The Segal Center Announces Spring Season
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 23, 2018
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, located at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, announces its Spring 2018 season of public programs. The season features free public programs throughout the fall and winter, with contemporary theatre and performing artists from around the world.
Highlights from the Segal Center's FALL 2017 season of programs include:
Segal Center Film Festival on Theatre and Performance 2018: The international Segal Center Film Festival on Theatre and Performance (FTP: Film Theatre Performance), now in its fourth year, presents experimental, emerging, and established theatre artists and filmmakers from around the world to audiences and industry professionals. The program includes a roster of more than 35 features, shorts, and documentaries by artists from Argentina, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, The Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, The United Kingdom, and the United States. For full film list and schedule: www.theSegalCenter.org/event/ftp2018
A Day with Meredith Monk, April 2-Screenings + Artist Talk: Join us for a day with iconic composer, singer, director/choreographer and filmmaker, Meredith Monk. Following afternoon screenings, the evening discussion features Meredith Monk, Performing Arts Journal editor Bonnie Marranca, and Frank Hentschker. Screenings will include 16 Millimeter Earrings (1966), Book of Days (1988), Ellis Island (1981), Turtle Dreams (1983), Paris (1982), and several of Monk's short silent films (1966-1994).
Etel Adnan: At a Certain Hour of the Night, April 9-Screenings + Discussion: Join us to celebrate the life and work of Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist Etel Adnan. Afternoon screenings will be followed by a reading of one of her plays, At a Certain Hour of the Night, directed by Zishan Urgulu (Turkey), Associate Professor of Theatre at Eugene Lang College, The New School, New York. Presented as part of the exchange between the CUNY Graduate Center and the American University of Beruit.
PEN World Voices: International Play Festival 2018-Readings + Discussion: The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presents World Voices: International Play Festival 2018. As part of the 2018 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, The Segal Center will showcase play readings by ten of the world's most respected dramatists. With writers hailing from five different continents, the International Play Festival generates a conversation on art, politics, dreams, war, and philosophy, and is meant to give American audiences a rich awareness of global dialogues. Readings will be followed by a discussion with the playwright.
Two Days with Hans-Thies Lehman, April 23 + 24-Screenings + Discussion: Join us for two evenings with German theatre researcher and author Hans-Thies Lehmann. His highly influential publication, Postdramatic Theatre (Routledge, 2006), established the modern visage of avant-garde theatre by cataloguing and defining the tendencies and stylistic traits of experimental works since the end of the 1960s. Scholars and colleagues Marvin Carlson, Elinor Fuchs, Brandon Woolf, John Jesurun, Uwe Mengel, Molly Davis, Peter Eckersall, Jonathan Kalb, Carol Martin, Melissa Wansin Wong, and Frank Hentschker will join Lehmann in discussion throughout the sessions.
Hilton Als: Andy Warhol: The Series, May 21-World Premiere Reading + Discussion: Originally written for television, Hilton Als's Andy Warhol: The Series retells Warhol's story through the point of view of significant women in his life-his mother and Shirley Temple. Drawing on historical accounts, rumors, and artworks, it tells the story of the artist's childhood, career, and fascination with Hollywood. The evening will feature a live reading premiere, directed by New York director John Jesurun. Co-produced by Claire Montgomery and Alsun Keogh/Location One.
All events are presented at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016). Events are ALWAYS FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. NO RESERVATIONS. Dates and times are listed below. All programs are subject to change. For updates, please visit www.theSegalCenter.org.
THE SEGAL CENTER 2018 SPRING SCHEDULE:
Friday, February 23
Richard Gough
Global Dramaturgies
12:00pm, GC CUNY Room #3416 I Lecture
Join scholar, author, and editor Richard Gough as he explores and anticipates the future of global dramaturgy. Gough will discuss changes in international dramaturgical practice, why we should be interested in it, what new ways of research might look like, and what pitfalls might arise. Followed by a discussion with Peter Eckersall.
