World Premiere of Daniel Fish's WHO LEFT THIS FORK HERE Set for Baryshnikov Arts Center

Daniel Fish, the innovative director of theater, opera, and film, collaborates with designer Jim Findlay to create Who Left This Fork Here, a new interdisciplinary work inspired by the psychological and emotional themes of aging and mortality in Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters. Who Left This Fork Here is set for four performances only, Wednesday, December 9, through Saturday, December 12, at 7:30pm at Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC)'s Howard Gilman Performance Space, 450 West 37th Street.

Presented as part of BAC's 10th anniversary season in 2015, Who Left This Fork Here builds on Mr. Fish and Mr. Findlay's experimental work in theater and video, particularly their acclaimed first collaboration The Source (BAM Next Wave 2014), and Mr. Fish's own Eternal (Public Theater Under The Radar Festival 2014). Who Left This Fork Here seeks to blur the boundaries between the two forms, exploring the dehumanized character of big data and the intimate emotions felt by people at different stages of their lives. The work was created in collaboration with three performers, whose ages span seven decades, including Tina Benko, Judith Roberts and Auden Thornton.

Who Left This Fork Here was developed, in part, during two residencies at BAC in 2012 and 2014. Mr. Fish is among a growing roster of artists who receive one or more creative residencies to develop new work that BAC later presents.

"Slowly, gradually, the meaning of what we've been working on began to emerge, and then it became clear to me the primary themes of this new work are aging and mortality," said Mr. Fish in an artist statement. "These are themes that the opening phrase of Chekov's play is replete with: 'Father died a year ago.' Who Left This Fork Here began with a 19th century Russian play, and has steadily, drastically departed from it, circling back to its inner life, and departing again to land in the present moment."

Mr. Fish's process has incorporated live, online, and recorded translation of Chekhov's text; repetition of language; the national debt clock; live Twitter feeds; and a vast group of collaborators including the actors, visual artists, and mathematician J.B. Michel. Lighting design is by Christopher Kuhl, and costume design is by Terese Wadden.