Alia Shawkat To Make Stage Debut In 24-Hour Performance THE SECOND WOMAN

A pink, neon-lit motel room. A bob-wigged woman, Virginia, waits patiently. The door opens. A man, Marty, enters. They talk, they laugh, they dance, it's awkward, it's funny. He leaves. Then she does it all over again, and again, 100 times for a full 24 hours.

This is The Second Woman-Nat Randall and Anna Breckon's epic feat of endurance performance and live cinema. The Sydney-based artistic duo, along with a team of female and non-binary creatives, bring the critically acclaimed live theatrical performance work to BAM for its US premiere.

Indie film and TV actress Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Search Party, Duck Butter) makes her theater debut as she repeats a single scene inspired by John Cassavetes' 1977 cult film Opening Night. The scene is shot on digital video, edited live, and projected simultaneously alongside Shawkat's staged performance. Starring opposite Shawkat are 100 different men from New York City, ranging in age and background, professional and non-professional actors-presenting ample opportunity for improvisation, play, and adaptation. The evocative set draws its aesthetic influence from 1970s American independent cinema, while the projected images take their stylistic cues from the history of women's melodrama.

Audiences engage with the work entering and exiting BAM's Fishman Space throughout the duration of the performance and are encouraged to stay for 24 minutes or the full 24 hours, drop by once or return to see more. Through the repetition of an intimate exchange, The Second Woman explores the generic and gendered conventions of emotionality, as well as the affective and relational nature of gender identity.

The Second Woman is a part of Next Wave 2019-the first season curated by Artistic Director David Binder-featuring artists all in their BAM debuts. The season runs through December 2019 and includes theater, dance, music, film, site-specific, and multi-genre work across BAM's venues and off-site, as well as Holiday programming. www.bam.org/secondwoman.