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THE MATTER OF THINGS Shotwell Studio: THURS JAN 20, FRI JAN 28, SUN JAN 30 www.christinebonansea.com Created and performed by Christine Bonansea in collaboration with Kira Kirsch, Rosemary Hannon and Jorge Rodolfo de Hoyos ![]() Christine Bonansea is a French dancer, choreographer and visual artist based in San Francisco. She's been performing and choreographing internationally over the last 12 years. Her work has been shown in the US and in Europe. Her works cover a broad artistic field, featured an integrated and participatory process carried out in collaboration with artists; that includes a combination of research, idea, experimentation, and improvisations. Missing: the fantastical and true story of my father's disappearance and what I found when I looked for him Shotwell Studios: FRI JAN 14, SAT JAN 15, SUN JAN 23 Created and performed by Jessica Ferris Directed by David Ford; Music composed and recorded by Mark Orton of Tin Hat ![]() Jessica Ferris' eclectic aesthetic grows from her international training and the Bay Area's fertile performance community. She has trained with The American Conservatory Theater and aerial dance visionary Terry Sendgraff, in addition to completing a three-year physical theater intensive with support from the Association Hippocampe, Pomona College, and the University of Paris 8. Ferris has been collaborating with director David Ford since 2004. "With its shifting perspective and innovative structure, Jessica Ferris' exploration of self and family doesn't feel like a one-woman play. Ferris does an astounding job of keeping her storytelling fresh and her characters genuine and distinct. The show depicts a young woman searching for her missing father, considering the true meaning of personality, family and disappearance along the way. Ferris' aptitude for quiet drama and slapstick humor ensures the show never rests on its laurels, shifting tone throughout. Her effective and subtle use of accents helps bring definition and believability to characters, while the occasional sleight-of-hand makes for compelling visuals throughout." - Jeff Cox, NUVO, Indianapolis, IN, August, 2010.
The Dark Season Shotwell Studios: THUR JAN 13, FRI JAN 14, SAT JAN 29, SUN JAN 30 www.silviagirardiacting.info www.silviagirardiacting.info/dettaglio.php?ID=147 www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=164472401847 Silvia Girardi Acting; directed by Silvia Girardi Performed by Carole Acuna, Jessica Chisum, Silvia Girardi, Julie Potter and Leer Relleum ![]() Silvia Girardi Acting is a professional company based in San Francisco dedicated to the development of innovative physical theatre and dance works. "A play is a system of differences and Silvia Girardi's Dark Season is silence and prophesy, grouping and dispersing, male and female, love playing with murder, a multi-media experimentation accompanied by recitations of Shakespeare's Macbeth….It's a pleasure to see such a bold experiment in drama come out so well. The narrative, which wants to generalize and placate the story, is disrupted by the players themselves in contortions of conversation, physical encounter and self-destruction all expressed in dramatic art." - Jim Strope, SF Examiner, August 30, 2010.
Full review Preview and video interview on Examiner.com www.examiner.com/italian-culture-in-san-francisco/a-veronese-juliet-brings-murder-to-sf-fringe Where is Tibet? Shotwell Studios: THUR JAN 13, SUN JAN 16, FRI JAN 21 www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1498903537 Written and performed by Genny Lim ![]() Where is Tibet? premiered at CounterPULSE in December, 2009 and was performed at AfroSolo Arts Festival in August, 2010. Lim's career includes concerts with Max Roach, Herbie Lewis, Francis Wong, Jon Jang and John Santos; poetry festivals in Venezuela, 2005, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina, 2007 and Naples, Italy, 2009. Her award-winning 1982 play, Paper Angels was performed in San Francisco Chinatown's Portsmouth Square to packed audiences on Sept. 15-17, 2010 and won the San Francisco Fringe Festival Award for Best Site Specific Work. She is the author of two poetry collections, Winter Place, Child of War and co-author of Island:Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island. Audience reactions: CounterPULSE, Feb. 2010 "…a good mix of history, dance, and personal stories. The artist was not afraid to take a position that may not be popular with