March 1-3
The Segal Film Festival on Theatre and Performance 2018
All Day, Segal Theatre and Elebash Recital Hall I Screenings
The international Segal Center Film Festival on Theatre and Performance (FTP: Film Theatre Performance), now in its fourth year, presents experimental, emerging, and established theatre artists and filmmakers from around the world to audiences and industry professionals. The program includes a roster of more than 35 features, shorts, and documentaries by artists from Argentina, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, The Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, The United Kingdom, and the United States. For full film list and schedule: www.theSegalCenter.org/event/ftp2018
Monday, March 12
The Written World
with Martin Puchner
6:00pm, Segal Theatre I Readings + Discussion
Martin Puchner takes us on a remarkable journey around the world to reveal how over 4,000 years of storytelling and literature have shaped history and civilization. The Segal evening will feature readings from the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, Popol Vuh, One Thousand and One Nights, The Tale of Genji, and other significant foundational texts of humanity. Followed by a discussion with Martin Puchner, Frank Hentschker, and others.
Wednesday, March 21
2018 Edwin Booth Award: Young Jean Lee
6:30pm, Segal Theatre | Award Ceremony
The Doctoral Theatre Students' Association presents the 2018 Edwin Booth Award to New York writer, director, and filmmaker Young Jean Lee. The Edwin Booth Award is given annually by the Doctoral Theatre Students' Association to honor a person, organization, or company for their outstanding contribution to the NYC theatre community, and to promote integration of professional and academic theatre. Presented in collaboration with the DTSA Second Vice President Hansol Oh, with additional support from Sidney E. Cohn Chair Distinguished Professor Marvin Carlson, Vera Mowry Roberts Chair Distinguished Professor David Savran, Lucille Lortel Chair Professor Jean Graham-Jones, and the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center.
Monday, March 26
Jean-François Côté
The Revival of Aboriginal Theater Metamorphosis of the Americas
6:30pm, Segal Theatre I Discussion
Join us for an evening exploring the work of Canadian sociologist Jean-François Côté, whose latest book focuses on indigenous theatre in Canada as a new form of expression within the transcultural transformation of the Americas. Indigenous theatre, Côté argues, has been experiencing a renaissance for over thirty years-drawing from its traditional forms, but equally inspired by modern avant-garde theatre artists. The dramatic works of Canadian artists Yves Sioui Durand & Catherine Joncas (Ondinnok Ensemble), Monique Mojica, and Drew Hayden Taylor are in line with theatrical experiments of Antonin Artaud, Gertrude Stein, and Bertolt Brecht. Using the stage as a contemporary reflection on the current situation of Native Americans, the revival of indigenous theatre transcends the theatrical experience.
Monday, April 2
A Day with Meredith Monk
5:30pm, Segal Theatre | Award Ceremony
1:00pm, Segal Theatre I Screenings
Join us for a day with iconic composer, singer, director/choreographer and filmmaker, Meredith Monk. Following afternoon screenings, the evening discussion features Meredith Monk, Performing Arts Journal editor Bonnie Marranca, and Frank Hentshker. Screenings will include 16 Millimeter Earrings (1966), Book of Days (1988), Ellis Island (1981), Turtle Dreams (1983), Paris (1982), and several of Monk's short silent films (1966-1994).
Monday, April 9
Etel Adnan: At a Certain Hour of the Night
with Klaudia Ruschkowski & Bonnie Marranca
6:30pm, Segal Theatre | Readings + Discussion
2:00pm, Segal Theatre | Screenings
Join us to celebrate the life and work of Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist Etel Adnan. Afternoon screenings will be followed by a reading of one of her plays, At a Certain Hour of the Night, directed by Zishan Urgulu (Turkey), Associate Professor of Theatre at Eugene Lang College, The New School, New York. Presented as part of the exchange between the CUNY Graduate Center and the American University of Beruit.
April 16, 17, 21
PEN World Voices: International Play Festival 2018
All Day, Segal Theatre I Readings + Discussion
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presents World Voices: International Play Festival 2018. As part of the 2018 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, The Segal Center will showcase play readings by ten of the world's most respected dramatists. With writers hailing from five different continents, the International Play Festival generates a conversation on art, politics, dreams, war, and philosophy, and is meant to give American audiences a rich awareness of global dialogues. Readings will be followed by a discussion with the playwright.
Monday, April 16
4:00pm Suzy Storck
Written by Magali Mougel (France).
Directed by Sara Rademacher. Translated by Chris Campbell.
6:00pm Del Duma / Tell Them About Me!
Written by Mihaela Drãgan (Romania).
Directed by George Eli. Translated by Claudia Campeanu.
8:00pm Intractable Woman
Written by Stefano Massini (Italy).
Translated by Paula Wing.
