| PhysFestNYC, NYC’s Only Festival Dedicated to Phys ical Theater, Returns January 9 - 19, 2025 | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 08:59 pm EST 11/04/24 | |
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| Broken Box Mime Theater Presents Second Annual PhysFestNYC, New York City's Only Festival Dedicated to Physical Theater, January 9 - 19, 2025 New York – Broken Box Mime Theater is proud to announce the second annual PhysFestNYC , a 10-day physical theater festival in January 2025 at Stella Adler Center for the Arts, and supported by Parallel Exit and LubDub Theatre Co.. PhysFestNYC is a community-led festival that celebrates, enriches, and envisions the field of physical theater. As an annual gathering, it provides space for practitioners, audiences, and the physical theater curious to share in presented works, diverse workshop offerings, and community-building events. PhysFestNYC takes place at Stella Adler Center for the Arts (65 Broadway floor 2, New York, NY) from January 9th - 19th, 2025, and presents performances, workshops, panels, and community events from practitioners, makers, and companies from all genres of physical theater across two theaters, two studios, and a community-gathering space. Physical theater has a varied and often disjointed story in the United States. As a field, it includes various genres such as mime, clown, performance art, puppetry, cultural movement traditions, and dance theater, yet it also exists in the space between and around these genres, combining and redefining them in real time. What it has in common is a centering of the body as storyteller, a tendency toward experimentation, and an openness to (re)considering the definition of theater and/or theater processes. To reference this expansiveness, the PhysFestNYC defines itself as a physical theaters festival, pluralising the word to encompass its multiplicity. Due to many factors, physical theater practitioners in NYC (and often country-wide) are somewhat siloed in their practice. PhysFestNYC seeks to create a festival that opens pathways of communication and opportunities for shared resources, supporting artists in their work and deepening their impact. Becky Baumwoll, Artistic Director of Broken Box Mime Theater and Co-Executive Producer of PhysFestNYC, remarked, "The performing arts create spaces for connection, and physical theater has a unique lens on this process by centering what we all have in common: the body. We believe our field should be an extension of this ethos of connection, and PhysFestNYC is a response to that need." Mark Lonergan, Artistic Director of Parallel Exit and Co-Executive Producer of PhysFestNYC remarked, "As a practitioner of physical theatre in New York City for over 20 years, I've always hoped there would be a festival to highlight this art form in the biggest theatre city in the country. I'm thrilled to be part of the producing team to help elevate physical theatre into the cultural consciousness of our city." PhysFestNYC leadership is horizontal; instead of being led by a singular party, the leadership team of the festival will consist of various cohorts so as to best reflect the varying desires and perspectives of the physical theater community. This horizontal leadership is made up of circles of teams who work in tandem to organize, curate, and produce the festival. The Producing Team for PhysFestNYC is led by Becky Baumwoll , Mark Lonergan, Alverneq Lindsay, and K8 August, with creative consulting from Caitlin Nasema Cassidy and Geoff Kanick.. This team is tasked with the logistical production and planning of the festival, as well as its financial stewardship. The Artistic Leadership Circle includes Margarita Blush, Bill Bowers, Akil Apollo Davis, Lou Sydel, Selma Trevino, and Ran Xia. This team designed the curatorial model and criteria for submissions, created the programming schedule, and curated the selection of shows and workshops. Festival applicants also had the opportunity to peer-evaluate their fellow applicants, which is just one way PhysFest has defined itself as a "community-led festival." PhysFestNYC honors the work of Founding Executive Producer BJ Evans and Founding Co-Producer Julia Proctor, who helped make the festival possible in 2024 and beyond. PhysFestNYC is a grassroots effort that hopes to grow over time and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for this inaugural year. You can find the fundraising campaign at this link: https://givebutter.com/physfest25 PhysFestNYC launched in 2024 with over 100 artists participating including notable artists like Bill Irwin and Geoff Sobelle. The festival is part of JanArtsNYC , a partnership among independent multidisciplinary festivals, indispensable industry convenings and international marketplaces For more information and to stay up-to-date on future PhysFestNYC announcements, sign up for the festival's mailing list at: PhysFestNYC.org About Broken Box Mime Theater Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) is a collaborative theater company that performs original work entirely through movement. Our mission is to activate the imaginations of our audiences, contemporize the art of mime, and remind us all of the power of simple storytelling. Based in NYC and founded in 2011, our version