many Chinese Americans." "I was so taken by the narrator's passion of her journey. I couldn't take my eyes off her expression and her intent. The story is so sad, and yet so infusing of hope….I noticed the amount of similarity between the song and the dance of Tibet and China." Looking for You Shotwell Studios: SAT JAN 22, SUN JAN 23, THUR JAN 27 www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Pearl-Marill-Dance-Theater/107314429299548 Choreographed by Pearl Marill Performed by Em Gift, Cason MacBridge and Pearl Marill ![]() Pearl Marill is a dancer, choreographer, and actress. Locally, she has worked and trained with New Conservatory Theater, Jump!Theater, The DramaMama's, UDance Electra, BATS Improv, Lila Improvisational Theater, and American Conservatory Theater. Pearl's work has been shown in ODC's Pilot Program, ODC's House special,The Women on The Way Festival, Works in The Works in Berkeley, CounterPULSE, The Garage, StageDor, and Traveling Jewish Theater. She will be one of the 12 choreographers in the upcoming A.W.A.R.D. Show at ODC Theater in January, 2011. "Pearl Marill is a choreographer with a future. Her movement and presentation ideas combine to keep the audience both intrigued and outrightly amused by her stories...dance pieces that range from the silly to the sublime..." - Paul Sinasohn, SF Bay Times
Homeland Insecurity Shotwell Studios: SAT JAN 15, SUN JAN 16, THUR JAN 20 www.shabana.no Written and performed by Shabana Rehman; Directed by Stephen Rosenfield ![]() Shabana Rehman entered the stage in Oslo in 1999. She has been featured by The New York Times and Time magazine. In addition to her prolific comedy career, Shabana is a highly respected columnist, satirist, and public speaker in Scandinavia and the Scandinavian community in the US. She has received several awards for her writing and comedy and has played in several countries, including Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Germany and the USA. "She is a gutsy, fearless performer, with a mischievous smile and flashing eyes. Humorous anecdotes give way to more personal stories-an idealized childhood that crashed with the Norwegian economy, young love that turned dangerous, and a long journey towards self discovery and acceptance. I am very wary of one-person shows that tell of childhood abuse as they tend to become more of a therapy session and less of a show. But Rehman's is different-first off, she is clearly fine: she is a survivor and she's strong. Secondly, she never pities herself when she recounts what has happened. It has made her who she is and is engrossing and eye-opening, but not a pity party. And for that Rehman and director Stephen Rosenfield deserve big kudos." Julie Congress, nytheatre.com review, August 17, 2010.
Full review Wake Up Call Shotwell Studios: SAT JAN 22, FRI JAN 28, SAT JAN 29 www.leighshaw.org Written by Leigh Shaw; Performed by Leigh Shaw and ensemble cast ![]() Leigh Shaw attained her BA from the University of Texas, studied with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland and has been in more than 30 productions, including films, voice overs, street performance and improv. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2010, she has performed at BRAVA, Off-Market with PianoFight, and has produced with SF Theater Pub. This piece is Leigh's playwrighting and directorial debut. Vital Signs Shotwell Studios: FRI JAN 21, THUR JAN 27 Written and performed by Alison Whittaker Developed with David Ford; Directorial consultant: Joya Cory ![]() Alison Whittaker moved to California in the aftermath of the Sixties embracing the human potential movement, community living and saving the planet. She has studied at ACT, the Marsh, Esalen and Berkeley Rep. For the past 6 years, she has been working on solo performance at the Marsh with David Ford, Ann Randolf and Charlie Varon. She has performed at The Marsh, San Francisco Theatre Festival, Solo Sundays at Stagewerx. She currently works as a registered nurse at UCSF Medical Center. "…a unique, very personal, and realistic view of the inside story of hospital nurses. …masterful parody, amazing humor, and unusual sensitivity and compassion. She humanizes a world that is often perceived as sterile and impersonal. Her work will be a revelation to many and a thoroughly entertaining experience for all." - Jeff Anderson, M.D.
"A surgical strike on the funny bone."
- Jane Baker Veit, RN "Alison is a gifted writer and performer…painfully funny and profound."