In association with The Play Company, New York and Umanism NY (Valeria Orani, Director) as part of the Italian Playwrights Project. With additional support from Italian Cultural Institute (Giorgio Van Straten, Director)
Tuesday, May 2
4:00pm Goats
Written by Liwaa Yazji (Syria).
Directed by Zishan Urgulu. Translated by Katharine Halls.
Presented with additional support from South-South Forum at Dartmouth College, Eman S. Morsi.
6:00pm Ways of Loving
Written by Aristide Tarnagda (Burkina Faso).
Directed by Kareem Fahmy. Translated by Heather Jeanne Denyer.
8:00pm On The Royal Road: The Burgher King
Written by Elfriede Jelinek (Austria).
Directed by Stefan Dzeparoski. Translated by Gitta Honegger.
Saturday, April 21
2:00pm A Fable For Now
Written by Wei Yu-Chia (Taiwan).
Directed by Mei Ann Teo. Translated by Jeremy Tiang.
4:00pm In War as in Games
Written by Edouard Elvis Bvouma (Cameroon).
Directed by Gisela Cardenas. Translated by Heather Jeanne Denyer.
6:00pm Agnetha Kurtz Roca Method
Written & Translated by Ana Luz Ormazábal (Chile).
Directed by Amelia Bande.
8:00pm Saddam Hussein - A Mystery Play
Written & Co-Translated by Yonatan Levy (Israel).
Directed & Co-Translated by Amir Farjoun.
April 23 + 24
Two Days with Hans-Thies Lehman
6:30pm, Segal Theatre I Discussions
10:00am, Segal Theatre I Screenings
Join us for two evenings with German theatre researcher and author Hans-Thies Lehmann. His highly influential publication, Postdramatic Theatre (Routledge, 2006), established the modern visage of avant-garde theatre by cataloguing and defining the tendencies and stylistic traits of experimental works since the end of the 1960s. Scholars and colleagues Marvin Carlson, Elinor Fuchs, Brandon Woolf, John Jesurun, Uwe Mengel, Molly Davis, Peter Eckersall, Jonathan Kalb, Carol Martin, Melissa Wansin Wong, and Frank Hentschker will join Lehmann in discussion throughout the sessions.
Monday, April 30
Re-Reading Oppression
5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, Segal Theatre I Readings
With oppressive regimes regenerating themselves by applying old practices commonly undertaken by dictatorships, the power of art remains to be an essential force that motivates the masses to resist those regimes and fight against the normalization of abusive practices. Join us for a mini-festival that aims to analyze and track the dynamics of oppression, discrimination, and abuse as portrayed by three significant playwrights from the U.S., England and Egypt, in the second half of the 20th century. All readings will be followed by a talk. The event will conclude with a panel discussion and Q&A. Concept and dramaturgy by Salma S. Zohdi.
Wednesday, May 2
Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab
with Anne Cattaneo
6:30pm, Segal Theatre I Readings + Discussion
Join us to discover and celebrate the astounding work and legacy of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, a US and international developmental program for emerging directors from many theatrical traditions. Under the leadership of US dramaturg Anne Cattaneo, the LCT Directors Lab has nurtured the talents of over 1,500 emerging directors through workshops, shared sessions, rehearsals, and discussions with master artists since the inaugural lab in 1995. Anne Cattaneo and members of previous Labs will discuss the intensive investigation of their craft and the collaborative relationships developed through the program. A discussion with past and present Directors Lab collaborators will follow work-in-progress excerpts.
Thursday, May 10
Objects of Study: Methods and Materiality in Theatre and Performance Studies
The Doctoral Theatre Students' Association 2018 Conference
All Day, Segal Theatre I Conference
4:30pm, Segal Theatre I Roundtable
6:30pm, Segal Theatre I Performance
The multiple potential meanings of "object" within theatre and performance studies point to questions about the relationship between knowledge and materiality. With this conference, we issue a challenge to the common understanding of scholarly work as focused on an "object of study." This student conference is organized by the Doctoral Theatre Students' Association and will host working groups of emerging scholars during the day, followed by a roundtable with Katherine Behar (Baruch College, CUNY), Maaike Bleeker (Utrecht University, Netherlands), Rebecca Schneider (Brown University), Soyoung Yoon (The New School), and a performance by Larissa Velez Jackson (LVJ Performance Co.). This event will take place thanks to the generous support of Sidney E. Cohn Chair Distinguished Professor Marvin Carlson, Vera Mowry Roberts Chair Distinguished Professor David Savran, Lucille Lortel Chair Professor Jean Graham-Jones, the Ph.D. Program in Theatre, Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, The Center for the Humanities, and The Doctoral Students' Council.
