The Segal Center's PRELUDE FESTIVAL Sets Preliminary Artists

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presents its annual PRELUDE FESTIVAL on October 5, 6, and 7 at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). The theme of this year's festival will be FAILURE.

The Segal Center's PRELUDE FESTIVAL, dedicated to artists at the forefront of contemporary New York City theatre and performance, will be curated for the second time by Antje Oegel (Founder, AO International) and Tom Sellar (Editor, Theater magazine and Professor at Yale University). The Festival Producer is Nina Segal.

The themed portion of PRELUDE 2016 will focus on the theme of failure. "Failure has long been a crucial element in experimental theater, dance, and performance of all kinds," said Sellar. "How are New York City's progressive stage artists thinking about the ethics and applications of failure given today's economic pressures? In a highly polarizing election season, how are theater-makers engaging with broader systemic failures of national institutions and political systems?" Panels, public salons, and original performances will explore these questions.

In addition to this thematic program, there will be showcases of approximately 30 works in progress, scheduled to premiere in this or future seasons, from New York City artists and ensembles including I Am A Boys Choir, Christina Masciotti, Paul Lazar, John Del Gaudio and Kate Benson, Kyoung's Pacific Beat, Big Dance Theater, Robert Johanson and Ilan Bachrach, and Katy Pyle. A workshop with The Builder's Association is also scheduled.

The final night of PRELUDE will conclude with the presentation of the fourth annual FRANKY AWARD-created to recognize an artist who has made a long-term, extraordinary impact on Contemporary Theatre and performance in New York City. Previous honorees include Kate Valk (Wooster Group), Paul Lazar & Annie-B Parson (Big Dance Theater), and Jay Wegman (Abrons Art Center/Skirball Center).

Since 2003, the PRELUDE FESTIVAL has given audiences a fast-paced, first look at new work and ideas by groundbreaking New York theatre and performance artists by presenting brief readings, mini-performances, installations, panels, and discussions featuring some of New York City's most thought-provoking performance artists and companies. PRELUDE has presented more than 300 emerging artists, including: Sarah Benson, Big Art Group, Cynthia Hopkins, Young Jean Lee, Nature Theatre of Oklahoma, and 600 HIGHWAYMEN alongside legendary figures like Richard Foreman, Marina Abramovic, Mabou Mines, Charles Mee, and many more.

PRELUDE remains the only festival of its kind in New York City that remains completely free and open to the public.

Full festival schedule to be announced in early September. For updates, please visit www.PreludeNYC.org.

All PRELUDE events are presented at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, New York, NY 10016. All are free of charge and open to the public. First come, first served. All programs are subject to change.

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center (MESTC) is a non-profit center for theatre, dance, and film affiliated with CUNY's Ph.D. Program in Theatre. The Center's mission is to bridge the gap between academia and the professional performing arts communities both within the United States and internationally. For more, visit www.theSegalCenter.org.