- Ann Randolph
For the Love of the Game!: A spoof on the trials and tribulations of dating The Garage: SAT JAN 15, SUN JAN 16 www.bodigram.org www.facebook.com/#!/bodigram BodiGram Choreographed by Blair Bodie and Julia Graham Performed by Julia Graham, Blair Bodie, Lisa Herrick, Tara Fagan, Korie Franciscus and Tim Rubel ![]() BodiGram Dance Company is an emerging company formed by Blair Bodie and Julia Graham. Their work has been seen in New York City at Dance New Amsterdam Joyce Soho, Collective Unconscious, Hatch, and The Kaye Theater, in San Francisco at SomArts, CounterPULSE, Intersection for the Arts, Noh Space, The Garage, and Dancing in the Park; at the Boulder Fringe, Philadelphia Fringe, and in Kuala Lumpur at The Dance City, DA Theater and Stadium at Bukit Jalil. Audience reactions: "Thank you for making art that was not indulgent, too abstract or random." "Electric. Hysterical! Great concept." Evenfall The Garage: THUR JAN 20, FRI JAN 21, SAT JAN 29 www.afdancetheater.org Alyce Finwall Dance Theater Choreographed by Alyce Finwall; Music composed by Carson Whitley Performed by Julia Hollas, Emmaly Wiederholt, Joy Prendergast, Peiling Kao, Kaitlin Parks and Malinda Lavelle ![]() Alyce Finwall's work has been performed throughout the U.S. and in Europe, and has received numerous grants and awards. She started AFDT in 1999, developing a uniquely creative and theatrical style. She has produced over thirty original works in the company's eleven-year history. She has worked in film, music videos and fashion. After six years in New York City, AFDT is now located in San Francisco where Alyce lives with her husband and two children, and where she recently completed her MFA in dance at Mills College. "sexiness and intelligence"
- New York Times "fierce fluidity in performance and a brooding surrealism in the choreography" - Minneapolis Star Tribune "Impressive and accomplished choreographic symphony. Her movement is fast, athletic, sensuous." - Daria Kaufman, SF Examiner. Full review the space between distances The Garage: SAT JAN 22, THUR JAN 27, FRI JAN 28 www.steptogetherstep.com www.gretchenalterowitz.com Counterpointe Choreographed by Gretchen Alterowitz and Erica Rose Jeffrey Music composed by Alfredo Piatti and Sylvain Carton Performed by Erica Rose Jeffrey and Mo Miner ![]() Gretchen Alterowitz is a teacher, choreographer, scholar, and performer. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance at UNC Charlotte. Recently her choreography has been performed at an emerging choreographer's showcase, in Monterey and by the North Carolina Dance Festival. Erica Rose Jeffrey is co-director of Counterpointe. She teaches, choreographs and performs in the Bay Area. Her work has appeared in Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Collaborate! Dance and Music, Women on the Way Festival, Counterpointe's annual "Works in Motion" and the Monterey Choreographer's Festival. Erica teaches for the San Francisco Ballet Dance in Schools and directs the Let's All Dance! Outreach program. Land/Home The Garage: FRI JAN 14, SUN JAN 16, THUR JAN 27 www.sheenajohnsonrebelhome.blogspot.com Sheena Johnson/REBEL HOME Choreographed by Sheena Johnson Performed by Sheena Johnson, Peiling Kao, Sophia Leiby, Jochelle Perena, and Nzinga Woods ![]() Sheena Johnson has presented solo, duet and ensemble work at various venues across the Bay Area including the Museum of the African Diaspora, Red Poppy Art House, CounterPULSE and Dance Mission. Sheena participated in the Black Choreographer Festival's Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) in 2009-10. "You often do not see work that is both eloquent and moving; Sheena's work does both."