of "mime, redefined" blends techniques of French pantomime, cinema, performance art, and contemporary theater. The 19 artists who call BKBX their artistic home believe in making innovative, provocative theater that erases the spoken language barrier and champions the power of simplicity in performance. More at www.brokenboxmime.com About Parallel Exit Parallel Exit is a three-time Drama Desk nominated physical theatre company based in New York City, dedicated to creating compelling stories that are family-friendly, cultivating art that speaks to a culturally boundless audience of any age. Productions have received both local and international praise for their inventiveness, energy, and originality, with presentations at such esteemed venues as Lincoln Center, BAM, The New Victory Theater, 59E59 Theaters, and Symphony Space in New York; the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the UK (winning a Spirit of the Fringe Award); and festivals in the U.S., Canada, Poland, Spain, Austria, and Japan. Following an extended German tour in partnership with GOP Variety Arts Theatre Circuit, Parallel Exit served as the powerhouse behind Big Apple Circus' critically-acclaimed The Grand Tour and 40th Anniversary— launching the company's explorations into the art form of circus. About LubDub Theatre Co LubDub Theatre Co is an NYC-based company of artists animating stories of science, magic, and myth, with a particular focus on climate emergency and earthly repair. LubDub creates ambitious, athletic work at the intersections of new writing, music, movement, and immersive performance. The company works in many different modes including writer-driven new play development, movement-driven ensemble devising, and research-driven adaptation. Collaboration is the core of every phase of LubDub's creative process. LubDub was formed in 2015 by an ensemble of ten company members working in theater, magic, and dance. The company has since expanded into an evolving ecosystem of multidisciplinary artists based around the world. LubDub's core artistic leadership is Caitlin Nasema Cassidy and Geoff Kanick (Co-Artistic Directors), Robert Duffley (Company Dramaturg), and Miranda Rose Hall (Company Playwright). About Stella Adler Center for the Arts Established in 1949, the studio was founded upon Stella's belief in the supreme seriousness of art, both its cultural significance and its power to affect social change. For 70 years, the studio has enriched every part of American culture, training many brilliant artists including actors Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Elaine Stritch, Benicio del Toro, Warren Beatty, choreographers Alvin Ailey and Jerome Robbins, playwright Horton Foote and director Peter Bogdanovich. Today the Stella Adler Studio extends the tradition rooted in Stella's ideals. The Studio uses the power of theater to contribute to positive social transformation, employs craft and art in service to communities and trains highly skilled actors who understand their role as the voice of the people. The studio's mission is to create an environment that nurtures theater artists and audiences who value humanity, their own and others, as their first priority while providing art and education to the greater community. About the Producers Becky Baumwoll (she/her) is an NYC-based artist and founding Artistic Director of Broken Box. Becky has directed projects small and large, from a US premiere of a Georgian play with Red Lab Productions to a Samsung Commercial all about hands. Onstage, Becky has worked regionally and Off-Broadway as an actor with words. She currently works as a consultant with Arts Action Research, supporting arts leaders to strengthen their organizations by grounding their administration in the artistic process. Becky is a teaching artist with BKBX, Arts Ignite, and the International Rescue Committee. She is a 2020 BRIClab artist, 2021 International Teaching Artist Collective Innovator, and 2021 NYC Women's Fund grantee. Mark Lonergan (he/him) is a New York-based director/creator, and the Artistic Director of Parallel Exit, a three-time Drama Desk Award nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience. With Parallel Exit, he has created many original and award-winning works of physical theatre. Mark's work has been seen in theatres and festivals in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. In New York City, he has presented work at Lincoln Center, BAM, The New Victory Theater, 59E59 Theaters, Symphony Space, and the Guggenheim Museum. He recently directed EXIT which toured across Germany. Mark was the Guest Director for three productions of The Big Apple Circus, each a New York Times Critic's Pick. Mark was the Physical Comedy Consultant for Tony winner Christian Borle in the City Center Encores production of Me And My Girl. He was also the Creative Director for Vermont's celebrated Circus Smirkus for five seasons. Alverneq Lindsay (she/her) is a creative producer, performer, and arts advocate based in Brooklyn, NY. With a diverse background in supporting artists across various disciplines, she has worked as a Producer at The Movement Theatre Company, The Bushwick Starr, The Public Theater ( Richard III, A Raisin in the Sun, Dark Disabled Stories, Hamlet ), and with independent artists