Monday, May 21
Hilton Als
Andy Warhol: The Series
2:00pm, Segal Theatre I Screenings
6:30pm, Segal Theatre |Panel Discussion
Originally written for television, Hilton Als's Andy Warhol: The Series retells Warhol's story through the point of view of significant women in his life-his mother and Shirley Temple. Drawing on historical accounts, rumors, and artworks, it tells the story of the artist's childhood, career, and fascination with Hollywood. The evening will feature a live reading premiere, directed by New York director John Jesurun. Co-produced by Claire Montgomery and Alsun Keogh/Location One.
Thursday, May 24
Puerto Rico: Theatre after Hurricane María
Contemporary Theatre + Performance in Puerto Rico post María
6:30pm, Segal Theatre | Panel Discussion
Inspired by the tragic events and continued inaction in Puerto Rico, the Segal Center invites theatre and performance artists from Puerto Rico to speak about their artistic practices and how these have been impacted by Hurricane María. The evening will feature presentations, readings, and demonstrations, as well as an open forum to discuss the current state of performance and politics on the island. Invited artists and panelists include: Isel Rodríguez (Teatro Breve), Helen Ceballos (Mezcolanza), Kairiana Núñez (Mezcolanza), Mickey Negrón (Mezcolanza), and Libertad Guerra (Loisaida Center). The event is curated and moderated by Bertie Ferdman.
Tuesday, June 26
Pride Voices: New Plays from Taiwan
with Li-Ying Chien and Pao-Chang Tsai
6:30pm, Segal Theatre | Readings + Discussion
The evening will feature excerpted readings from The Possible Memoirs of a Traitor by Li-Ying Chien (Director TBC) and Solo Date by Pao-Chang Tsai (performed by Tsai; dramaturgy by Soriya Chum), followed by a panel discussion with the playwrights, the director, and others. Moderated by Frank Hentschker. Through their plays and stage works, Chien and Tsai have reinvigorated the Taiwanese theatre-scape. Blending new media, real life event, and various performative techniques, their highly political and engaged works give voice to an emerging cultural movement in Taiwan. As established queer artists, their creative processes and cultural productions also shed light on the struggles and achievements of the LGBTQ community in Taiwan and Asia today. Co-curated by Chi-Ping Yen (Taipei Culture Center in New York) and Yu Chien Liu (Martin E. Segal Theatre Center), with support from Ministry of Culture, Taiwan ) and Taipei Cultural Center in New York.
The Segal Center bridges the gap between the academic and performing arts communities through dynamic public programs and digital initiatives that are free and open to all.
Home to theatre artists, scholars, students, performing arts managers, and the local and international performance communities, the Segal Center provides a supportive environment for conversation, open exchange, and the development of new ideas and new work. Year round, the Center presents a wide variety of FREE public programs, which feature leading national and International Artists, scholars, and arts professionals in conversation about theatre and performance. Programs include staged readings to further the development of new and classic plays, festivals celebrating New York performance (PRELUDE) and international plays (PEN World Voices), screenings of performance works on film, artists in conversation, academic lecture series, televised seminars, symposia, and arts in education programs. In addition, the Center maintains its long-standing visiting-scholars-from-abroad program, publishes a series of highly regarded academic journals, as well as single volumes of importance (including plays in translation), all written and edited by renowned scholars. www.thesegalcenter.org.
The Graduate Center, CUNY, of which the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center is an integral part, is the doctorate-granting institution of The City University of New York (CUNY). An internationally recognized center for advanced studies and a national model for public doctoral education, the school offers more than thirty doctoral programs, as well as a number of master's programs. Many of its faculty members are among the world's leading scholars in their respective fields, and its alumni hold major positions in industry and government, as well as in academia. The Graduate Center is also home to twenty-eight interdisciplinary research centers and institutes focused on areas of compelling social, civic, cultural, and scientific concerns. Located in a landmark Fifth Avenue building, The Graduate Center has become a vital part of New York City's intellectual and cultural life with its extensive array of public lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical events. www.gc.cuny.edu.
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