- Moira Roth, Professor of Art History, Mills College Project BUST The Garage: THUR JAN 20, SUN JAN 30 www.Projectthrust.org Project THRUST Choreographed by Malinda LaVelle Performed by Maggie Stack, Joy Prendergast, Emmaly Wiederholt, Mei-Ling Murray, Emily Jones and Toni Lum ![]() "It is simultaneously hilarious and disturbing to watch such perfect reflections of feminine tropes….It's no easy task to create a hybrid of vocalization, movement, and social commentary. Although Lavelle is somewhat of a newcomer, it's clear that she already has a strong choreographic voice and means of expressing it." - Daria Kaufman, SF Examiner, September 14, 2010
full review Malinda LaVelle began her early training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet. She has attended summer programs at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Kirov Academy in Washington DC, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, and The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance where she is now their first artist in residence. She has served on the Conservatory's faculty as a guest choreographer for the 2009 and 2010 summer intensive programs and is a featured artists in this year's Dance Maker's Forum series. Now living in San Francisco, Malinda is a dancer with Alex Ketley's The Foundry, Alyce Finwall Dance Theater, and Manuelito Biag's Shift>>> Physical Theater. She has shown her own work in Ben Levy's Salon and The Garage as part of RAW. Libretto The Garage: FRI JAN 14, SAT JAN 22, SUN JAN 23 www.jennifermellor.com Jennifer Mellor Dance Project Choreographed by Jennifer Mellor; Music by Jessica Ivry; Poetry by Jennifer Kwon Dobbs Performed by dancers Jennifer Mellor, Wendy Marinaccio, Jamie Venci, Jennifer Wang with cellist Jessica Ivry Prism Performed by Jennifer Mellor, Jamie Venci, and Jennifer Wang; Music by Jason Brown ![]() Prism is a modern dance collaboration between Mellor and Houston-based singer-songwriter Jason Brown about heartbreak and struggle, confidence and community, and finally peace and beauty. Jennifer Mellor is a modern dancer and choreographer who also dances with Copious Dance Theater, Courage Group, and DOUBLE VISION, with whom she tours nationally. She is a board member of STEPOLOGY, a nonprofit promoting tap dance. A graduate of Stanford, Jen teaches dance at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center. end trance The Garage: SAT JAN 15, FRI JAN 28 www.punkkiCo.com Choreographed by Raisa Punkki Performed by Mihyun Lee, Jennifer Meek, Paul Laurey, Raisa Punkki and Brendan Behan Music by Sylvi Alli; Costume Design by Claire Pasquier ![]() Raisa Punkki has an MfA from The Theater Academy, Finland. While living in Europe she was dancing and touring with highly acclaimed choreographers and performed in several continents. She has made choreographies for dance and theater and received grants, awards and nominations including State Grant (Finland), Best Dancer of the Year nomination (Finland). Raisa founded punkkiCo in 2005 and has shown work in San Francisco at Women on the Way Festival 2006, Cowell Theater, The Garage and CounterPULSE and punkkiCo's own season at Dance Mission Theater in 2009. end trance was made possible by the generous support from Zellerbach Family Foundation. "One could admire the legato and the effortless transitions of the movement. One could exult in the dancers' endlessly flexible spines." - Allan Ulrich/Voice of Dance
Zero Hour The Garage: FRI JAN 21, SUN JAN 23, SUN JAN 30 www.ziruproductions.com Philein Wang/ZiRu Productions Choreographed by Philein Wang Collaborators: Resident Photographer Keith Weng, Visual Artist Areta Wang, Percussionist Simon Ting and Costume Designer Karen Lin. Performed by Philein Wang, Simon Ting, Shaylen Keller, Courtney Gulick, Emily Withenbury, Kim Luu, and RJ Cheng ![]() Philein Wang is a Chinese-American dancer, musician and poet who created a highly stylized dance form for the Chinese body and identity: Tiger Hip HopTM/Tiger Motion. She has worked with and was a soloist with Janice Garrett, Ron Brown, Winifred R. Harris, Liss Fain Dance, and Taiwan's world-renowned Cloudgate Dance Theater. In 2007, she founded Philein Wang/ZiRu Productions and has self-produced and presented work in Shanghai and New York; at La Trova House in LA, Dance Mission in San Francisco, the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, CaoChangdi Station in Beijing, and the Guangzhou International Modern Dance Festival. "…staggering level of broad-based talent, whatever you do, don't miss her show."
- Beijing, China, Time Out Beijing "...sincere...a vibrant portrayal of life and an enlightening new dance form and narrative which belongs to the Chinese People and the Global Chinese Citizen." - Chinese World Journal "....beautiful...vigorous and focused performance." - Rita Felciano, Danceview Times |