts.
When: May 26–28, free – $50 sliding scale, 8:00
Why: Pioneers Go East Collective continues its “Crossroads” series May 26-28 at Judson Memorial Church with works by Yoshiko Chuma, Symara Johnson, Anabella Lenzu, Amanda Loulaki, Molly&Nola, and artists-in-residence Angel Acuña, Doron Perk, Paz Tanjuaquio, and Dane Terry, curated by Daniel Diaz, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, and Philip Treviño. The 8:00 program on May 26 includes Acuña’s video EPIFANIO – DV no.0001, Perk’s Grandfather Visit solo, Tanjuaquio’s Dead Stars Still Shine, a collaboration with visual artist/composer Todd B. Richmond and digital artist Onome Ekeh, with poetry by Luis H. Francia, and pianist Terry’s On Eternity, with visuals by Bizzy Barefoot. On May 27 at 8:00, Chuma will be joined by dancers Emily Pope and Sarah Skaggs and multi-instrumentalist Ginger Dolden for Hey Women!, the latest in Chuma’s “Head in the Sand” series; Johnson’s The Kitchen Sink Ranger at the Midnight Rodeo; Molly&Nola’s Steer, dealing with livestock auctioneering and cloning; and Pioneers Go East Collective’s film My Name’Sound.

Saturday’s lineup includes Hey women!, My Name’Sound, Lenzu’s A bone to pick with you, and a new piece by Loulaki, who explains, “There is something that is never able to be described, just to be sensed, and that is the place where we sometimes could meet. Traces of actions and faint memories wondering for their place in time. The focus shifts, the essence morphs, and pause gives meaning to time and sense to presence.” In addition, there will be NEXT! workshops on May 26 at 6:00 with Perk and on May 27 at 6:00 with Parijat Desai.

DanceAfrica 2022: HOMEGROWN

Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater will perform at BAM’s annual DanceAfrica festival

Who: Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, Bambara Drum and Dance Ensemble, Farafina Kan, Harambe Dance Company, LaRocque Bey School of Dance, BAM/Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble, DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, more
What: DanceAfrica Festival 2022
Where: BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave.
When: May 21 – June 2, many events free, Gilman dances $12.50 – $85, film screenings $16
Why: The coming of summer means the arrival of one of the best festivals of every year, BAM’s DanceAfrica. The forty-fifth annual event features the theme “Homegrown,” with five companies making return visits to BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House: Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, Bambara Drum and Dance Ensemble, Farafina Kan, Harambe Dance Company, and LaRocque Bey School of Dance, along with the BAM/Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble and DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, highlighting movement and music from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, and the Caribbean, accompanied by Arkestra Africa. Curated by artistic director Abdel R. Salaam, the festival also includes the Tribute to the Ancestors, Community Day, a Memorial Room, the DanceAfrica Bazaar with more than 150 vendors, dance workshops and master classes in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Mark Morris Dance Center, the Water Your Roots Youth Dance Expo & Talent Show, the Council of Elders Roundtable “Legacy & Preservation,” Christopher Myers’s stained-glass work Be Lost Well (Stay in the House All Day), and a late night dance party with DJ YB.

FilmAfrica runs May 27 to June 2, consisting of more than two dozen films, from Moussa Touré’s 1997 TGV (followed by a Q&A with Touré and Amy Andrieux), Raymond Rajaonarivelo’s 1996 When the Stars Meet the Sea, and Amleset Muchie’s 2019 Min Alesh! to Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s 2008 Sex, Okra, and Salted Butter, Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda’s 2006 Juju Factory, and Dumisani Phakathi’s Don’t F*** with Me, I Have 51 Brothers and Sisters.