I’m very happy to be giving the Denbo Distinguished Lecture, as part of a series at UT Knoxville on Monday 4/13. I’m talking about my and Perfect City’s work, and about how theater can be embodied research for other parts of life, like organizing, or disorganizing. If you’re in Knoxville I’d love to see you. If you’re not, you can livestream it. All the info is contained here.
(Sidebar: Is it me who’s distinguished or the lecture itself?)
Anything keeping you up at night these days? No, right? Smooth sailing, not a care in the world? Just in case that’s not the case, the scholar and writer Sukhdev Sandhu (author of the beautiful book Night Haunts), is hosting a free, lights-out listening party and chat of Night Keeper, the album I made with Norman Westberg and Jehan Young, from our piece at The Chocolate Factory. Night Keeper is about insomnia as urban communion.
Norman and Jehan will be there on the 2nd. It’s in the afternoon, so you could see something later, too! Write me here if you can come. I’ll send you details.
You can also buy or stream the record here.
True story: Pink Fang interviewed me for Memory Generation, a project about how we take care of each other. And then afterward they were casually like, “you’re not really performing any more, right?” And I was all nonchalant like, “correct…” They must have heard the ellipsis, because then they were like, “here’s the schedule and budget.” And now I am performing!
Helmed by Sherrine Azab and Sara Zatz, and featuring the performative (in a good way) stylings of an intergenerational group of newfound friends (Kirya Traeber, Tamar Rogof, Manny Dunn).
It’s a lot more fun to stay in town Memorial Day weekend, especially if you are doing a workshop! Come join me and a few other social practice mavens to learn about creative tools for civic action and performing political joy. I’m teaching Saturday 2-5 - integrating theater, mapping and conversation. Perfect City has been more engaged out of NYC than in these days, so if you’ve missed us, come join! The weekend also features the superb social justice stylings of Stephen Koplowitz, Irina Khruzilla and Nisha Sajnani. Curated by David Diamond.
A couple weeks ago, I get up early on a Sunday morning, and head out to the coffee shop to write. I love to do this; it returns me to my roots as an overly earnest proto-hipster. Often I bring a notebook.
I come out my door on East 7th Street, and walk toward Avenue C. Kitty corner from me a garbage truck stops fast in front of a big can, one of those new ones that’s lighter. A worker in requisite neon green safety gear gets out and grabs the can; it isn’t very full, even after filling up with the waste of last night’s stupid revelry, where everyone was charging and yelling up the street in matching short skirts and cowboy boots, or baseball caps and rugby shirts, certain they were having a great time.
The worker grabs the can and swings it around, and the momentum of the circling can takes him in a circle, too. He follows the momentum to keep the can swinging and launches the waste into the truck. Another worker, who’d been in the driver’s seat, gets out and charges across the still, cool street to grab another can, while the first guy gets the next can near him, his dance partner, and swirls it into the truck without missing a step.
The two of them clocking perfect time together, the first guy glimpses me, too synched with his job to really register my presence. He tosses his can to the guy across who tosses his back; the swing becomes an Allemande Left. They exchange cans, jump back in the truck, onto the next block, next trash, and no one still sleeping off the prior night’s missed opportunities will ever know.
Tim Maia, “Gostava Tanto De Você” - Coffee Shop, NYC
Norma Tanega, “Sunday Morning” - Coffee Shop, NYC
Acetone, “Chew,” Restaurant, New Jersey
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