Third Rail Projects follows up its critically acclaimed, long-running production of THEN SHE FELL with the World Premiere of THE GRAND PARADISE, a fully immersive, multi-sensory experience in which visitors travel to a tropical paradise. Based on a concept by Tom Pearson, it is directed, designed, written and choreographed by Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, and Jennine Willett in collaboration with The Company and produced in association with Bill Caleo and Zach Stern. Performances take place at The Grand Paradise, a venue in Bushwick, Brooklyn custom-built for the production. Preview performances begin January 28 with an official opening date of January 30, 2016.
Set in those hazy and culturally liminal years of the late 1970s becoming the 1980s, the experience begins as you are handed a vintage plane ticket by a polyester-clad airline attendant. You and other guests find yourselves transported to THE GRAND PARADISE, a tropical resort that purports to be the home of the original, genuine Fountain of Youth. Greeted with a tropical drink and a garland of flowers, visitors encounter the resort's resident population, characters who embody the era's shifting and blurring values - a rogue's gallery of eccentrics, hustlers, eternal youths, gods, monsters, disco queens, and con men. Visitors to THE GRAND PARADISE are invited to explore the grounds and the beaches, watch a floorshow, quench their deepest longings, follow performers into one-on-one encounters, and trade their faded ideals for shiny new illusions. Ultimately, THE GRAND PARADISE offers a pas de deux of desire and death, a midlife crisis, a coming of age, and search for the revitalizing waters of the Fountain of Youth at the resort of the eternally brokenhearted.
THE GRAND PARADISE is created in collaboration with company members Erik Abbott-Main, Elizabeth Carena, Alberto Denis,
Ashley Handel, Roxanne Kidd, Jeff Lyon, Rebekah Morin, Lauren Muraski, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con,
Wil Petre, Joshua Reaver, Katrina Reid, Edward Rice, Ashley Robicheaux,
Sebastiani Romagnolo, Jessy Smith, Tori Sparks, Niko Tsocanos, and Carlton Cyrus Ward. The production features production design by
Zach Morris,
Tom Pearson, and
Jennine Willett, original music & sound design by
Sean Hagerty, costumes by
Karen Young, environment design Elisabeth Svenningsen, production/project management by Andrea Dohar Corbett, stage management by Kristina Vnook, technical direction by Carlton Cyrus Ward.
The full company of performers includes: Erik Abbott-Main, Matthew Albert, Erika Boudreau-Barbee, Iman Barns, Carly Berrett-Plagianakos, Elizabeth Carena,
Elisa Davis, Alberto Denis,
Kate Douglas, Brendan Duggan, Lea Fulton,
Ashley Handel, Emma Hoette, Roxanne Kidd, Kate Landenheim, Justin Lynch, Jeff Lyon,
Zach Martens, Zach McNally, Rebekah Morin, Lauren Muraski, Parker Murphy,
Mayte Natalio, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con, Lily Ockwell,
Tom Pearson,
Wil Petre, Joshua Reaver, Katrina Reid, Edward Rice, Ashley Robicheaux,
Sebastiani Romagnolo, Julie Seal, Jessy Smith, Tori Sparks, Bryan Strimple, Jeff Sykes,
Simon Thomas-Train, Niko Tsocanos,
Robert Vail, and Carlton Cyrus Ward.
Hailed as one of the foremost companies creating site-specific, immersive and experiential performance in the US, Third Rail Projects, led by Artistic Directors
Zach Morris,
Tom Pearson, and
Jennine Willett, is dedicated to re-envisioning ways in which audiences can engage with contemporary performance. They have made work in New York, nationally, and abroad for over 15 years, and their long-running, award-winning work, Then She Fell, was named as one of the "Top Ten Shows of the 2012" The New York Times and acclaimed as one of the best theater experiences of 2013 by Vogue. Third Rail Projects has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards for Then She Fell (2013) and Vanishing Point (2008). For more info, visit
thirdrailprojects.com.
THE GRAND PARADISE runs January 30 - March 31, 2016. Performances are Tuesday - Sunday at 7:00pm and 10:30pm. The Grand Paradise is located at 383 Troutman Street at Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn -- just off the L train at Jefferson Street. Tickets are $95 - $150, available at
www.thegrandparadise.com. Private events are also available; visit the website for more information. Performances begin promptly. Late admittance is at the sole discretion of the staff. The show features nudity and adult themes, so admittance is strictly limited to audience members 18 years of age and over; all audience members must bring valid government-issued photo IDs. The performance lasts roughly 2 hours. Because of the immersive nature of this piece, audiences may be standing for significant periods of time over the course of the performance. Environments contain a number of textures (such as a beach with sand), so comfortable shoes are suggested. This performance is not recommended for audience members who are not comfortable standing, walking or being alone. For more information call
718-374-5196.