including nicHi douglas (Public Displays of (self) Affection, Lincoln Center). She is an alum of WP Theater's 2022-2024 Producing Lab. Passionate about enhancing arts access for both artists and audiences, she's worked as an artistic curator at Little Island and the New Victory Theater. As an independent producer, Alverneq creates spaces that foster community by encouraging emotional vulnerability and a sense of play. She's driven by her belief that the arts can cultivate empathy and inspire us to reimagine our future. She is excited to join the PhysFestNYC team as a Co-Producer for the 2025 festival and looks forward to celebrating the wide range of physical theater artists right here in NYC. About the Artistic Leaderhip Circle Team Margarita Blush (she/her) is a Bulgarian American theatre artist. She works in the field of devised physical and visual theatre as a creator, director, performer, and educator. Margarita is the Producing Artistic Director of Margarita Blush Productions, an ensemble-based company which performs nationally and internationally. Margarita's work has been supported by The Jim Henson Foundation, NET, TCG, USArtists International, and many others. She has also received an Asian Cultural Council and a Grant Wood Fellowship.Margarita is passionate about meaningful collaborations with artists and organizations from around the world. She has performed, taught, directed, and studied in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey, Germany, France, U.K., Japan, Indonesia, and USA. www.MargaritaBlush.com Bill Bowers' (he/him) Broadway credits include Zazu in The Lion King, and Leggett in The Scarlet Pimpernel. A student of the legendary Marcel Marceau, Bill is hailed by critics as one of the great mimes of our generation. An award-winning performer and playwright, Bill has created numerous solo plays that have garnered top honors in festivals throughout the world. He is featured in the film Two Weeks Notice, on television in Out of the Box, Remember WENN, and the PBS documentary series, Brief But Spectacular. Bill serves on the faculties of Stella Adler Center for the Arts, NYU Tisch, Esper Studio. www.Bill-Bowers.com Akil Apollo Davis (him/them) is a full-time Theatre Professor of Mask & Art Aesthetic, and a Performing Artist whose disciplines include Mask work, Dance, Acting, Music, MCing, and Poetry. He is the Founder of the transdisciplinary performance company, LoudSol, the founding MC of one NYC's "Top Dance Parties"- The Get Down, a resident performer at the sober morning party, DayBreaker, and a regular collaborative performer at The House of Yes and other artistic events around the city and the world. Lou Sydel (he/they) is a choreographer whose work draws from the study of gesture as well as experiences of transness, imagining movement as a living journal for a body moving towards new directions. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in performance and anthropology, and has studied physical theater at LaGuardia Arts HS and Accademia Dell'Arte. Past work has been shown at New York Live Arts with Ellen Robbins, as well as the Celebration Barn, Westbeth, PortFringe, Norte Maar Dance at Socrates, Sokolow Theater / Dance Ensemble, Rascal Arts at Theater Row, and the International Society for Gesture Studies. Lousydel.com Selma Trevino (she/her) is a Brazilian performing artist based in New York City who specializes in Corporeal Mime. She co-founded Corporeal Arts Incorporated, a physical theatre company which devises original shows, offers professional training workshops, and promotes intercultural exchanges. Her choreography has appeared at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Lincoln Center, Dixon Place, and Green Space as well as in California, Paris, Finland, and throughout Brazil. Informed by Alexander Technique, Flamenco, and Grotowski's Plastiques, her physical research seeks to employ Corporeal Mime to develop the personal movement of performers. She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and full certification in Pilates. Ran Xia (she/her) is a Shanghai-born, Brooklyn-based Playwright/Director/Audiogremlin. Member of WP Lab (2022 - 2024); Member of Soho Rep's Writer/Director Lab (2022-2023); Beatrice Terry Resident at the Drama League (2021/22); Chava the Giant and the Oldest Bird at Rattlestick Global Form Festival. Resident Director at the Tank where she directed and composed for the film adaptation of Prometheus Bound (inaugural Artist of the Year 2019, In Blue, Tallest Man in the World, etc.); Guest director ar Barnard (Orlando, fall 2021), Montclair State (Randi & Roxanne), Commissioned playwright at Vanderbilt University (To Stab a Butterfly Through the Heart); Usual suspect at Exquisite Corpse Co (Sound Design for the NYT critics' pick Zoetrope, audio installation for Memory House, and many more); audio producer at Black Revolutionary Media. Playwright/Director for the theatrical portion of Risa Puno's The Privilege of Escape with Creative Time. Assistant/Associate credit include: Grey House on Broadway, The Atlantic, Long Wharf, The Flea, etc. She's also designed sound for productions at LIU Brooklyn, John Jay College, Theater Lab, and more. ranxia.info | thearcticgroup.org/echo |
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