The High Line Kicks Off A New Season Of Out Of Line With MELT! By James Scruggs
By: Stephi Wild May. 10, 2018
The High Line presents a new season of Out of Line. Now in its third year, this series of acts and performances features a wide range of contemporary artists from all over New York City. Performances are held monthly on the High Line at 14th Street, from May through August.
"Out of Line is a platform for artists to explore both critical issues and participatory performance in public space," said Solana Chehtman, Friends of the High Line's Associate Director of Public Engagement. "By bringing issues of race and gender to the forefront, always in a lo-fi, site-specific way, our 2018 artists are activating a broad range of senses and providing audiences with different experiences."
On May 17, Out of Line kicks off with MELT!, a new commission by James Scruggs. In this somewhat-satirical and very timely performance, Scruggs explores race, gender, and social justice in a not-too-distant possible future. The performance is set on May 17, 2060-the 17th Annual Post Racial America Day Rally. White people in America have been the minority for 17 years. The mixed race, gender fluid President of the United States, who refuses to disclose birth gender, speaks: "America is the great melting pot...MELT!"
Each month during the summer, Out of Line invites New Yorkers to come back again and again, and immerse themselves in New York's vibrant performing arts scene. Other upcoming performances include:
Sin Ti by Yara Travieso
June 21, 9pm
Live cinema, physical storytelling, theater, music, and a room of mirrors set the stage for a one-woman sci-fi telenovela. Originally workshopped in 2015 with LMCC's Process Space Residency, Sin Ti dives deep into the mind of a woman in an emotional rebellion against "the gaze".
Shasta Geaux Pop by Ayesha Jordan and Charlotte Brathwaite
July 19, 9pm
Shasta is celebrity. Shasta is the future. And she is taking her world-renowned party to new heights, bringing a different kind of extravaganza to the High Line. Completely uncensored and outrageously fabulous, Shasta tackles naughty topics and pays sonic homage to the classic era of hip-hop....old railroad tracks included.
Open Encounter by Brendan Fernandes
August 16, 9pm
In Fernandes' new work, ballet and modern dance clash. Throughout the piece, the dueling dancers expose hierarchies in power, bodies, and culture with their distinct forms of movement. Between the tension and synthesis of the two movements the dancers will unite in the midst of division.
All activities are free and open to the public. Event takes place rain or shine.
To RSVP for Out of Line or for more information about the participating artists and the other events visit thehighline.org/activities.
James Scruggs is a writer, performer, producer and arts administrator who creates large scale topical, theatrical, multi-media work usually focused on racial inequity or gender politics. He has been awarded a 2016 NJSCA Fellowship for artistic excellence and a 2016 Creative Capital Grant. He has also received a MAP Grants to create his well-known pieces 3/Fifths and A Voluptuary Life.
Yara Travieso is a director, filmmaker, writer, and choreographer. Using Latin American magical-realism, mythology and monumental objects, Travieso's work lives in the intersection of films, and performances that reclaim the cultural and mythical lens for women. She is a 2016 Creative Capital Fellow, PS122 RAMP Artist, and a 2015 recipient of NALAC through the Ford Foundation and the Surdna Foundation.
Ayesha Jordan is a multidisciplinary performance artist who often uses characters and stories to create cerebral and visceral experiences for her audience. Much of her work is about audience engagement - creating moments and prompts as an opportunity to connect with the performer, as well as with fellow audience members.
Charlotte Brathwaite is a stage director known for staging classical and unconventional texts, dance, installation, performance art, multi-media, site-specific and music events. Her work is seen in the Americas, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia, illuminating issues of race, sex, power and the complexities of the human condition.
Brendan Fernandes is a multidisciplinary artist whose signature practice of using dance as a metaphor for social change, involves questioning authenticity and articulating issues that surround and debate a cultural and political agenda. Fernandes was a recipient of a Robert Rauschenberg Residency and Fellowship in 2014, and has exhibited widely domestically and abroad.
As a nonprofit organization, we oversee the public programming, public art, maintenance, and operations for the High Line in New York City. We raise nearly 100% of the High Line's annual budget.
The High Line was founded by neighborhood residents in 1999 to prevent the elevated rail track on Manhattan's west side from being demolished. Working closely with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the High Line has transformed into a public space where every New Yorker and visitor is welcome and can experience the intersection of nature, art, and design. The High Line also facilitates a national learning community for leaders of similar projects.
For more information, visit thehighline.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
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