The Wooster Group Presents NORTH ATLANTIC; Runs 2/10-2/21

The Wooster Group Presents the production of 'North Atlantic', text by James Strahs?, directed by Elizabeth LeCompte. Performances will be from February 10 to 21.

Featuring Steve Cuiffo, Ari Fliakos, Koosil-ja Hwang, Paul Lazar, Frances McDormand, Zachary Oberzan, Jenny Seastone Stern, Scott Shepherd, Maura Tierney and Kate Valk

 

"Remember those classic musicals that seemed to mirror the strapping, restless soul of the United States' Rodgers and Hammerstein shows like 'Oklahoma!' and 'South Pacific'? Well, The Wooster Group has a similar work in its own repertory, a robust song-and-dance spectacle with the contrarian name of 'North Atlantic' that does indeed bring to mind the keystone works of the American musical theater." - Ben Brantley, The New York Times

The work of The Wooster Group falls outside the parameters of traditional theater and is situated among multiple worlds: the performance, dance, visual, media and theatrical arts. Over three decades, the company has cultivated a broad national and international audience for its pioneering work. With a four-year residency at REDCAT (the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) in Los Angeles and a new three-year residency at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, the Group continues to expand its base of operations and its connection to new audiences. This year, the iconic collective will perform a new iteration of one its landmark pieces, North Atlantic, at both venues.

North Atlantic will run at REDCAT February 10-21, 2010. Performances will take place Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8:30 P.M., and Sundays at 7:00 P.M. Tickets are $55.00 ($45.00 for students with current I.D.) and are available at www.redcat.org or by calling 213.237.2800. REDCAT is located at the corner of W. 2nd and Hope Streets, inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

The Wooster Group will then perform North Atlantic March 10-April 25, at the Baryshnikov Arts Center's new Jerome Robbins Theater, beginning the Group's role as the resident theater company of the much-heralded New York City venue. The show will run Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8:00 P.M. and Sundays at 4:00 P.M. Tickets are $45.00 and can be purchased through Smarttix at www.smarttix.com or by calling 212.868.4444. The Jerome Robbins Theater is located in the Baryshnikov Arts Center facility at 450 West 37th Street in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

North Atlantic is a satiric look at the role of the military and the growing influence of technology in American culture during the late Cold War period, after Vietnam and before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The work follows an international peacekeeping force on an aircraft carrier in the North Atlantic, tracing the cultural and sexual dynamics that rise to the fore as they carry out their top-secret mission. Written expressly for the company by James Strahs in 1982, North Atlantic joined a series of Wooster Group works rooted in American themes and told in the rhythms of the American vernacular--works based on texts by Thornton Wilder, Arthur Miller, Eugene O'Neill and Gertrude Stein. North Atlantic plays with nostalgia for the analog (pre-digital) 1980s through slang, song and dance.

The Wooster Group maintains works in repertory, often revisiting earlier productions after extended periods of time. The Group first premiered North Atlantic in 1983 and last performed it in New York in 2000 at their permanent home, The Performing Garage. The work has never been seen in Los Angeles. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte, the latest version of the piece features Steve Cuiffo, Ari Fliakos, Koosil-ja Hwang, Paul Lazar, Frances McDormand, Zachary Oberzan, Jenny Seastone Stern, Scott Shepherd, Maura Tierney and Kate Valk. Lighting is by Jennifer Tipton and the set is by Jim Clayburgh, with additional details by Jim Findlay and Ruud van den Akker.

The Los Angeles and New York runs of North Atlantic represent not just the evolution of The Wooster Group's body of work, but also a significant expansion of its presenting capacity. The residencies at REDCAT and the Jerome Robbins Theater establish the Group on Manhattan's West Side and in Los Angeles, in addition to The Performing Garage, its home base in SoHo--a unique situation for any performing arts institution and a reflection of the company's stature at this stage of its history.

As the Jerome Robbins Theater's resident theater company, The Wooster Group will be what the Baryshnikov Arts Center has called the "centerpiece" of the venue's programming. They will work and perform in the theater for three months of each year. BAC Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov has also said, "we plan to involve them in a curatorial capacity, as well, so that we can work together to identify and produce the freshest and most innovative performance."

The performances at REDCAT are funded in part with generous support from Judith O. and Robert E. Rubin.

For additional information about the performances at REDCAT, images, media and interviews, please contact Diana Wyenn at 213-237-2873 or dwyenn@calarts.edu.

About REDCAT

REDCAT (the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) opened by CalArts in 2003, introduces diverse audiences, students and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from around the world, and gives artists in this region the creative support they need to achieve national and international stature. REDCAT is the newest partner in an international network of adventurous art and performance centers, which together are playing a vital role in the evolution of contemporary culture. REDCAT is a center for experimentation, discovery, and lively civic discourse. www.redcat.org | 213-237-2800

About the Baryshnikov Arts Center

The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) opened its doors in New York City's Hell's Kitchen in November 2005 to house the core activities of the Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, incorporated in 1979. BAC serves as a creative laboratory, meeting place, and performance space for a vibrant community of artists from around the world. BAC is also dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at low or no cost to ticket buyers. The Jerome Robbins Theater will serve as an organic extension of the existing center. The renowned Wooster Group will become the theater's resident theater company, working and performing in the theater for three months of each year. Other programming in the JRT will feature multidisciplinary work, emerging talent, and International Artists, and include artist-centered activity that fosters creative exploration. www.bacnyc.org | 646-731-3200

 

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